LETTER OF APPEAL FROM RELATIVES OF VICTIMS FROM SOUTH CHINA CHURCH OF HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA.

January 30, 2002

Dear ladies and gentlemen,  

We are the relatives of some victims from South China church of Hubei Province, China. 

Since May 2001, the leading members and missionaries of our churches were one after another arrested secretly by Public Security Bureau of Zhongxiang, Hubei Province. Subsequently, there were reports that Intermediate People's Procuratorate in Jingmeng, Hubei Province would institute a public prosecution against the people arrested.  Since then, however, none of us relatives of these victims has received any written or oral notification from any of these public security organs, procuratorial organs or people's courts.  Recently, according to the information from Mr. Lang Fu of Law Office of Song Zhisheng in Wuhan, it is said that the proper authorities involved in this case have already completed the legal procedures of the first trial and the second trial.  Moreover, these victims have received severe sentences.  Three of our brothers, Shengliang Gong, Fuming Xu and Yong Hu, have been sentenced to death and deprived of their political right for life.  Ying Li (female) and Bangkun Gong have been sentenced to death with suspended execution of the sentence for two years.  They have also been deprived of their political right for life.  On the other hand, Minghua Sun (female) has been sentenced to life in prison and deprived of political right for life.  Yanli Xiao has been sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment and deprived of political right for two years and so on.

The above incidents and the completion of the legal procedures occurred without any knowledge of the victims' relatives.  We believe this way of doing things by the authorities involved and the law enforcement organs is a serious violation of the state's constitution and its laws.  This is also a violation of the law with knowledge of it by the law enforcement agencies themselves.  Using the power in their hands, they manipulated the whole process behind the scene.  During the time they tried the case, they refused to accept legal inquiries and refused to receive the victims' relatives who were looking for their loved ones, trying to visit them or to get some information about them.  What is more serious is the final result of the whole case, which they are still hiding from us.  Even at this very moment, we still don't know the whereabouts of our loved ones, how their life is, whether they are still healthy, even whether they are still alive or what awaits them eventually.

It is our belief that what the authorities involved in this case have been doing is a total disregard of the legal rights of the victims and all of us relatives.  It is a wanton trampling of the dignity of us citizens of the Republic and the rights given to us by the Constitution and the law.  The above-mentioned actions of theirs are a serious violation of the principles of the international law concerned and the Constitution and the law of the Republic.  It is unequivocally stipulated in Article 33, Article 36, Article 125 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and Article 11 and Article 163 of the Code of Criminal Procedures of the People's Republic of China that "citizens of the People's Republic of China have the freedom of religion," "citizens of the People's Republic of China are all equal before the law," and that "unless specified by law, all cases tried in the people's court should be open to the public," and "all the announcement of sentences should be open to the public."  In addition to these, according to the principles of the international law concerned, including Articles 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Articles 6, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and other articles in International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it is unequivocally stipulated that "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance;" "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person;" "Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law;" "All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination..." "Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him;" "Everyone charged with a penal offense has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense."

All the above legal stipulations have fully proven that the authorities concerned in Hubei Province have violently abused the power given to them by the people of the Republic.  Trying the whole case through clandestine means and manipulating the whole legal procedure is illegal and is a violation of the Constitution and the law.  It is also inhumane.  These actions are a brazen defiance of the constitution of the Republic and the dignity of the law.  It is also a brazen provocation on the principles of the international law.  For the sake of sanctity and dignity of the constitution of the Republic, to safeguard the rights given to us by the Constitution and the law, for the dignified and decent existence of all mankind and for the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, we hereby solemnly appeal to the entire international community on behalf of all the relatives of South China Church.

1.  We strongly demand that the authorities concerned respect the Constitution and the law of the Republic, abide by the principles of the proper international law and safeguard the dignity of the Constitution and the law.

2.  We strongly demand that the authorities concerned respect the rights and human dignity given to us and to our loved ones by the Constitution and the law.

3.   We strongly demand that the authorities concerned make public the location where our loved ones are detained and allow us to visit them and express our sympathy to them. 

4.   We strongly demand that the judicial department concerned review in an open, just and responsible manner the whole case involving the leading responsible members of the South China Church.

5.   We strongly demand that the authorities concerned enforce the law impartially, seek truth from facts, give up their ideological provinciality, bigotry and prejudice, become modest and easy of approach, conduct extensive investigation and verification among us believers, listen to us believers, accept the inquiries from us believers, clarify the facts as soon as possible, reestablish the innocence of South China Church so that the public may learn the facts in a just and fair manner.

Some relatives of victims from South China Church in Hubei Province, China

Following is a list of our signatures:

Relatives of Ms. Li Ying (total 24 signatures signed on January 28, 2002):

Li Wenju(father), Gong Shuqin(mother), Li Yun(sister), Li Gaixin(sister),

Li Fuyin(sister), Li Feng(brother), Zhao Yan(sister-in-law).

Other signatures of close relatives: Li Ailian, Gong Dasheng, Zhang Shumin,

Gong Han, Gong Liang, Gong Li, Hu Lingfang, Gong Yanli, Gong Huali, Gong Shuying, Hao Quanyin, Hao Huaju, Hao Anding, Gong Shuzhen, Cui Deqian, Cui Hui and

Cui Yunfu 

Relatives of  Xu Fuming(total 4 signatures signed on January 26, 2002):

Cui Qiuyun(mother), Xu Fuxi(mother), Xu Fucheng(brother) and Xu Fujuan(sister)