Thorn In Shanghai Clique's Flesh

• Report rights infringement
• published: 07 Jun 2013
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Follow us on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/cnforbiddennews Like us on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/chinaforbiddennews Shanghai lawyer Zheng Enchong has spent the past seven years under house arrest. On May 23, Zheng escaped from police surveillance and met with a US diplomat in Shanghai. Since this event, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities have increased the number of police officers monitoring him to 18 from the previous 12 officers. Shanghai police authorities have alleged that Zheng's academic invitation has been reported to the CCP central office for approval and that a reply will be given within two months. Zheng fears that the authorities are using delaying tactics now. It is feared that after the Obama-Xi talks and the end of the Sino-US human rights dialogue in July, the CCP may very likely take harsh measures against him over his meeting with the US diplomat. In April, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) invited Zheng Enchong to Hong Kong to give academic lectures in mid-May. On May 23, Zheng escaped house arrest and met with Russell Menyhart, US diplomat in Shanghai. On June 6, Zheng told NTD that after this meeting, Shanghai police authorities' attitude towards him "took a 180-degree turn", and that he was very worried about the extra surveillance. Zheng Enchong: "They recently held a meeting, saying that they won't stop any US consulate cars, even if Zheng is sitting in them. Now they even greeted me first, saying things like: "We've treated you very well. When I'm on duty, let me know if you'll meet with a US diplomat. I won't stop you, I will just report it to my superiors and they will prevent you." Currently, Shanghai police authorities have allowed Zheng to prepare his trip to Hong Kong, and to go outdoors. However, behind these permits Zheng has felt tensions. He says, his private meeting with the US diplomat has annoyed Shanghai police authorities. Zheng: "Many Shanghai police officers have been punished for my recent meeting with the US diplomat. On the day when I went to see the US diplomat, the policeman on duty didn't stop me. The authorities deducted his 500 yuan bonus payment, and the security group leader had 100 yuan deducted from his pay. The two of them are understandably very angry about this lately." Zheng Enchong analyzes that Shanghai CCP authorities will continue to monitor him in the next two months. They may even persuade the CUHK to cancel the invitation. Zheng reckons that after the situation stabilizes, Shanghai authorities may take drastic measures against him. Through NTD, Zheng Enchong has appealed to the U.S. State Department and the Obama administration Asking that Obama not compromise on discussing China's human rights, during his talks with Xi. Zheng recalls that in 2007, Shanghai police authorities offered him an exchange. They asked Zheng to openly declare that his previous damaging exposures of the corruption of Cheng Liangyu, ex-Shanghai Party chief, were merely "hearsay", and had no foundation in truth. If Zheng did, he would be allowed to go abroad and get financial compensations. Zheng Enchong: "This time, they intend to buy me off to reduce my criticism in public. They told me that you can censure the CCP, but don't censure the Shanghai authorities. I refused this request, saying that the Shanghai authorities are part of the CCP system. As a lawyer, my arguments are all based on facts, on actual events ,which took place in Shanghai." Shanghai police revealed to Zheng Enchong that the Shanghai CCP Committee has set up a research group, this group has a special interest in studying all cases that were defended by Zheng in the past. They fear that Zheng will disclose corrupt land sales in Shanghai. If he does so, all previous court decisions on local house demolition cases may well be overturned. That would massively implicate Shanghai leaders, which makes them very fearful. Zheng Enchong: "I was the first one to expose the Shanghai CCP Committee's real estate speculation. The Committee was actually part of Jiang Zemin's clique. Jiang's two sons both have made money in real estate speculation. So in my Hong Kong lecture, I will definitely cite this case. The property developers might finally confess the deals done by these Shanghai CCP Committee leaders." Zheng defended 500 cases of land acquisition and forced demolitions in Shanghai. In of the cases, some local residents sued Zhou Zhengyi, Shanghai property tycoon. The case touched on a corruption network formed amongst local CCP officials and businessmen. Zheng was thus repressed by Jiang's Shanghai clique. In 2003, he was put in prison on a charge of leaking state secrets to foreign forces. During his stay in jail, Zheng has insisted on reporting the corruption of Shanghai leaders. This has brave insistence has made him "an irremovable thorn in the Shanghai clique's flesh". 《神韵》2013世界巡演新亮点 http://www.ShenYunPerformingArts.org/