Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SHANGHAI636
2007-09-27 10:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Shanghai
Cable title:  

UPDATE ON ZHEJIANG DISSIDENT LU GENGSONG

Tags:  PHUM PGOV CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
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FM AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
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INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1440
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0903
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0882
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 0904
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1029
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0723
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 6788
C O N F I D E N T I A L SHANGHAI 000636 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/CM AND DRL/PHD - O'SULLIVAN
NSC FOR DENNIS WILDER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/27/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV CH
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON ZHEJIANG DISSIDENT LU GENGSONG

REF: BEIJING 5820

CLASSIFIED BY: Veomayoury Baccam, Acting Political/Economic
Section Chief, U.S. Consulate , Shanghai .
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



C O N F I D E N T I A L SHANGHAI 000636

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/CM AND DRL/PHD - O'SULLIVAN
NSC FOR DENNIS WILDER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/27/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV CH
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON ZHEJIANG DISSIDENT LU GENGSONG

REF: BEIJING 5820

CLASSIFIED BY: Veomayoury Baccam, Acting Political/Economic
Section Chief, U.S. Consulate , Shanghai .
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) On September 26, Poloff received an update on detained
Zhejiang dissident Lu Gengsong's case from Lu's wife, Wang
Xue'e, and Hangzhou activist and freelance journalist Wink Ho.
Ho is one of the organizers of a letter signed by more than
1,000 Chinese intellectuals and activists calling for Lu's
release. (See reftel.) Lu was detained by Hangzhou authorities
on August 24 on charges of "illegally obtaining State secrets"
and "inciting subversion." According to Wang and Ho, the
Hangzhou authorities should decide by this weekend whether it
will formally charge Lu or release him. Wang said that
authorities told her that it is unlikely that Lu will be
released. If Lu is not released this weekend, the family plans
to increase pressure on the government through a letter writing
campaign. In addition, Wang and Ho would also like for the USG
to raise the case with the Chinese Government if Lu is not
released.


2. (C) Lu is one of the most popular and well-respected
activists in Zhejiang. He has been writing about housing
compensation problems and promoting human rights reforms for
many years. Wang and Ho suspect that Lu was arrested because
his recent articles discussed specific housing compensation
cases in Hangzhou, which were critical of the local authority.
They hope that by raising the case's profile, Beijing will
intercede and force the local government to release Lu.


3. (C) Ho said it is unclear whether the letter has had any
impact. Before the letter was released, some in community urged
the family not to "make a big deal" out of the case and to keep
a low profile. The family and the activists behind the letter
waited for nearly a month to see if the authorities would
release Lu. When nothing happened, they decided to go forth and
release the letter. According to Ho, so far, the government has
not taken any action on the people who signed the letter. He
believes that government retribution is unlikely. The letter
received a great deal of attention in the international media
and any government action against the signers of the letter
would lead to negative attention, something that the Chinese
Government was trying to avoid in the run-up to the Olympics.
Also, more than 1,000 people signed the letter and it is
impossible for the government to take action against so many
people.


4. (C) Wang said although she has only visited her husband once
shortly after he was detained, she believes that he is healthy
and has not been mistreated. While her husband suffers from
high blood pressure, authorities allowed her to give him his
medication during their last meeting. In addition, she was told
by prison authorities that they will not beat or mistreat her
husband. She believes the authorities and said Hangzhou prison
guards rarely beat prisoners.

JARRETT