Yang Chunlin
Encyclopedia
Yang Chunlin is a human rights
activist in Heilongjiang
, China
. Yang has published numerous articles on human rights and land rights. In 2007, he helped organise a petition entitled, "We want human rights, not the Olympics." The petition reportedly collected over ten thousand signatures. Yang was convicted of "inciting subversion of state power" on 24 March 2008 and is currently serving a five-year prison sentence. Another activist involved with the open letter, Yuan Xianchen
, is awaiting trial on similar charges.
Yang was arrested in July 2007 and charged with "inciting subversion of state power
". His trial began in February 2008 in Jiamusi
, Heilongjiang. Yang was sentenced to five years in prison on 24 March 2008. He maintained his innocence throughout the trial. During and after the hearing at which he was sentenced, Yang was reportedly beaten with an electric rod on at least two occasions.
In a retrial on September 19, 2008, the Jiamusi Municipal Intermediate People's Court upheld Yang's original sentence. According to those in attendance, the trial lasted for under 30 minutes. Yang was transferred to Xianglan Prison (香兰监狱) on September 25, 2008, for the remainder of his sentence.
Amnesty International
has been following this case during the past years by urging the authorities to take effective measures to ensure that all human rights defenders including Yang Chunlin are allowed to carry out their peaceful activities without fear of hindrance, intimidation, arbitrary detention or imprisonment. The latest update on the situation of Yang Chunlin according to the reports of Amnesty International has been issued on March 31, 2010. It was stated there that Yang Chunlin's family were able to visit him again on 11 March 2010. They saw that his legs and face were swollen from the medical condition anasarca, which causes build-up of fluid in various parts of the body, and he looked tired. He said he felt his heartbeat was not normal, and his heart often felt uncomfortable. He said the problem was that the prison did not give him any chance to do any exercise, even walking outdoors. He has no rest from forced labor, making cardboard boxes, except for sleep and very short meal breaks. He has told the prison management he feels unwell, but they have given him no medical attention.
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist in Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Yang has published numerous articles on human rights and land rights. In 2007, he helped organise a petition entitled, "We want human rights, not the Olympics." The petition reportedly collected over ten thousand signatures. Yang was convicted of "inciting subversion of state power" on 24 March 2008 and is currently serving a five-year prison sentence. Another activist involved with the open letter, Yuan Xianchen
Yuan Xianchen
Yuan Xianchen is a mainland Chinese lawyer and human rights activist from Heilongjiang province. On March 4, 2009 he was found guilty of "inciting subversion of state power" and sentenced to four years imprisonment and five years' deprivation of political rights...
, is awaiting trial on similar charges.
Yang was arrested in July 2007 and charged with "inciting subversion of state power
Inciting subversion of state power
Inciting subversion of state power is a crime under the law of the People's Republic of China. It is article 105, paragraph 2 of the 1997 revision of the People's Republic of China's Penal Code....
". His trial began in February 2008 in Jiamusi
Jiamusi
Jiamusi is a prefecture-level city in the province of Heilongjiang, in the People's Republic of China. Located on the riverside of the middle and lower reaches of the Songhua River, It faces Russia across the Ussuri River and the Heilongjiang River...
, Heilongjiang. Yang was sentenced to five years in prison on 24 March 2008. He maintained his innocence throughout the trial. During and after the hearing at which he was sentenced, Yang was reportedly beaten with an electric rod on at least two occasions.
In a retrial on September 19, 2008, the Jiamusi Municipal Intermediate People's Court upheld Yang's original sentence. According to those in attendance, the trial lasted for under 30 minutes. Yang was transferred to Xianglan Prison (香兰监狱) on September 25, 2008, for the remainder of his sentence.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
has been following this case during the past years by urging the authorities to take effective measures to ensure that all human rights defenders including Yang Chunlin are allowed to carry out their peaceful activities without fear of hindrance, intimidation, arbitrary detention or imprisonment. The latest update on the situation of Yang Chunlin according to the reports of Amnesty International has been issued on March 31, 2010. It was stated there that Yang Chunlin's family were able to visit him again on 11 March 2010. They saw that his legs and face were swollen from the medical condition anasarca, which causes build-up of fluid in various parts of the body, and he looked tired. He said he felt his heartbeat was not normal, and his heart often felt uncomfortable. He said the problem was that the prison did not give him any chance to do any exercise, even walking outdoors. He has no rest from forced labor, making cardboard boxes, except for sleep and very short meal breaks. He has told the prison management he feels unwell, but they have given him no medical attention.