Diplomatic crisis between US and China? who is Chen Guangcheng? is he hiding at US Embassy?

Chen Guangcheng Escaped, In Hiding & On YouTube (Updated)

The location of legal activist Chen Guangcheng remains uncertain following his escape from house arrest in the Shandong village of Dongshigu, with widespread speculation pointing to the US embassy in Beijing. He is reported to be somewhere “100% safe”, but the same cannot be said of friends, family and supporters, against whom reprisals are either feared or already apparently underway.

Chen is said to have prepared for months for his escape, spending more and more time in bed so that his captors would not grow suspicious at a lack of visible activity; consequently, it took them four days to realise he was gone, according to lawyer Teng Biao. Chen appeared in a 15-minute video posted to YouTube last night by the Boxun Chinese-language news site:


CNN’s Steven Jiang posted a full translation on his Enter the News Dragon blog, while the BBC offered some highlights. At The Guardian, Jonathan Watts summarised Chen’s message:

Looking gaunt, Chen blamed his treatment on local officials and the Chinese state’s obsession with maintaining stability at all costs. He said his greatest concern was that the authorities would carry out “insane retribution” on his family, several of whom have already been placed under arrest ….

… Chen confirmed he was beaten and said 90 to 100 local officials were involved in his detention. He expressed “extreme concern” about retaliation against his family. Chen confirmed reports about his maltreatment that have appeared over the years. “The truth was even worse,” he said. “I formally made three requests to Premier Wen Jiabao. First, severely punish criminals. Second, look into this yourself, and third, send a special investigation team to find out the truth.”


Read more [link to chinadigitaltimes.net]