Members of Congress to Join Three Heroes of Tiananmen in First Joint Appearance since Their Release from Prison

WHO:

• Yu Zhijian, Yu Dongyue and Lu Decheng—the “Three Heroes of Tiananmen” (天安门 三勇士)
• The Honorable Frank Wolf, United States House of Representatives
• The Honorable Jim McGovern, United States House of Representatives
• The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
• The Honorable Joe Pitts, United States House of Representatives
• The Honorable Thaddeus McCotter, United States House of Representatives
• Harry Wu, Founder and Executive Director of the Laogai Research Foundation (LRF)
• Jonathan Mirsky, independent journalist and historian

   
WHAT:

Reunited for the first time since being released from prison and fleeing China, the “Three Heroes of Tiananmen,” as they have been described by many Chinese, will share their story and describe how they suffered for much of the last twenty years in the Laogai, China’s extensive system of forced-labor prison camps, for defacing the large portrait of Mao Zedong that hangs in Tiananmen Square during the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations. 

Harry Wu will introduce the three men and Jonathan Mirsky, who was reporting from Beijing at the time, will describe what he saw when the three men were arrested by Chinese authorities. Several members of Congress will speak to the legacy of Tiananmen Square and offer statements of support as well. 

WHEN:

10:30 am, Thursday, June 4, 2009

WHERE:

Rayburn Foyer, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515

NOTE:

Yu Zhijian and Lu Decheng will speak on behalf of Yu Dongyue, who suffers from a mental disability as a result of the severe torture he endured while in prison. They will be speaking through an interpreter. The interpreter will only be available for a short time after the press conference to facilitate interviews.

The Laogai Research Foundation is a not-for-profit organization founded by former political prisoner Harry Wu in 1992.  Its mission is to gather information on and raise public awareness of the Laogai—China’s extensive system of forced-labor prison camps.

For further information or to request a press kit, email laogai@laogai.org or call 202-408-8300.

 

www.laogai.org 1109 M Street NW, Washington DC, 20005 laogai@laogai.org
Tel: 202.408.8300 Fax: 202.408.8302