Fujian Dissident Calls for Efforts on Behalf of

C O N F I D E N T I A L GUANGZHOU 032161 SIPDIS C O N F I D E N T I A L SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/16 TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI CH SUBJECT: Fujian Dissident Calls for Efforts on Behalf of Gao Zhisheng REF: A) Guangzhou 30533; B) Beijing 18544 ¶1. (U) Classified by Consul General Robert Goldberg. Reason 1.4 (d). ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: Former Tiananmen-era activist and dissident writer Lin Xinyu discussed with poloffs his efforts, along with other activists, to pressure the Chinese government for the release of detained activists Gao Zhisheng and Guo Feixiong. Lin said that outside pressure on courts was less effective once judgments have already been rendered. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (C) On October 30, Beijing Poloff and Guangzhou Poloff met with Lin Xinyu (protect),a dissident writer from Fuzhou, Fujian province, who, in 1989, was imprisoned for eight months following the Tiananmen crackdown for allegedly inciting students to participate in the movement. Despite government pressure, Lin has remained an active writer. Lin claims he was the first mainlander to publicly demand reparations from Japan (1986) and a reassessment of the Tiananmen Square incident (1991). ¶4. (C) Lin urged the U.S. Government to lodge protest with the Chinese Government over the detentions of legal activists Gao Zhisheng (detained August 15, ref B) and Guo Feixiong (detained September 18, ref A). Lin said that he had spearheaded a letter writing campaign among China's intellectuals and activists for the release of China Democracy Party activist Wang Youcai in 1998. In part due to this pressure, Wang was initially released, Lin said. Unfortunately, Wang was subsequently detained again and sentenced to 11 years for subversion. Lin argued this pressure must be brought early in a case to be effective. ¶5. (U) This cable has been coordinated with Embassy Beijing. GOLDBERG