Published by World Tibet Network News, Wednesday - November 22, 1995

By Jane Macartney

BEIJING, Nov 21 (Reuter) - China on Tuesday announced the arrest of its most prominent pro-democracy dissident, Wei Jingsheng, on the capital charge of trying to overthrow the government.

Wei, 44, regarded as the father of China's tiny democracy movement, was formally arrested after Beijing city police found evidence he was allegedly involved in activities aimed at toppling the communist state, Xinhua news agency said.

"An investigation by Beijing's municipal public security departments showed Wei had conducted activities in (an) attempt to overthrow the government after his release on parole," the official agency said.

Conviction on the charge, which is virtually assured in China's justice system, could be punishable by death.

The brief announcement was the first official word in 20 months on the whereabouts of Wei, who disappeared into police custody on April 1, 1994, after a meeting with a senior U.S. human rights official.

He has been held incommunicado ever since, with no notice given to his family or the numerous foreign leaders who have inquired about his status.

"His actions were in violation of the criminal law and constituted crimes," Xinhua said.

Wei, nominated for the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize, was released on parole in September 1993 after serving 14-1/2 years of a 15-year prison term on charges of selling military secrets and "counter-revolutionary" crimes, or subversion.

During his six months of freedom, the unrepentant Wei said he had no regrets about taking a public stand and frequently and openly attacked the government.

Members of Wei's family dismissed the new charges as absurd, questioning how one man could overthrow the Communist Party while under constant police surveillance.

"What evidence is there?" one relative who asked not to be identified said. "It's a frame-up."

"Such a big country, such a big party and yet they cannot tolerate one or two words of criticism. They're too fragile," the relative said.

Xinhua said police formally arrested the former Beijing zoo electrician after sufficient evidence had been obtained by police and with the approval of the Beijing Municipal People's Procuratorate.

"The authorities did not let him out of their sight for one minute during his release," the relative said. "They could have easily collected evidence against him. But they came up with evidence only after almost two years since his disappearance."

It is the second time Wei has faced the capital charge of counter-revolution.

Wei's first arrest in 1979 stemmed from his criticism of the communist government and paramount leader Deng Xiaoping during China's tumultuous Democracy Wall period in the late 1970s.

Wei had been one of Chairman Mao Tse-tung's revolutionary Red Guards during the ultra-leftist 1966-76 Cultural Revolution.

But he turned against the Communist Party and publicly demanded what he called the "fifth modernisation" -- Western-style democracy -- adding a new twist to Deng's Four Modernisations drive.

Wei's relative scoffed at the charge that Wei was attempting rebellion.

"If he did actually attempt to overthrow the government, who were his accomplices? It would be crazy for one person to try singlehandedly to overthrow the government," he said.