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China Aid via AP, file
Chen Guangcheng, right, stands with his son, Chen Kerui, and wife, Yuan Weijing, in Shandong province, China. The blind activist's escape last month humiliated the country's security forces and led to a standoff with Washington after he sought protection for six days in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
BEIJING - Blind Chinese rights activist Chen Guangcheng said on Sunday that a nephew, arrested on charges of attempted murder, was the victim of vengeance by officials incensed at Chen's escape, which cast a global spotlight on his 19 months in house arrest.
Chen confirmed reports that his nephew Chen Kegui was arrested on charges of attempted homicide over a confrontation that erupted after officials in their home village found Chen Guangcheng had escaped, defeating a seemingly impenetrable barrier of guards, video surveillance and walls.
His escape last month humiliated China's domestic security forces and led to a standoff with Washington after Chen sought protection for six days in the U.S. embassy in Beijing.
Why did blind activist anger Chinese authorities?
Chen, who is now receiving treatment in a Beijing hospital and preparing to go to the United States to study, said his nephew was a scapegoat of officials angered by Chen's audacious escape and demands that they be investigated.
US-bound Chinese activist says relatives suffer police revenge
The blind Chinese dissident also asked to live in the United States with his family, after the U.S. appeared to have brokered a deal that allowed him to stay in China. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
Officials in his home province of Shandong in east China were "mad right now, they are desperate and capable of anything, and this was revenge," he told Britain's Independent newspaper.
"It's their final battle," he told Reuters by telephone from the Beijing hospital where he is being kept.
'They beat him savagely'
Citing descriptions from relatives, Chen said his nephew acted in self-defense, picking up a kitchen cleaver after police and guards stormed into the home of Chen's older brother, where he was staying, after midnight.
"They beat him savagely," Chen said of his nephew. "He was beaten so badly that his face was covered in blood. I heard he was beaten so badly that three hours later his face was still bleeding," Chen said.
The activist has often said he is worried that his relatives will bear the brunt of his political activities and escape from house detention. He told The Wall Street Journal last week that he had heard of at least four family members, apart from his nephew, who being taken questioned by authorities.
Contention over the nephew is one of a bundle of uncertainties clouding Chen's plans to spend time in the United States after his audacious escape put him at the heart of international negotiations and boosted his fame as a representative of China's beleaguered "rights defense" movement.
Blind activist Chen Guangcheng: 'I want to leave China on Hillary Clinton's plane'
Chen, a self-taught legal activist, came to national fame for campaigning for farmers and disabled citizens, and exposing forced abortions around his hometown in Shandong, where officials were under pressure to meet family planning goals.
In 2006, Chen was sentenced to more than four years in jail on charges -- adamantly denied by his wife and lawyers -- that he whipped up a crowd that disrupted traffic and damaged property.
Passport application
He was formally released in 2010 but remained under stifling house arrest. Officials had turned his home into a fortress of walls, security cameras and guards in plain clothes.
Vice President Joe Biden talks with NBC's David Gregory about human rights activist Chen Guangcheng and its greater implications for the U.S.-China relationship.
Chen, 40, said he has received no word on his application for a passport, which he needs to leave for planned study at New York University.
Officials in Yinan County, Shandong, where Chen escaped from have not answered calls from reporters about the case and the charges against the nephew, Chen Kegui. The same was true on Sunday, when police and government phones were not answered.
Freedom from Chinese labor camp comes thanks to leader's downfall
Chen said that his nephew had injured, but not killed, men who invaded the village home after discovering Chen had fled, and he said his nephew acted in rightful self-defense.
"This was fully in keeping with legitimate action under Chinese criminal law and regulations. Nobody has the power to storm over a wall into someone's home at midnight and then beat up people," said Chen.
More China coverage on our Behind The Wall blog
He repeated his demand that the central Chinese government investigate and punish the Shandong officials whom he accuses of turning his village home into a virtual prison where and his family suffered beatings and abuse.
Chinese authorities have confiscated a lawyer's license and threatened to do the same to another after they volunteered to defend Chen Kegui.
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Leave a Comment:
Scapegoat? Pick up a meat cleaver when cops storm into your kitchen in the good ol' USA and see what happens. Hint: You won't like it.
Yes, but this is CHINA. . . ! It is so awesome over there! They don't do things like the US does, OH NO! They are so special and have no crime (because it never gets recorded) no murder (because it never gets recorded) no hacking (because crazy kids at a military college do it, not the actuall 'Chinese Government') and people take long vacations (to gulags). But go on peopel who think China is 'better' than whatever other crap government systems are out there. Its AWESOME!
