2009-01-20 10:04:01 -
BEIJING (AP) - A longtime democracy activist from central China was detained this week, two days before he was due to attend a presidential inauguration party hosted by the U.S. Consulate near his hometown, his son said Tuesday.
Local officials from Yao Lifa's home city of Qianjiang in Hubei province detained him during a trip to Beijing to visit fellow dissidents and brought him back, his son Yao Yao told The Associated Press. His exact location was not clear, though he has been held in a hotel during previous detentions.
Calls to Yao Lifa's cell phone have gone through, but he does not speak when the phone is answered, Yao Yao said. Instead, the son said he heard people in the background telling his father not to attend the inauguration viewing party Tuesday night hosted by the U.S. Consulate in Wuhan.
«Right now, all the information points to the same thing,» Yao Yao said, explaining that the gathering was the likely reason for the detention.
Though it was unclear exactly why officials would want to detain him before the event, Chinese authorities frequently try to prevent dissidents from meeting with foreign officials.
Yao Yao said his father had already been summoned to a meeting with police officials after signing «Charter 08» last month, a public appeal urging China's ruling Communist Party to loosen its 60-year monopoly on power and allow democratic reforms.
A man surnamed Liu at the public security bureau in Yuanlin Township, where Yao Lifa works, said he was not aware of the case.
Beijing activist lawyer Teng Biao was supposed to meet Yao Lifa on Sunday afternoon, but was alarmed when his friend never showed up.
«I kept calling and calling and nobody answered,» he said. «Finally, one of my calls went through. A guy with a Hubei accent answered, pretending he did not know what was going on.
Local officials from Yao Lifa's home city of Qianjiang in Hubei province detained him during a trip to Beijing to visit fellow dissidents and brought him back, his son Yao Yao told The Associated Press. His exact location was not clear, though he has been held in a hotel during previous detentions.
Calls to Yao Lifa's cell phone have gone through, but he does not speak when the phone is answered, Yao Yao said. Instead, the son said he heard people in the background telling his father not to attend the inauguration viewing party Tuesday night hosted by the U.S. Consulate in Wuhan.
«Right now, all the information points to the same thing,» Yao Yao said, explaining that the gathering was the likely reason for the detention.
Though it was unclear exactly why officials would want to detain him before the event, Chinese authorities frequently try to prevent dissidents from meeting with foreign officials.
Yao Yao said his father had already been summoned to a meeting with police officials after signing «Charter 08» last month, a public appeal urging China's ruling Communist Party to loosen its 60-year monopoly on power and allow democratic reforms.
A man surnamed Liu at the public security bureau in Yuanlin Township, where Yao Lifa works, said he was not aware of the case.
Beijing activist lawyer Teng Biao was supposed to meet Yao Lifa on Sunday afternoon, but was alarmed when his friend never showed up.
«I kept calling and calling and nobody answered,» he said. «Finally, one of my calls went through. A guy with a Hubei accent answered, pretending he did not know what was going on.
Wuhan Consul General Wendy Lyle said Yao Lifa was a confirmed guest for the inauguration viewing event, and records showed he was invited as an alumnus of a U.S. government-sponsored leadership program. Lyle said she had not heard of Yao Lifa's apparent detention or of any other missing persons among the 80-some confirmed guests.
«Whether they will show, we will find out tonight,» she said.
Calls to Yao Lifa's cell phone on Tuesday rang for a long time, then disconnected.
«Whether they will show, we will find out tonight,» she said.
Calls to Yao Lifa's cell phone on Tuesday rang for a long time, then disconnected.
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