Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08SHANGHAI75
2008-02-22 06:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Shanghai
Cable title:
SHANGHAI HOUSING RIGHTS LAWYER ZHENG ENCHONG DETAINED
how-toVZCZCXRO4417 RR RUEHCN RUEHGH DE RUEHGH #0075 0530627 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 220627Z FEB 08 FM AMCONSUL SHANGHAI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6708 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1732 RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1128 RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 1099 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1261 RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 1126 RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0939 RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 7245
C O N F I D E N T I A L SHANGHAI 000075
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/CM AND DRL/PHD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/22/2033
TAGS: PHUM PGOV CH
SUBJECT: SHANGHAI HOUSING RIGHTS LAWYER ZHENG ENCHONG DETAINED
REF: 07 SHANGHAI 414 AND PREVIOUS
CLASSIFIED BY: Christopher Beede, 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 000075
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/CM AND DRL/PHD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/22/2033
TAGS: PHUM PGOV CH
SUBJECT: SHANGHAI HOUSING RIGHTS LAWYER ZHENG ENCHONG DETAINED
REF: 07 SHANGHAI 414 AND PREVIOUS
CLASSIFIED BY: Christopher Beede, Political/Economic Section
Chief, U.S. Consulate , Shanghai .
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (C) In a phone conversation with Poloff on February 22,
Shanghai petitioner Chen Enquan confirmed a February 20 report
by Human Rights in China (HRIC) that prominent Shanghai housing
rights lawyer Zheng Enchong was detained on February 20. She
also asserted as appeared in the HRIC report that the police
were behind beatings that Zheng had suffered on February 16 and
17. According to Chen, Zheng was detained by police on the
morning of February 20 and released that evening. He remains at
home under police surveillance.
2. (C) Chen and a few other petitioners visited Chen's wife,
Jiang Meili, on the afternoon of February 20 after hearing about
the detention. She had also heard that Zheng was beaten during
his February 20 detention, but is unable to contact Zheng or his
wife to confirm. She said that during her February 20 visit,
Jiang reported that the couple's phone had been turned off and
it was impossible for them to receive phone calls. Poloff has
also made numerous attempts to reach Zheng by his mobile phone
without any success.
3. (C) Zheng is considered to be one of Shanghai's most
prominent dissidents. He defended hundreds of Shanghai
petitioners before he was sentenced to three years of prison in
2003 for "illegally providing state secrets." After being
released in June 2006, Zheng has been under heavy police
surveillance and regularly harassed by police. (See reftel.)
JARRETT
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/CM AND DRL/PHD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/22/2033
TAGS: PHUM PGOV CH
SUBJECT: SHANGHAI HOUSING RIGHTS LAWYER ZHENG ENCHONG DETAINED
REF: 07 SHANGHAI 414 AND PREVIOUS
CLASSIFIED BY: Christopher Beede, Political/Economic Section
Chief, U.S. Consulate , Shanghai .
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (C) In a phone conversation with Poloff on February 22,
Shanghai petitioner Chen Enquan confirmed a February 20 report
by Human Rights in China (HRIC) that prominent Shanghai housing
rights lawyer Zheng Enchong was detained on February 20. She
also asserted as appeared in the HRIC report that the police
were behind beatings that Zheng had suffered on February 16 and
17. According to Chen, Zheng was detained by police on the
morning of February 20 and released that evening. He remains at
home under police surveillance.
2. (C) Chen and a few other petitioners visited Chen's wife,
Jiang Meili, on the afternoon of February 20 after hearing about
the detention. She had also heard that Zheng was beaten during
his February 20 detention, but is unable to contact Zheng or his
wife to confirm. She said that during her February 20 visit,
Jiang reported that the couple's phone had been turned off and
it was impossible for them to receive phone calls. Poloff has
also made numerous attempts to reach Zheng by his mobile phone
without any success.
3. (C) Zheng is considered to be one of Shanghai's most
prominent dissidents. He defended hundreds of Shanghai
petitioners before he was sentenced to three years of prison in
2003 for "illegally providing state secrets." After being
released in June 2006, Zheng has been under heavy police
surveillance and regularly harassed by police. (See reftel.)
JARRETT