LRF Hong Kong sponsors "China Under the Laogai"

Submitted by Lindsey on

Releases Date: 

Sat, 11/07/2009

Washington, DC-November 7, 2009- On November 7th, 2009 the Laogai Research Foundation in Hong Kong, in cooperation with other organizations, held a seminar entitled, "China under the Laogai" featuring a panel discussion with noted author Yu Jie and missionary Wang Yi. 

At the forum, Wang Yi recalled the history of the early 1950s when the Chinese Communist ferverently repressed religious groups. Wang Yi pointed out that when the Chinese Communists  repressed Christianity, Catholicism, and other religious sects, few people considered the oppressed as intellectuals and most of the intellecturals failed to speak up for the victims of persecution. 

Yu Jie discussed a different appraoch to some of the historical cases of the Laogai's victims.  Yu underscored the absence of change in the political environment in the past 60 years by pointing out how most of the well-known historical cases are banned from discussion. 

LRF would like to thank the partner universities, religious groups, and human rights organizations who participated in this conference.