Human Rights Activist Denied Entry to Shanghai Eight Times

Prominent Chinese dissident Feng Zhenghu has been trying to return to China—unsuccessfully.
Human Rights Activist Denied Entry to Shanghai Eight Times
Human rights activist Feng Zhenghu in an interview with Epoch Times reporter. Zhang Benzhen/The Epoch Times
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<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/feng.jpg" alt="Human rights activist Feng Zhenghu in an interview with Epoch Times reporter.  (Zhang Benzhen/The Epoch Times)" title="Human rights activist Feng Zhenghu in an interview with Epoch Times reporter.  (Zhang Benzhen/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1823313"/></a>
Human rights activist Feng Zhenghu in an interview with Epoch Times reporter.  (Zhang Benzhen/The Epoch Times)
TOKYO—Prominent Chinese dissident and participant in the June 4, 1989 democracy movement, Feng Zhenghu has been trying to return to China—unsuccessfully. Nov. 4 marked the eighth time he was forced out of his own country.

Feng had emigrated to Japan after being persecuted by the Chinese regime following his participation in the student movement. He returned to Shanghai in 1999 where he started a consulting firm. The Shanghai Public Security Bureau charged him with “operating an illegal business” in 2001. At that time he served a three-year prison term. Now he has become a prominent defender of human rights in China, prompting officials to monitor and even kidnap him in the past. (See Amnesty press release)

‘I Used My Last Bit of Strength’

Feng told an Epoch Times reporter that he flew out of Tokyo the evening of Nov. 3 on an All Nippon Airways (ANA) plane, landing in Shanghai Nov. 4. Chinese police promptly forced him back onto the ANA plane and refused to allow the plane to depart without him, ultimately delaying the flight for over an hour.

“I used up my last bit of strength,” Feng said of his struggle with the Shanghai ground staff of ANA who forced him back into his seat. Police videotaped the scene including Feng’s efforts to reason with the police. Feng remarked that the tape would serve as evidence of the crime against him. Other passengers were also witnesses to the scene.

Back at the Narita Airport in Tokyo, Feng refused to process entry papers and informed the Japanese authorities of his ordeal. He donned a t-shirt with “Kidnapped” on the front and “Injustice” on the back and displayed banners which read, “A citizen forced out of his own country,” and “Shame on Beijing.”

“Why would the Japanese authorities go through all the trouble to deport illegal immigrants and at the same time force a person who wants to go back to his country to stay in Japan?” Feng asked. He hopes the Japanese authorities will refuse to cooperate with the Chinese officials.

On Nov 4, Feng spent his first night at the Narita Airport. He has said that he will not re-enter Japan.

The last time Feng had tried to return to China was on June 7. At that time, the staff at the airport inspection station kept him on the plane by saying he was a suspected carrier of bird flu. (see VOA story)

Read the original Chinese article

Li Benzheng
Li Benzheng
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