 |
| Li Ching-Yu (second from left) with a ChinaAid delegation in Washington, D.C., as they meet with the National Security Council’s Director of China Affairs Leah Brady (far left) and Trump’s Special Assistant and the National Security Council’s Senior Directorfor Asian Affairs Matt Pottinger (third from right). (Photo: ChinaAid) |
ChinaAid
(Yueyang, Hunan—Nov. 29, 2017) In an unprecedented show of force, Chinese authorities sentenced a prominent Taiwanese democracy activist to five years in prison yesterday after abducting him in Macau.
Li Ming-Che’s case first drew international attention when Chinese authorities kidnapped him during a trip to Macau, a city that is, like Hong Kong, semi-autonomous from the communist regime. He was smuggled into mainland China, where he stood trial in front of a court in Hunan last September for “subverting state power.” His prosecutors accused him of “attacking Chinese society and encouraging multi-party rule” via postings that critiqued the Chinese regime and promoted democracy both on the Chinese social media platform QQ and through an organization known as the Plum Blossom Company. During the trial, Li plead guilty to his supposed crimes, but his wife questioned the validity of his confession, saying he made it under duress.
On Nov. 28, officials handed him a five-year jail term. Immediately, the Taiwanese Presidential department condemned the sentencing as a “regrettable” and “unacceptable” decision that injured the already contentious political climate between the two countries, Quartz said in a report on Tuesday. Taiwan took great interest in Li’s case, as he is the first Taiwanese citizen to be charged with subversion on the mainland, and China still holds the view that Taiwan is its politically estranged province, which may encourage more oversteps in Chinese rule.
ChinaAid exposes abuses, such as those experienced by Li, in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law.
ChinaAid Media Team
Cell: +1 (432) 553-1080 | Office: +1 (432) 689-6985 | Other: +1 (888) 889-7757
Email: [email protected]
For more information, click here