Published by: World Tibet Network News Friday, October 17, 1997

Amnesty International USA

Greater Washington Network for Democracy in China

Human Rights in China

International Campaign for Tibet

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights

WASHINGTON, D.C. - During the official state visit of Chinese President Jiang Zemin, an unprecedented coalition of human rights, labor, religious and environmental groups representing more than 14 million Americans will protest human rights abuses in China and Tibet. Details are as follows:

WHAT: "Let Freedom Ring: A Protest of Human Rights Abuses in China & Tibet"

WHEN: October 29, 12pm-1:30pm

WHERE: Lafayette Park, North side of White House

SPONSORS: Amnesty International USA

Greater Washington Network for Democracy in China

Human Rights in China

International Campaign for Tibet

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights

SPEAKERS:

- U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi, Co-Chair, Congressional Working Group on China

- Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, Founder, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights

- Richard Gere, actor

- Bette Bao Lord, author; Chair, Freedom House

- Tong Yi, former prisoner of conscience and former assistant to imprisoned Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Wei Jingsheng

- Li Lu, Tiananmen Square activist

- Harry Wu, Executive Director, The Laogai Research Foundation

- Adam Yauch, musician (the Beastie Boys) and founder of the Milarepa Fund

- Lodi Gyari, President, International Campaign for Tibet

- Xiao Qiang, Executive Director, Human Rights in China

SUPPORTING GROUPS:

AFL-CIO

Call to Renewal

Child Labor Coalition

Committee to Protect Journalists

Family Research Council

Food and Allied Service Trades Department, AFL-CIO

Freedom House

Friends of the Earth-U.S.

International Human Rights Law Group

International Labor Rights Fund

Laogai Research Foundation

Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights

National Consumers League

PEN American Center

Physicians for Human Rights

Sierra Club

UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Technical Employees)

WHY: Under the current Chinese government's regime headed by Jiang Zemin, human rights abuses, including restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and religion, are continuing unabated. As the U.S. State Department's own 1996 human rights country report on China states, "All public dissent against the party and government was effectively silenced by intimidation, exile, the imposition of prison terms, administrative detention or house arrest. No dissidents were known to be active at year's end." The American people believe by more than a 2-1 margin (67% to 27%) that the Chinese government should improve its human rights practices or lose its current trade status with the United States, according to a May 1 Wall Street Journal/NBC/Hart & Teeter poll.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sean Crowley

RFK Memorial Center for Human Rights

202-463-7575, x241

Xiao Qiang

Human Rights in China

212-661-2909

John Ackerly

International Campaign for Tibet

202-785-1515

Christine Haenn

Amnesty International USA

202-544-0200, x*225