Chairman Chris Smith opens a December 2013 hearing, which for the first time featured a congressional panel of the daughters of political prisoners in China appealing for their fathers' release, including Gao.
Danielle Wang, daughter of Falun Gong practitioner Wang Zhiwen, tells her father's story of unjust imprisonment.
Lisa Peng, holding a photo of her father political prisoner Peng Ming, called on Vice President Biden to ask Chinese leaders to release their fathers, and requested an Oval Office meeting with President Obama to share their stories.
Standing with photos of their fathers are: (L-R) Lisa Peng, daughter of Peng Ming; Grace Gao, daughter of Gao Zhisheng; Ti-Anna Wang, daughter of Wang Bingzhang; Bridgette Chen, daughter of Liu Xianming, and; Danielle Wang, daughter of Wang Zhiwen.
Chairman Smith, at right, listens to the riveting testimony of the witnesses. From the left are Reps. Mark Meadows (NC-11), Robert Pittenger (NC-09) and a committee aide.
Bridgette Chen, daughter of Liu Xianming, holds her father's image.
Lisa Peng, holds a picture of her father, political prisoner Peng Ming.
Danielle Wang, holds a picture of her father, Wang Zhiwen, an engineer at the P.R.C. Ministry of Railways, persecuted as a practitioner of Falun Gong.
Reporters watch as the witnesses plead for Vice President Joe Biden to speak out on behalf of their imprisoned fathers.
Grace “GeGe” Gao, daughter of Gao Zhisheng, and Ti-Anna Wang, daughter of Wang Bingzhang, display photos of their imprisoned fathers.
Former Chinese political prisoner and world renown human rights leader Chen Guangcheng attended the hearing with his brother. Chen's nephew is also imprisoned.
Reporters listen to the testimony of the daughters of imprisoned men in China.
Posters of jailed activists were on display at the public hearing.
Posters of prisoners of conscience held unjustly by the Chinese government.
Daughters of China Plea for Release of their Imprisoned Fathers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The daughters and relatives of political prisoners held in China will make an appeal to Beijing to let their fathers and loved ones out of prison at a press conference Wednesday, said Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-04), head of the global human rights subcommittee in the House of Representatives, and co-chairman of the U.S. Commission on China.
China continues to detain and torture prisoners of conscience, including human rights lawyers and family members of U.S. citizens and legal residents. Smith will also detail his legislation—the China Human Rights Protection Act of 2014, HR 5379—intended to better protect human rights in China. The bill includes measures to address restrictions and visa denials of foreign journalists in China.
With the Obama Administration poised to engage the Chinese government at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in China this fall, family members of Chinese prisoners of conscience to urge the President to address the imprisonment and persecution of human rights, democracy, and religious freedom advocates.
Who: Rep. Smith, longtime advocate of human rights in China, other invited members of Congress, and:
Grace Geng Ge, Daughter of Attorney Gao Zhisheng
Zhang Huixin, Daughter of Pastor Zhang Shaojie
Wang Ti-Anna, Daughter of Dr. Wang Bingzhang
Chang Ruoyu, Daughter of Attorney Chang Boyang
Deng Guiqin, Wife of Attorney Chang Boyang
Chen Qiao, Daughter of Liu Xianbin
Friends of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and Lobsang Tsering
When: Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 2:30 p.m.
Where: The House Triangle, pictured below,is located in the grassy triangle area on the Capitol Building's East Front lawn, just off Independence Ave. near New Jersey Ave.RAIN LOCATION: TBA.
