There's still no word on a date for a resumption of Wu Yuren's trial. The furore about Liu Xiaobo over the past couple of weeks has probably disposed the authorities here to try to keep 'political cases' out of the news for a while (Wu is a Charter '08 signatory, though that may not be the motive for the authorities' persecution of him). Also, it would appear that the presiding judge's order that the prosecution produce a fuller version of the videotape "evidence" is causing substantial embarrassment to the police (who have probably by now lost or destroyed the original tapes; and even if they haven't, they won't want to release them to the court - since they will tend to exonerate Wu and incriminate the arresting officers). We are hoping the trial can be concluded as soon as possible, but it's started to look as though the adjournment could drag on for weeks.
Wu's lawyer, Li Fangping, has advised that it's quite common at this time of year for friends and families of prisoners here to send greetings cards to them as a gesture of support; and his wife Karen has made an appeal for all those following Wu's case to do this for him. It's not certain that the cards would be passed on to Wu for him to read (although I don't see why they wouldn't), but the point is more to make a public demonstration of support - to remind the Detention Centre authorities, and the police and the government, that Wu is not forgotten, and that large numbers of people, both in China and abroad, are taking an interest in his case.
If you would like to join in this campaign, please send a simple postcard to Wu Yuren at the following address:
Beijing City,
Chaoyang District,
Chaoyang Criminal Detention Center
#29 Chaoyang Beilu
#29 Chaoyang Beilu
ATTENTION: WU Yuren
收：吴玉仁
If you're writing from within China, you might want to withold your own name and address, or use a fake one.
It's probably a bit late now to reach him by Christmas (I wasn't able to give this a shout out last week because of my Internet problems), but it's the thought that counts. The cards will be noticed, whenever they arrive. [And Christmas isn't a Chinese holiday anyway. The New Year is more significant here; and, even more than that, the Chinese Spring Festival a month later.]
Please write as soon as possible.
4 comments:
They have a 6-year old daughter. I want to weep.
I am filling up all your comments. I'd best be off to bed; being ill is no fun (I'm sorry YOU'RE feeling off). But my NyQuil has finally kicked in so I can get some much-needed rest. I'll have to read more about Wu Yuren when my eyelids aren't trying to crawl down my cheeks.
Did you go over to Karen's blog as well.
Their little girl Hannah is one-in-a-million - scarily bright and very vivacious. She does miss her dad, though. It's been a miserable six months for them.
I hope you'll join the postcard campaign.
I did go to Karen's blog. It made a lump in my throat. I have this weakness for reading the stories of others and imagining the motion of their lives; though my husband is not mine any longer, I CAN imagine the desperate circumstances of a wife who must drive a certain way to the prison where her husband is being held, only to be told the knit vest she bought so he could have clothing is not acceptable. The tiredness, the aggravation, the fear, the desolation. And a daughter she must continue to care for and sustain in the midst of the horror.
I will write a postcard this week.
P.S. I sent a postcard today.
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