LEXIS®-NEXIS® Academic Universe

LEXIS(R)-NEXIS(R)

Document 6 of 12.

January 28, 1999 03:02 GMT

SECTION: International news

LENGTH: 246 words

HEADLINE: Chinese pro-democracy activists plan first meeting after crackdown

DATELINE: BEIJING, Jan 28

BODY:
Members of the outlawed China Democracy Party (CDP) are planning the first open gathering of pro-democracy activists since last December's crackdown on dissent, a rights group said Thursday.

A "discussion forum" is being planned in the central city of Wuhan for March 1 to 3, the Washington-based Free China Movement Network said in a statement.

"The subject is to study the two International Covenants (on human rights) the Chinese government has signed but has yet to ratify in the People's Congress," the statement said, adding that the group would also suggest changes to Chinese law.

CDP founder Wang Youcai, together with Qin Yongmin and Xu Wenli, who were also involved in attempts to register the fledgling opposition party, were sentenced to 11, 12, and 13 years respectively last December on charges of subversion and attempting to overthrow the state.

The jailings signalled the start of a crackdown that later saw the imprisonment of labour activist Zhang Shanguang for 10 years, and the trial of returned overseas dissident Wang Ce, charged with endangering state security.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin has repeatedly emphasized the need for stability this year with the central government increasingly jittery about the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre and the 50th anniversary of the Chinese Communist regime.

Jiang vowed in December to "nip in the bud" any signs of instability or social unrest.

str/ldm/tc

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

LOAD-DATE: January 27, 1999