Valid point, Denver bill. Dude would have been at least tazered and booked for aggravated assault on a cop. Still, I say we boycott Made in China products. It is a shame that our crooked politicians gave China the most favored trade status.
Personally, if cops busted into my house in the middle of the night and started to beat me up, I'd fight back too. Especially if I knew there was no legitimate reason for them to come that way. They could have knocked, they could have done a lot of things to pick him up, if that was the point. I'd rather die defending my freedom by taking on corrupt authorities than let them have their tyrannical way. But hey, you are probably a white guy, the most pampered and privileged sect in the country, and incidently the largest proportion of authorities......I think you live in a glass house, Dude.
NC open heart,
Yes, I'm white, but how could I possibly be the most pampered and privileged sect in the country? The government doesn't pay for my food, housing or medical care.
When China comes and takes over in the US, denver bill 2 will be very well prepared mentally. Congratulations. Hope you would like it in a Chinese dungeon.
I am SO sick of this guy playing us -- first for a visa for himself, then for his wife and kids, and now for the rest of his extended family.
Funny, how a political activist frightened for his life can sit in his oppressive Beijing hospital room and make phone call after phone call to every media outlet on the planet while his evil, dastardly and cruel Chinese watchers do nothing. Hmmm .... methinks someone just wants to jump to the head of the visa line in front of everyone else.
Chen, since you're so concerned for the safety and fair treatment of your family members, maybe you'd better stay in China ... for their sake.
Excellent comments!
China is Pigotry - government by pigs, of pigs, and for pigs.
I think Chen is playing both countries, twisting and turning his views to advance his own personal agenda. That isn't surprising and in fact may ultimately be a good thing in that it highlights the differences between a free society and an oppressed society. We should be vigilant here since China is rising on the world stage while we cling desperately to the edge of it. At some point we will reach out to China for help and it is at that point that the Chinese will begin efforts in earnest to influence/compromise our free culture. If freedom is to flourish, we must see that its seeds are planted, sprout, and grow in environments hostile to it. Chen is planting seeds, You go Chen!
...and all this is the US's problem because?
Because Chen and his extremely media savvy activist friends dragged us into this by (1) Chen seeking refuge in the US Embassy in Beijing, and (2) by broadcasting to the world that Chen was in mortal danger if he (and then his family) stayed in China. They put us in an awkward, no win situation and are still playing it up for all its worth.
He knew China would retaliate...activist in China have gone through this crap since I was a child in the 60's.
He and his family need to suck it up and take one for the gipper...or dishonor all the past activist and their family members that have suffered or been killed for doing the same thing...
Because our politicians think so (well as close to thinking as they can). In actuality it has little to do with the US (except for Chen playing us like a Violin). For human rights we should be pointing out our view to the people of the region and let the people there decide what they want to do, as it is what they want to do that matters in the end. We can not "tell" another government what to do, only indicate what we would do in a similar situation! YMMV
I don't care if he is playing both sides, bottom line is the oppression and beatings from the Chinese officials, whether local authorities or National security, it just shows how lucky we are to be somewhere else, and I don't particulary mean the USA, there are many places in the world that are not as oppressive, on the other hand, there are also several countries that would be considered just as bad as China, or worse....
What is the Chinese goverment so afraid of?
EXPOSURE....it is totally embarrassing, akin to walking around in full exposure everyday, kinda like only wearing underwear to work, and the same ones everyday...
His relatives are toast now whether he leaves the country or not...
There is really no solution to this problem, however, if he does leave and come to this country, his relatives are going to become fodder for terror for sure...
If he stays, his family AND relatives all will suffer...
There is no 'win win' situation, either way people will get hurt...
My take, just keeping it real...
we don't need this narcissist in this country living high off the hog courtesy the us taxpayer. China is the only country in ther world that has the good sense to control it's population. We are being played for fools. The idiot hillary and odumbo will get a few more gov't dependent voters
control it's population? how is that better?
as far as the USA being involved, I am pretty sure this was 'timing' orchestrated for the Hillary and Staff visit....
and, yes, the USA's involvement in world affairs has a seamy undercurrent...
i await the outcome of this situation, it will be interesting...
saving 'face' in the oriental culture is paramount...
I think it is about time the US government controls big max. He needs a good close supervision and some slave labor.
China is repressive, China has WMDs, and China is communist (thus evil)...Only if Bush is still president, and he would definitely invade China.
