Protests dog China’s Hu wherever he goes

AFP

SEATTLE, Washington: Chinese leader Hu Jintao was tailed by protesters after arriving in Seattle Tuesday on the first stop of his US visit, with signs and chants denouncing China’s cruel treatment of Falungong members and calling for the release of dissidents.

Dozens of demonstrators lined the streets outside the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle, where Hu was staying, holding large banners and using bullhorns to try to grab his attention as his motorcade whisked through.

“Nazi-like brutal genocide concentration camps are reemerging in China!” and “Bring criminal officials who persecute Falungong to justice!” two signs by the banned Falungong spiritual movement said outside the hotel.

“Free Tibet! China Get Out of Tibet,” Tibetans and Tibet rights advocates shouted.

Across the street, however, a handful of patriotic Chinese tried to counter the protests by playing drums and and waving Chinese flags.

Both sides were peaceful and orderly. No confrontations occurred.

Perhaps due to the expected loud protests in the United States, security at his hotel was tighter than usual.

Journalists were not allowed to enter the hotel or wait outside, in contrast to common practice when Hu is overseas. Reporters are normally allowed to wait in the lobby for him, in hopes he will make some comments.

“This time it will be different,” a foreign ministry official said, without explaining why.

Protesters followed Hu everywhere, waiting at street corners along his route.

Several Falungong members sat on the lawn of the Microsoft compound in Redmond, near Seattle, with legs folded, meditating.

“Falun Dafa (Gong) is Good,” the group’s sign said. China banned the group as an “evil cult” in 1999 and has jailed tens of thousands of its members.

Other protesters quietly held up signs demanding the release of locked up dissidents, including US permanent resident Yang Jianli, whose case is expected to be raised by US President George W Bush during a summit in Washington today.

Still others called for lifting of Internet restrictions, including shutting down politically sensitive websites and jailing web masters and writers for expressing their opinions.

One sign also addressed to Microsoft founder Bill Gates said: “Bill and Hu, Free the Web.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao brushed aside the protests.

“We believe their efforts to disturb President Hu’s visit will not be successful,” Liu said at a briefing.

Neither Gates or anyone who met with Hu Tuesday raised issues of Internet censorship, human rights or jailed dissidents, Liu said.

Despite an Easter break, the US Congress scheduled meetings this week to scrutinise China’s human rights record, with lawmakers saying Tuesday they did not want China’s abysmal human rights record glossed over during Hu’s visit.

Liu said China was willing to discuss human rights with the United States, under the basis of mutual respect and equality.

Around 70 Falungong members meanwhile continued to meditate outside Hu’s hotel late into the night.

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Source: "AFP".