To help Chen Guancheng

This email from California’s Life Legal Defense Foundation came on May 8.

Over the past two weeks, Chen Guangcheng has made headlines with his daring escape from house arrest in China, his short stay at the United States Embassy in Beijing, and his current desire to leave the country with his family. 

Chen and his family endured severe beatings and starvation over approximately 19 months of house arrest, as well as other forms of persecution. Chen’s “offense” was speaking out against human rights abuses in China. He has become a top leader in efforts to shed light on the horrific forced abortion and sterilizations that occur as part of the nation’s “one child policy.”

Chen’s dramatic escape was an added embarrassment to Chinese officials as it occurred just days before a high-profile meeting with U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. After leaving the U.S. Embassy, Chen indicated that he and his family will be applying to come to the United States.

The high-profile nature of Chen’s case has ensured that it has received attention through the international media. In the United States, Chen has at least one dedicated friend in Congress, Congressman Chris Smith, who has been tireless in advocating for Chen’s freedom and safety.

However, unless the pressure is continued, there is danger that China will not follow through in allowing Chen and his family to leave the country. Reggie Littlejohn with Women’s Rights Without Frontiers has expressed continuing concern for Chen’s wellbeing, and indicates that public pressure will be essential to his safety. “Some say that quiet, back door diplomacy is the way to deal with the detention of Chinese human rights defenders. But human rights activists have found that high profile, public pressure is far more effective,” states Littlejohn.

Action Item: Keeping the political pressure on the U.S. State Department is essential to assure Chen’s safety and that of his family. You can contact the White House by clicking here, as well as your elected members of the House by clicking here and the Senate by clickinghere. Ask for swift and immediate action to honor the U.S. commitments to human rights by extending every possible protection to Chen and his family.

 

READER COMMENTS

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 4:53 AM By Bonnie de Rutte
This man,s courage has to be supported in every way possible,especially through our prayers.He is a beacon for the pro life movement.China,s antilife policies must be exposed. Bonnie de rutte

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 5:15 AM By Prof.Helen
Hillary left. Chen is still there……and mostly forgotten. Shame on us if we don’t do all we can to free this brave man.

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 7:20 AM By Brad
This pictured family desperately needs our prayers invoking the Holy Family of Nazareth. Hail Mary and Hail good St. Joseph. Hail our Savior, the baby Emmanuel. We see you in this family. Someone say amen with me.

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 7:22 AM By MD
Thank you for publishing this. This is surely a man I admire as he embodies the life we should all strive to live as Christians. I am praying for the Guangcheng family.

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 7:25 AM By Dana
This just highlights what most of us already know…what a pro-life Christian seeking protection and comfort from a Jezebel like Hillary Clinton (symbolic of all Christians seeking protection and justice from their gov’t) will invariably encounter. It reminds me of the final scene in “Lord of the Flies” when the choir boys are in a deadly battle to the death, on their deserted island and their fire is seen by a passing ship and they are rescued and it turns out to be a battleship involved in an even more deadly battle on which hinges the entire future of civilization. Fortunately, their rescuer wasn’t an enemy ship. Frankly, I think currently we’re being governed by Ahab and Jezebel.

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 7:35 AM By Bob
The People’s Republic of China sized up this administration a while ago and knew that human rights were secondary to finances and keeping the peace at any cost. This is but one of the results.

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 8:31 AM By OneoftheSheep
I would not want to count on this current administration to take an act of courage or bravery on Chen’s behalf. Now, if he could transform himself into a homosexual rights activist, he would have been on the first plane out of China seated next to Hillary herself.

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 12:16 PM By Kenneth M. Fisher
The best thing we can do for this man and his family is too work hard so that Obama, his minions, and the Republicrats (we just got one the worst) will be out of a job come January 2013! God bless, yours in Their Hearts, Kenneth M. Fisher

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 2:04 PM By Tracy
I clicked on the link to the White House provided in this article. There are many options for who to send your comments to on the White House page. Maybe someone knows and can tell me which office is the best to contact. Thanks.

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 3:05 PM By JLS
By H Clinton’s submissive posture on this issue to the Chinese government, they now know that the US is afraid to stand up for freedom. I don’t see any reason why this move won’t backfire on Obama’s re-election efforts … but maybe that is what the Clintons want. Does anyone really believe that either of the Clintons have the least concern for human lives or freedom or the US Constitution or anything good?

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 3:24 PM By Abeca Christian
I appreciate this story! This family are hero’s of a noble cause. God bless them for their bravery in the Lord! Stories like these always make me ask Jesus, “Lord what can I do to help them”. I feel so helpless, so I get on my knee’s and pray for them and I pray that our prayers will make a huge difference that help may come their way. Lord Jesus we love thee, we place this situation in your loving and most merciful hands!” AMEN!

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 5:00 PM By Brian
It is obvious that Presidant OBAMA is CHICKEN ! The U.S. Ambassador to China is a disgrace to the American People, but he was APPOINTED by the PRESIDENT. The Ambassador must have taken his marching orders to BETRAY Chen Guangcheng AND HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS by Pres. OBAMA and Secretary HILLARY CLINTON. With friends like the President and the Secretary, WHO NEEDS ENEMIES?

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 6:48 PM By jane
LETS ALL PRAY THAT THIS FAMILY CAN GET OF CHINA AND INTO THE UNITED STATES AND QUICKLY, BEFORE THEY ARE FORGOTTEN ABOUT. AMEN

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2012 10:04 PM By Kenneth M. Fisher
Why, when the US may very well become another tyrannical state would you want them to come here? Better Hungary or Malta….. Think about it, if that does happen, they would be worse off! God bless, yours in Their Hearts, Kenneth M. Fisher

Posted Friday, May 11, 2012 5:29 AM By PETE
Since the USCCB never seems to address “COMMUTATIVE JUSTICE” which requires the payments of debts (CCC 2411) of the USA and without which no other form of justice is available, the US Government keeps turning to China to borrow more money. China has the Obama Administration by the financial neck since the Administration just wants to waste and spend. Families such as Chen should be given immigration statis in the USA, but Obama and Clinton do not want to offend the offensive Chinese – they want their money.

Posted Friday, May 11, 2012 7:46 AM By MD
Brian-I would have to disagree with you about the Obama being a chicken. I think he deliberately refuses to help the Guangcheng family because he is such a proponent of abortion and will do nothing to show the evil fruit of abortion. This should be an eye opening experience for us as Americans because in my opinion if we continue down the path we are currently on, we too will not be able to speak out in defense of life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness. Call me crazy, but it is quite apparent that all we hold fast to as Catholics is threatened by our president and I believe he detests the proclamation of truth by our Church, especially the episcope.

Posted Friday, May 11, 2012 6:39 PM By Kenneth M. Fisher
MD, 7:46 AM, I pretty much have said the same thing in a prior comment, but in different wording. The American Episcopate, with few exceptions (too few) are much to blame for this sorry state of affairs. Their proclamations are to little and too late. Most of the people who occupy space in the pews (if they have them) in the Catholic churches know very little about the Faith as witnessed by the sad percentages of alleged Catholics who supposedly now support Homosexual “marriage”! God bless, yours in Their Hearts, Kenneth M. Fisher