Crap like this was going on in China during his administration (hell, it's been going on since before we were born) and he didn't invade. That's because China is a world power, a political "ally", and an invasion would spark WW3 which would be a nuclear war in which everyone looses. If we go to war with China we'd all be wise to start building a vault system akin to what they have in the game Fallout, only more competent.
Neither Chen nor his relatives have asked for asylum for the extended family, yet, but I would not be surprised if that happens once Chen is in the U.S. I'm wondering how he'll support himself and his family while he's studying in the U.S. I'm assuming he'll be given either a student visa or jump to the front of the line for a green card and will receive welfare (now, that's socialistic for the government to support them). If he and his family don't speak English, I think they'll have a hard time acclimating to the U.S. culture and may eventually wish to return to China.
If Obama's illegal immigrant aunt can be granted "political" asylum for the "sufferings" she'd face if she went back to Kenya () and be given hundreds of dollar a month of social security disability, why shouldn't Chen's family be able to use the same grounds for asylum and aide? The precedence is set and, now, we should not be surprised when others follow in Obama's illegal immigrant aunt's footsteps.
Chen who!
It's Chen Hu.
"Before you embark on a journey of revenge dig two graves." Confucius, a chinese philospher
What is most worrisome is the lack of empathy from the so-called Americans that are blogging here. I remember when the wall divided East and West Berlin and people were desperately trying to get out by any means possible. People then had sympathy and some were even trying to help them get out. Then we can remember also all the French and British and even some Germans worked in the underground to get children out of Germany at the risk of their own lives. If we look at these blogs that compassion has gone out of everyone or maybe it was never there. I am ashamed of the attitudes of these so-called Americans who are nothing but self-centered and have no strength of character within them.
Maybe it's because this is China and not East Europe? The reason I bring this up is that racism is still strong in the subconscious minds of the human race, even in America where we fight against it so hard. Maybe it is because of this subconscious racism that we have less sympathy for the yellow man on the other side of the world than we do for the white man on the other side of the world.
Where is the public American support of Tibet and their plea for independance? What about the suffering of the Tibetan people under the Chinese government? It's similar to the East/West Germany issue, but we don't have as much public outcry over it. Maybe that's because of the whole subconscious racism thing.
It's revenge? Of course it is. But then again, what the hell did he expect???
I'm sick of hearing about this guy! As usual... the US has been played! Where is the rest of the world when it comes to taking in a self aggrandizing person? And who is going to support this guy and his family when the get here??? Free education, free housing, and free money? How about helping OUR homeless and vets???
The US don't need another lawyer.
Its funny because if you pick up a meat cleaver in front of authorities in the US, you would of been shot already. And best of all no negative articles from foreign countries would be looking to expose the US for it.
American Media just hates China. This is a huge country with 1.3 billion people so obviously there's going to be some people unhappy with the government (out of 1.3 billion?) just like I'm sure you'll be able to find an American that is unhappy with the US. However the majority of Chinese people do not care for this guy, so the American media has to stop making it sound as if this guy is the voice of the Chinese people here to stand up against the government. He is acting on his own! If a unpatriotic American hates the US and is off to complain on US's torture, racism, wealth disparity and it's war on Islam, would it then be fair for a foreign country to portray the US in this way and say this guy is speaking for Americans, when clearly not every American share the same views on the subject? Why does this guy's views get blown up all over American media when theres people complaining about their government everyday? More Chinese hate perhaps?
people say its racism because the europeaNS WERE HELP ESCAPING FROM SOCIALISM. i ASK YOU, WHO CAN ADAPT BETTER TO THIS COUNTRY???
The Blackfoots and the Crowchilds.
No matter, the good intentions of many Chinese politicians, the corruption runs DEEP in a single party system! Need I remind you, that Mexico had a single ruling party for DECADES! Think about it!
Please hurry up and take him..... The US is so corrupt itself it's nice to sit in a glass house and throw stones...
Chen's not an activist. He's a prima dona to expect that Hillary Clinton should have flown him in her jet to the U.S. with her. Really?! As China experiences capitalism and their middle class grows, China's one-child policy will be eliminated so there will be more cheap Chinese labor available to manufacture goods. Chen probably realizes that the one-child policy is on shakey grounds as capitalism flourishes in China, and his "cause" will disappear, along with his dissention. He'll need to find some way to "provide" for his family when he loses his cause. He found the U.S. generous to do that for him while China's one-child policy is still in effect. Come on. There are several Chinese families (Chinese who live mostly in rural areas and who comprise about 65% of Chinese) with more than one child who were not forced to abort the second child....how else did get a nephew!