Fausta's Blog

American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

May 19, 2012 By Fausta

#Chen Guangchen heading to NJ right now UPDATE

Chen Guangchen and his family are on their way here,

BEIJING — Blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng, who emerged at the center of a diplomatic row between the U.S. and China, left Beijing on a United Airlines flight bound for Newark, N.J., Saturday afternoon after Chinese officials and American diplomats swiftly arranged his travel out of the country for an uncertain new life in the United States.

Chen, in a brief telephone interview with The Washington Post, said he still did not have a valid passport in hand when he received a call Saturday from Chinese officials telling him to pack his belongings.

“They came to my ward suddenly at around 11 o’clock this morning,” Chen told the Post. “It’s a surprise.”

Chen said U.S. diplomats arrived at the airport around 2 p.m. Chen’s wife, Yuan Weijing, reached by telephone while waiting for the flight, said Chinese officals gave the family their passports after they arrived at the airport. U.S. diplomats readied the visa papers.
…
United Airlines Flight 88 to Newark took off several hours behind schedule. The delay was likely caused, among other things, by a thunderstorm.

His flight is scheduled to arrive in Newark at 6:05PM.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Chen will most likely study at NYU rather than seek political asylum.

UPDATE:
Chen’s Freedom Celebrated by Ros-Lehtinen, Says Must Remain Vigilant Against Human Rights Abuse by Beijing

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement today regarding the announcement that Chinese lawyer and human rights advocate, Chen Guangcheng, has left China for the United States. Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“I am pleased and relieved by the announcement that blind Chinese lawyer and human rights advocate, Chen Guangcheng, his wife, and their two children have left China for freedom in the United States.

“Mr. Chen’s journey to the U.S. marks the end of a seven-year ordeal of harassment, imprisonment, and beatings by the Chinese regime. He dared to publicly speak the truth about the abuse and violence that Chinese officials inflict on the women and families of his home province and, for that, he suffered greatly.

“I remain gravely concerned about Chen’s relatives and fellow human rights advocates who remain in China and face retribution by a Beijing regime that denies the most fundamental freedoms to the Chinese people.

“Congress will remain vigilant on behalf of Mr. Chen’s relatives and fellow activists. Their well-being must remain a priority for the United States. Responsible nations must not lose sight of our moral responsibility to support those who suffer under the chokehold of repressive rulers.”

UPDATE 2:
CHEN ARRIVES!

Linked by Instapundit. Thank you!


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Filed Under: China, Communism Tagged With: Chen Guangcheng, Fausta's blog, human rights

Comments

  1. TrenchPress says

    May 19, 2012 at 11:37 am

    DEPORT THE GOP ESTABLISHMENT, says Ann Coulter
    http://trenchpress.com/?p=11713
    Coulter: “Our immigration officials said, WELCOME, ZAZI!… Oops, sorry Swedish scientists and nuclear engineers — no room for you.”

    “Couldn’t we just tell that blind Chinese dissident that he’s in America now?”
    ???

  2. Fausta says

    May 19, 2012 at 1:44 pm

    I certainly would, TPress!

  3. Roberto says

    May 19, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    PRAY for his family!

  4. Simon Primer says

    May 19, 2012 at 7:09 pm

    From China to New Jersey?
    One is a communist police state and the other is China.
    He’ll feel right at home.

  5. Mary Wilson says

    May 19, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    USA should help its own citizen illegally blocked in China for 4 years come home!!!
    https://www.change.org/petitions/help-my-father-dr-zhicheng-hu-come-home

  6. Smock Puppet, 10th Dan Snark Master says

    May 20, 2012 at 4:24 am

    >>> His flight is scheduled to arrive in Newark

    The downside of this is, instead of the Chinese government making his life hell personally, they decided to outsource it, and send him to Newark.

    “Youuuu decided go there. Youuuu not come back.”

    This is New Jersey, of course, where the State Bird is the housefly.

    >>> “nuclear engineers”

    What do we need nuclear engineers for? The Great Big 0 isn’t going to build any new nuke plants!

  7. Fausta says

    May 20, 2012 at 9:55 am

    Simon,
    As a friend joked, Chen said he wanted to leave, “so they sent him to Jersey!”

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