[Press Release] Announcement by the Foundation for Democracy in the 21st Century Concerning the Bestowing of the Second "Victims' Family Member Award" on Ms. Lu Kun

Foundation for China in the 21st Century

September 6, 2005

We notice with regret that human rights conditions in China have continued to worsen since the first "Victims Family Member Award" was issued. We have also noticed that the conditions for political prisoners in China have not been improved as more and more people were and are thrown behind bars for voicing their candid political viewpoints, which causes severe consequences for their family remembers. We would like to once again urge the Chinese leaders to respect international law and international human rights standards by releasing all the political prisoners in China and humanely treat their family members.

Mr. Yang Zili was one of the political prisoners in China whose crime was their exercise of the freedom of expression. During all his years of incarceration, Yang's wife Lu Kun has been working extremely hard for the release of her husband. Yang Zili, whose pen name is Yang Zi, was born in Damin County of the Han Dan area of Hebei Province. After receiving his MS degree in physics at Beijing University in July 1998, he began to set up his own websites and write political commentaries on the peasant problems in China as well as general political issues. On March 13, 2001, Yang Zili was secretly arrested by the Beijing branch of Chinese National Security Bureau and formally arrested on April 20 of the same year on charges of subversion of state power. On May 28, 2003, at the First Intermediate People's Court of Beijing Yang was tried and sentenced to eight years imprisonment on charges of subversion of state power and stripped of his political rights for two years. Yang Zili is currently serving the said sentence at Beijing's Second Prison.

Long after Yang Zili began to serve years of his prison sentence, his family members were denied the right for visitation. Under this uniquely Chinese political pressure, Lu Kun found herself having to face this sudden political disaster. Despite the fact that she was originally neither involved with Yang's political activities nor concerned with political affairs in general, Lu Kun decided at this point that "I have made up my mind and will never stop until Zili is free." For her rescue activities, Lu Kun herself was detained by the Chinese authorities for three days. She wiped her tears and continued to seek justice for her husband despite all the odds and hardships. She lost her job because of this, was harassed continuously, and does not even have a permanent residence in

Beijing. It is especially worth noting that at the time when she appealed for her husband's freedom, she also began to pay attention to family members of other political prisoners. Lu Kun is walking on a shining path and the light she has brought to the darkness will bring much hope for China.

Responding to the nomination by two Chinese scholars in the U.S., we are pleased to offer the second "Victims Family Member Award" to Ms. Lu Kun. This is to express our respect for Ms. Lu Kun and show our concern for the family members of the political prisoners as well as the incarcerated political prisoners themselves. Like Yang Zili and Lu Kun, we have variously experienced similar family disasters for political reasons. Our spouses can easily relate to their sufferings and identify with their hardships. Their courage has inspired us to continue this award despite all the difficulties until the day arrives when no family members in China are crying in the middle of the night for the fate and plight of their loved ones.