Zheng Enchong
Zheng Enchong (Chinese: 郑恩宠; Pinyin: Zhèng Ēnchǒng; born September 2, 1950) is a Shanghai-based Weiquan (rights defending) lawyer. Zheng was sentenced in 2003 to three years in prison for his advocacy on behalf of citizens who had been forcibly evicted from their homes. The charge stemmed from two faxes Zheng was alleged to have sent to the New York-based organisation Human Rights in China concerning workers' protests. Upon his release from prison, he remained under house arrest.
His lawyer Guo Guoting was allegedly forbidden to see him. Guo Guoting now lives in Canada.
Zheng Enchong had advised more than 500 families displaced by Shanghai’s urban redevelopment projects on their rights to fair compensation. In 2005, he received the Human Rights Award of the German Association of Judges.
[edit] Biography
A lawyer from Shanghai, represented or advised around 500 families who were evicted due to urban redevelopment in the city, and who received little or no compensation from the authorities. He was detained in June 2003, days after a group of evicted residents he had advised appeared in court attempting to sue the authorities for adequate compensation, alleging collusion between officials and a wealthy property developer.
Zheng, Enchong was later charged and sentenced to three years in prison for "supplying state secrets to foreign entities" in connection with faxes he sent to Human Rights in China, an NGO based in New York. There are serious concerns that Zheng, Enchong’s detention and conviction were aimed at preventing him from continuing with his advocacy work. A lasting effect of his conviction has been a reported decrease in the number of lawyers in Shanghai willing to "risk" defending people’s rights to housing for fear of reprisals.[1]
On December 8, 2005, the German Judges Association presented Zheng Enchong with its “Human Rights Award” at a reception attended by the German president. Jiang Meili was invited to receive the award on Zheng’s behalf, but his wife Jiang, Meili was restricted from leaving China. Therefore, a petitioner of Hong Kong accepted the award on his behalf.[2]
Zheng, Enchong was released on June 5, 2006, but remained under house arrest.[3]
[edit] News links
- The Congressional: Human Rights and Rule of Law - News and Analysis:
Authorities Punish Imprisoned Activist Zheng Enchong After He Receives Human Rights Award http://www.cecc.gov/pages/virtualAcad/index.phpd?showsingle=34061#
- Member of European Parliament Discusses Sensitive Issues With China Rights Lawyer in Shanghai (part 1)
- Member of European Parliament Discusses Sensitive Issues With China Rights Lawyer in Shanghai (part 2)
- Christian Attorney Zheng Enchong Interrogated and Tortured by China Police [1]
- Radio Sound of Hope: Asia Cast for Sunday 21th June - SOH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sggD_VJctfw
- NYU U.S.-Asia Law Institute
“SHANGHAIED” AT HOME — AND FOREVER? Jun 9th, 2010 | By USAsialawNYU | Category: Jerome A. Cohen's Blog, http://www.usasialaw.org/?p=3728
This article first appeared in the South China Morning Post on June 10, 2010 under the title “Prisoner in his own home“, and in Chinese in the China Times (简体中文) (繁体中文). Illustration from South China Morning Post. http://www.usasialaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/2010.6.10-SCMP-Chen-and-Cohen-Prisoner-in-his-own-home_A13.pdf
- NTDYV news
Jerome A. Cohen talked about he visited Zheng Enchong in Shanghai on 28/05/2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0FXYi02Z5I
OPINION ASIA/NOVEMBER 11, 2010 Empty Chairs in Oslo Speak Volumes-A who's who of those not allowed to attend the awarding of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. BY JEROME A. COHEN AND EVA PILS http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703805004575607352440807256.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
- NYU U.S.-Asia Law Institute
Empty Chairs in Oslo Speak Volumes Nov 11th, 2010 | By USAsialawNYU | Category: Features http://www.usasialaw.org/?p=4599
World Briefing | Asia: China: Lawyer Sentenced By Joseph Kahn (NYT) Published: October 29, 2003 http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/29/world/world-briefing-asia-china-lawyer-sentenced.html?scp=2&sq=zheng+enchong&st=nyt
A Mild Shanghai Lawyer and His Accidental Crusade By HOWARD W. FRENCH Published: September 18, 2004 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/18/international/asia/18guo.html?scp=4&sq=zheng+enchong&st=nyt
Scandals Emerging in Shanghai as Political Season Nears By HOWARD W. FRENCH Published: September 5, 2006 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/05/world/asia/05china.html?scp=5&sq=zheng+enchong&st=nyt
Rights Group Urges China to End Curbs on Lawyers By JOSEPH KAHN Published: December 11, 2006 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/11/world/asia/11china.html?scp=6&sq=zheng+enchong&st=nyt
Police Said to Have Assaulted Rights Lawyer in China By HOWARD W. FRENCH Published: February 26, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/world/asia/26china.html?scp=1&sq=zheng+enchong&st=nyt
China’s Intimidation of Dissidents Said to Persist After Prison By ANDREW JACOBS and JONATHAN ANSFIELD Published: February 17, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/world/asia/19china.html?pagewanted=1&sq=zheng%20enchong&st=nyt&scp=3
Zwei Wochen vor Olympia Chinesischer Internetautor verhaftet 23.07.2008 — 15:02 Uhr http://www.bild.de/news/vermischtes/news/internetautor-du-daobin-5246052.bild.html
Menschenrechte sind Testfall für die neue Führung Chinas Author: Johnny Erling| 02.08.2003 http://www.welt.de/print-welt/article250421/Menschenrechte_sind_Testfall_fuer_die_neue_Fuehrung_Chinas.html
- Peking bestätigt Schüsse auf Demonstranten - bis zu 20 Tote
Author: Kirstin Wenk| 12.12.2005 http://www.welt.de/print-welt/article183661/Peking_bestaetigt_Schuesse_auf_Demonstranten_bis_zu_20_Tote.html
[edit] References
- ^ Amnesty International, Document - China: Human rights defenders at risk 6 December 2004.
- ^ Deutsche Richterbund Menschenrechtspreis des DRB http://www.drb.de/cms/index.php?id=51&L=0&no_cache=1&sword_list
- ^ Human Rights in China, 'Shanghai Lawyer Zheng Enchong Under De Facto House Arrest', 28 June 2006
