An Open Letter From Chen Guangcheng's Wife, Yuan Weijing, to Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao (CECC Full Translation)

The following is a translation prepared by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China of an open letter from Yuan Weijing to Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, dated March 24, 2006. The Chinese text was retrieved from a March 25 Boxun posting.

Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao:

You are surely already aware of the situation regarding Chen Guangcheng, a blind man from Linyi, Shandong, who has met with persecution and retaliation because he exposed the truth behind Linyi's population planning. It has already been over nine months since the barbaric population planning incident in Linyi city was exposed. On September 6 of last year, Chen Guangcheng was placed under house arrest for over half a year. It has already been 14 days since he was taken into custody on March 11, and you have not had any reaction. In your mind, these are the actions of the local government. What I want to ask is: Why would the local government take these types of actions? Why does the local government dare to take these types of actions? As one who is handicapped, [Chen Guangcheng] is able to work as hard as he can so that there is improvement in the living standards of handicapped villagers or rural masses in most need of assistance. Yet as healthy men, and as state leaders, if you are able to have a conscience and a sense of responsibility--just as you have said--are you still able to tolerate the local government's illegal treatment of a conscientious Chinese blind man? Are you still able to tolerate the local government's hiring of thugs to keep watch over a blind man for as long as half a year? On this patch of earth, a Chinese citizen has met with this type of persecution merely for speaking some truth. A few citizens have, in broad daylight, been beaten by thugs that the government hired, merely because [these citizens] wanted to visit their friend. What are your reflections on this? Why don't you go and listen to what is truly on the minds of the Chinese people? Do you know how many people, on this patch of earth, live in a state of fear each day? How many people are wronged and live in a state of despair? Or how many wives and mothers (Zeng Jinyan, Gao Qinsheng, Jiang Meili, Chun Liu, Lu Kun...), in the midst of tears, uneasily await their husbands and children? Who is creating this type of human tragedy? Who is trampling on the dignity of the law? Who is causing harm to China's image? Please think carefully.

A Chinese Citizen,
Chen Guangcheng's Wife,
Yuan Weijing

March 24, 2006