AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

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Letter of Appeal from the AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility

27 March 2001


His Excellency Zhu Rongji
Premier of the People's Republic of China
Guowuyuan
9 Xihuangchenggenbeijie
Beijingshi 100032
People's Republic of China


Your Excellency:

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the largest organization of natural and social scientists in the United States, and the world's largest federation of scientific organizations, with 145,000 individual members and 300 affiliated groups. Our AAAS Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility was formed in 1976 to protect the human rights of scientists and to deal with issues relating to scientific freedom worldwide.

On behalf of the Committee, I am writing to express my concern about the recent detention of Dr. Gao Zhan. It is my understanding that Dr. Gao was arrested and detained on 11 February 2001 with her husband and son as they were about to board a plane to return to the United States after a brief vacation in China. Although we are aware of the importance of national security concerns for your nation, the evidence in this case appears to support the contention that Dr. Gao has been conducting legitimate scientific and academic research in her field of women's issues and economic reform. As you may be aware, Dr. Gao's research has focused on issues relating to women and their participation in politics, academia, and economics.

We request that the charges against Dr. Gao Zhan be promptly clarified, and if there is no legal basis for her arrest, that she be immediately and unconditionally released. We also request that Dr. Gao Zhan be granted immediate access to her family and to legal representation. Furthermore, we request that her safety be assured during her detention.

Dr. Gao's detention is in direct violation of several international standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted without opposition by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948. Relevant articles include:

· Article 9: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
· Article 10: Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his [or her] rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him [or her].
· Article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Dr. Gao's detention is also in violation of several articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. China signed the covenant on 5 October 1998, which signifies the nation's intention to comply with its provisions and to work for its ratification. Relevant articles include:

· Article 9: (2): Anyone who is arrested shall be informed, at the time of arrest, of the reasons for his [or her] arrest and shall be promptly informed of any charges against him [or her].
· Article 10: All persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.
· Article 14: (1) All persons shall be equal before the courts and tribunals. In the determination of any criminal charge against him [or her], or of his [or her] rights and obligations in a suit at law, everyone shall be entitled to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law.
· Article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

With its home in the university, scholarly pursuits depend upon the protection of a scholar's right to free expression and free association. We hope that the Chinese government will work to promote and protect these most fundamental human rights.


Sincerely,

Carole Nagengast, Ph.D., Chair
Committee on Scientific Freedom
and Responsibility

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