Letter from 40 U.S. Senators to Hu Jintao

Senators Kyl, Mikulski etc.


June 15, 2005

The Honorable Hu Jintao
President of the People's Republic of China
c/o Embassy of the People's Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

Dear President Hu:

We are writing to express our deep concern about the case of Dr. Yang Jianli, an accomplished scholar and legal permanent resident of the United States who has been detained by the Government of the People's Republic of China since April 26, 2002.

As you know, this case has been the source of considerable international interest and attention. Despite numerous entreaties from the U.S. Government and Members of Congress, Dr. Yang was initially held for over a year incommunicado, in solitary confinement, and without access to counsel. This treatment prompted the United Nations to declare that he was being detained in violation of international law. Subsequently, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives unanimously passed resolutions urging that your Government resolve this case.

Our concerns have been heightened by recent descriptions of Dr. Yang's treatment in prison. During his detention, Dr. Yang was allegedly beaten and tortured by four prison guards with electrified wands. All requests to see his lawyer to file charges against these guards have been denied. Despite this obvious infringement on Dr. Yang's rights, your Government released a report in April 2005, entitled China's Progress on Human Rights 2004, which declared that the Supreme People's Procuratorate "has carried out a special campaign to severely deal with criminal cases involving government functionaries' infringement upon human rights . . . [including] abusing people in custody . . . thus effectively bringing under control offences of infringement on rights."

Dr. Yang's detention and poor treatment clearly contradict that claim and have become an unnecessary irritant in U.S.-China relations. In addition, Yang also suffered a minor stroke on July 31, 2004, and continues to suffer from significant side effects including numbness in the left side of his body and substantial weight loss. We strongly urge your Government to exercise its discretion, in accordance with Chinese law, to release Dr. Yang. His ongoing detention has been the source of considerable pain to his wife and two young children, all three of whom are U.S. citizens, as well as to both of his parents, who are in ill health. We believe a decision to release Dr. Yang would be welcomed by all of those who seek to improve the bilateral relationship between the United States and China.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of our request.

Sincerely,

     Kyl (R-AZ)
     Mikulski (D-MD)
     Lautenberg (D-NJ)
     Brownback (R-KS)
     Lieberman (D-CT)
     Leahy (D-VT)
     Sarbanes (D-MD)
     McCain (R-AZ)
     Kennedy (D-MA)
     Feingold (D-WI)
     Inhofe (R-OK)
     Sununu (R-NH)
     Dorgan (D-ND)
     Corzine (D-NJ)
     Bond (R-MO)
     Specter (R-PA)
     Dayton (D-MN)
     Bingaman (D-NM)
     Kerry (D-MA)
     Akaka (D-HI)
     Durbin (D-IL)
     Obama (D-IL)
     Cantwell (D-WA)
     B. Nelson (D-FL)
     Coburn (R-OK)
     Smith (R-OR)
     DeWine (R-OH)
     Johnson (D-SD)
     Levin (D-MI)
     Schumer (D-NY)
     Salazar (D-CO)
     Santorum (R-PA)
     Feinstein (D-CA)
     Clinton (D-NY)
     Chambliss (R-GA)
     Vitter (R-LA)
     Boxer (D-CA)
     Dole (R-NC)
     Baucus (D-MT)
     Graham (R-SC)

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Source: "yangjianli.com".