- Yang Chunlin
Yang Chunlin (Chinese: 杨春林;
Pinyin : Yáng Chūnlín; born1954 ) is ahuman rights activist inChina . Yang has published numerous articles on human rights and land rights. In 2007, he helped organise a petition entitled, "We want human rights, not theOlympics ." [Human Rights Watch 2008, [http://china.hrw.org/press/other_news/hrw_world_report_2008_events_in_china_in_2007 'HRW World Report 2008: Events in China in 2007'] , "www.china.hrw.org", no date. Retrieved 3 March 2008.] The petition reportedly collected over ten thousand signatures. [Associated Press 2007, [http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3554188 'China arrests anti-Olympics activist'] , "ABC News " (US), 3 September. Retrieved 3 March 2008.]Yang was arrested in July 2007 and charged with "inciting subversion of state power". [Beck, L. 2008, [http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSPEK27001420080228 'China foreign minister defends rights record'] , "
Reuters ", 28 February. Retrieved 3 March 2008.] His trial began in February 2008 in the city ofJiamusi . [Fang Yuan & Yan Xiu 2008, [http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2008/02/19/china_olympics/ 'China tries land activist who opposed Olympics'] , "Radio Free Asia ", 19 February. Retrieved 3 March 2008.] [Dickie, M. 2008, [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8eed5c6c-e61e-11dc-8398-0000779fd2ac.html 'Beijing dismisses rights fears'] , "Financial Times ", 28 February. Retrieved 3 March 2008.] Yang was sentenced to five years in prison on 24 March 2008. [Associated Press 2008, [http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/03/24/olmpics.security.ap/ 'China to increase torch security after protest'] , "CNN ", 24 March. Retrieved on 25 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. [Radio Free Asia 2008, [http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/xinwen/2008/03/24/china_rights_trail/ 'Human rights trail'] , "Radio Free Asia", 24 March. (Cantonese)] [Fan, M. 2008, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/24/AR2008032401127.html?hpid=moreheadlines 'Protestors disrupt lighting of torch in ancient Olympia'] , "The Washington Post ", 25 March. Retrieved on 25 March 2008.]ee also
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Human rights in the People's Republic of China References
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