America and Great Britain Speak out to Help Free Dr. Fan Yafeng

China Aid Association
image(Midland, TX –  February 17, 2011) On February 16, 2011, Congressman Joe Pitts from Pennsylvania gave a one-minute speech on the House Floor, calling for action to free Dr. Fan Yafeng (Beijing legal scholar and house church leader) from house arrest.
Congressman Pitts stated that the Chinese government’s treatment of Dr. Fan included “systematic interrogation, search and seizure, and torture,” and that “He is currently under house arrest, guarded by police in Beijing and cut off from the outside world.”
Congressman Pitts said, “I call upon the State Department and our embassy in Beijing to reach out to Dr. Yafeng to verify his condition and apply pressure on the Chinese government to ensure his release.”

The British Embassy in Beijing spoke with Dr. Fan Wednesday morning, February 16, and expressed the British Government’s continued concern and interest in his case and his welfare.
In 2004, Dr. Fan Yafeng first invented the theoretic model of “Citizen Rights Legal Defense” in China and thereby started the movement to use the legal system to defend civil rights, including religious freedom, human rights, the rule of law, and democracy in China.
Dr. Fan was named one of Asia Newsweek’s “Persons of the Year in Asia” in 2005.  He was formerly the Senior Researcher at the Institute of Studies on Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), but was laid off in 2009 for political reasons.  Dr. Fan was awarded the 2009 John Leland Religious Liberty Award by the Southern Baptist Convention.
Following is the content of Congressman Pitts’ speech:
One Minute Speech – February 15, 2011
Dr. Yafeng
Mr. Speaker,
Once again the Chinese government has targeted a human rights proponent for persecution, Dr. Fan Yafeng [fan YA-fung], head of the Christian Human Rights Lawyers of China.
Dr. Yafeng was granted an interview last October with National Public Radio regarding the absence of the Chinese delegation at the Lausanne Congress, which is an international gathering of evangelicals. 
The government’s response to the interview was systematic interrogation, search and seizure, and torture.
He is currently under house arrest, guarded by police in Beijing and cut off from the outside world.
Those attempting to contact him through family have also endured police brutality.
I call upon the State Department and our embassy in Beijing to reach out to Dr. Yafeng to verify his condition and apply pressure on the Chinese government to ensure his release.
The Chinese government’s continued persecution of human rights advocates within its borders and the practice of persecution via house arrest must not be tolerated.
I hope that we will stand up for Dr. Yafeng and support his peaceful work to bring freedom and dignity to the Chinese people.
PDF of Speech



China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
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Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org

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America and Great Britain Speak out to Help Free Dr. Fan Yafeng

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