Detained Chinese Christian Activist In Life Danger
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
BEJING, CHINA (Worthy News) — A well-known Christian human rights activist is in life danger after spending over fours in a Chinese prison where he has been denied necessary medical treatment , his family and supporters said in statements monitored by Worthy News Monday, January 19.
In a letter, the family of Peng Ming said the dissident’s health troubles included “Life-threatening, late-stage kidney stones problem, resulting in blood in urine, which is ultimately poisonous to his body.”
In the letter, published by the China Aid Association (CAA), family members also said his ” Long-term heart condition worsened by the bad environment in prison, including no heat in winter.”
The family said he also suffers of “Severely painful arthritis condition in his ankles, causing him great difficulty in walking- lately he is just able to limp.”
“We are extremely worried about Peng Ming’s health at this moment,” the family added. The letter was send on behalf of his sisters Peng Xing and Peng Yan, his father Peng HuiChang and mother Fan JinLan as well as his daughters Dawen Peng, Lisa Peng and son Andy Peng.
MEDICAL PAROLE DENIED
Requests by his lawyer for medical parole were so far denied, Worthy News learned.
Peng Ming was kidnapped by Chinese security agents, and later sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2005, on what rights groups said were trumped up charges of “organizing and heading a terrorist organization.”
The court case came after in May of 2004 Peng Ming traveled to Thailand to visit his elderly parents. At some point during his travels Peng was lured into neighboring Burma, also known as Myanmar, where he was kidnapped at gunpoint by eight Chinese special agents, according to several sources.
The United Nations Working Group for Arbitrary Detention has criticized his sentence, saying he is an official refugee with asylum status in the United States. U.S. Congressional leaders and senior officials of the outgoing administration of President George W. Bush have also urged the Chinese
government to release Peng Ming.
MORE INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE
CAA told Worthy News it has urged the international community to pressure the Chinese government for “the unconditional release of Peng Ming based on emergency medical need and fundamental humanitarian grounds.”
In a letter to supporters, it also urged Christians around the world “to pray for Peng Ming’s health conditions to improve.”
It comes amid international concern over reports of a crackdown by China’s communist government on rights activists and Christian house churches. Chinese officials have denied wrongdoing.