On Sunday, An Fengshan of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) said that personal letters from Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che have been sent to his family members. Lee, a human rights and democracy advocate, remains detained in China.
An’s statement was given amid Lee Ching-yu’s preparations to leave for Beijing on Monday. The activist’s wife will go together with two Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) officials.
However, An’s remarks were opposed by a human rights group in Taiwan. According to the group, no appointments to accept either the message about Lee’s present condition or his “handwritten” letters have been made.
According to TAO’s earlier statement, Lee has been under inquiry since March 19. He is suspected of holding activities that threaten China’s national security.
On April 7, China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), SEF’s semi-official counterpart sanctioned to deal with civilian exchanges across the strait, gave Lee’s wife an update on his latest situation. The information, given out of humanitarian considerations, was forwarded through an unnamed “relevant organization of Taiwan,” An said.
An added that the organization also handed over Lee’s personal letters to his parents and his wife.
Taiwan Association for Human Rights Secretary General Chiu Yi-ling said that Lee’s parents and his wife had not gotten hold of China’s presumed kindness to the activist’s family. The association has been campaigning for Lee’s early release.
“Over the past two days, some people claiming to represent Beijing did call us but we cannot be sure of their ‘official’ status; besides, the ‘representative’ admitted that the letters were not the originals but copies,” said Chiu.
“They have not made an appointment to meet the so-called Beijing representative, nor have they read any ‘personal letters’ from Lee,” Chiu added, explaining the family’s decision not to take the messages.
Earlier on Sunday, responsible officials of the SEF and the Mainland Affairs Council, TAO’s counterpart in Taiwan, said that they were unsure if Lee Ching-yu will be allowed to enter China.
Since last May when Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party assumed the presidency in Taipei, official exchanges between Taiwan and China have stopped.
Lee’s family and human rights groups are hoping that Taiwanese activist Lee Ming-che will be released soon.