CARA ↓
courts of the proceedings against remaining political prisoners under conditions that guaranteed a prompt, full and impartial hearing. In addition, Amnesty International expressed concern at the cases of torture reported during the year; the government informed the organization that investiga- tions would be opened into any case brought to its attention. Amnesty Interna- tional called for the abolition of the death penalty. In December, at the invitation of the National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation, Amnesty International sub- mitted a series of recommendations for pre- venting the recurrence of human rights violations in Chile.
CHINA (FED)
Hundreds of prisoners of conscience remained in prison throughout 1990, including many detained without charge or trial. There were many new arrests of political and religious activists, advocates of Tibetan independence and others. Some government opponents were sentenced to prison terms after unfair trials. Torture of detainees by police and harsh conditions of detention continued to be reported. A dramatic increase in the number of death sentences and executions was recorded, particularly after the launch in May of a new campaign against crime. Amnesty International recorded over 960 death sen- tenc including 750 which were carried out, believed the true number was far higher.
Martial law, in force for: over six
monthe
liflod was
in. Reiiine.
on
11
TU
Autonomous Region (TAR), where it had been in force for 14 months, it was lifted on 1 May. However, the police and security forces retained extensive powers of arbi- trary arrest and detention without trial under regulations in force throughout the country. Public meetings and demonstra- tions remained severely restricted under legislation which came into force after the June 1989 crackdown on the pro- democracy movement. No public inquiries were known to have been carried out into the killings of unarmed civilians by gov ernment forces in Beijing and Lhasa in
1989.
According to the government. 881 untried political detainees arrested since June 1989 were released in the first half of 1990. They were freed in three groups, but the identities of only 11 were officially dis closed. Prisoners of conscience among those released.
were
Hundreds of people arrested in connec- tion with the 1989 protests remained in prison throughout 1990, but the fate of thousands of others remained unknown. The authorities stated that 881 people had been released and 355 were still in pre-trial detention in Beijing in mid-1990. However. they did not disclose how many had been detained in Beijing or nationwide, nor how many had been tried or assigned to labour camps without trial. Released detainees confirmed that thousands had been arres ted in Beijing alone.
Students, workers and others who had not played a major role in the protests were reportedly sent to labour camps under a law on "re-education through labour” which permits detention without charge or trial for up to four years. An official at the Tuanhe "labour-re-education" camp. in Beijing's suburbs, told foreign journalists in May that 300 "counter-revolutionaries" had been sent to the camp after the June 1989 crackdown. According to unofficial sources, other groups were sent to labour camps further away from Beijing
Hundreds of political detainees were also held without charge of trial in prisons and detention centres throughout the coun- try. Officials stated in June that 355 people detained since June 1989 were still held "for investigation" in Beijing. Student lead- ers and intellectuals who had played a major role in the protests were held at Oinchene, a maximum security prison for
north of Beijing. Over 100 of them were still held there without charge in May. I according to a released detainer.
Prolonged detention without charge or trial was facilitated by illegal practices which had become the norm, and by re lations which permit administrative deten tion without judicial approval or review. contrary to provisions in the Constitution and Chinese law. Regulations on "shelter and investigation” – which give police the authority to detain suspects without charge for renewable periods of three months were used frequently to detain people sus- pected of involvement in the protests
In November several dozen leaders of the
1989 protests were charged with "counter-revolutionary" offences after being held for over one year without charge. They included student leader Wang Dan. who was charged with "counter-revolutionary propaganda and agitation". Two intellecti- als. Wang Juntao and Chen Ziming, faced trial on the same charge as well as that of "conspiring to overthrow the government”. which carries penalties from 10 years' imprisonment to death The trials had not taken place by the end of 1990.
In Tibet. the lifting of martial law in Lhasa in May was followed by a decree repiring prior police permission for any public assembly. New regulations prohibit ed the use of "religion or other activities" in "demonstrations or parades [which! endanger national unity or sorial stability Buddhist monks and nuns were expelled from monasteries and convents near Lhasa. particularly from April to July. Some wego reportedly restricted to their village of origin.
Tibetans suspected of opposition to the government continued to be arrested. Agyal Tsering, a monk. was reportedly held incommunicado for several weeks fol- lowing his arrest in February in Qinghai province. He was later sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for allegedly print ing and distributing a leaflet arorating. Tibetan independence. A leaf nine mus and a mont arrested in Theo in August. apparently for chanting pro-independent slogans, were still held at the end of 1990.
Political and religion activists were also arrested elsewhere. Among those held were 11 poets who were arrested in March in Sichton province and accused of belonging to an underground porté society
They were reportedts plome collection of poems commemorating those
killed in Beijing in lume 1989 They were still detained at the end of 1990
Other arrests were income tod with the 1989 protects. Some reflected a tighten- ine of the official polies on reden and a Continuing crackdown 11 independent church groups
In north China over 30 Pomoy Catholic priests. bishops and church my misge were arrested in late 1989 and early 1900 They belonged to the "underground Church which remains loval to the Vatican and refuses to join the official church Mort had participated in the formation of Chinese Bishops' Conference, which des Fured its allegiance to the Pope, and they were still held without charge at the mod of 1990 Liu Guangdong, the 21-year old bishop of! Yixian in Hebei province and Chairman of the Conference, and Su Zhemin a priest. were accused of taking part in illegal activities". They were administratively "sentenced" in May to three years education through labour Further arrests of dissident Catholics took place in several provinces during the year
i.
Members of indeqsendent Protestant groups were also detained and hara if by police. Some were released after short peri- ods, but others were still held at the end of 1990. Those still held included on Gumy. ing a preacher arrested in November 1980 in Shanghai who was sent to a labu perimp without trial for three vOGIES
bration through labour" He was are meed of being founded an independent without ollu jal approval He ered a prisoner of constjene
Comid
Other prisoners of Come forgra held throughout 1980 included people serving lone prison sentences for their insolement in the democracy movement of the late 1970s. Tibetan advocates of independence and people arrested for their rheinus activities
6 000
were
of
in Baten
ויי }}
In Xinjiang reportedly attested an:! "fomenting rebellion” after unt i Tow
ownship Although for available, at least 50 civilian !ently killed by security forces in Lashes when several hundred Muslim Fir-biz on a pilgrimage were barred access to a mosque by police Official report and the plashes ars
a "Counter revolution
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