Establishment of the "Lee Ming-che Rescue Team" – Ongoing Actions

Last week, the Hong Kong New Territories Northeast case and Umbrella Movement participants suffered judicial persecution by the Department of Justice of Hong Kong. Several young activists were heavily sentenced to 6-13 months and immediately imprisoned. Judicial independence in Hong Kong is facing severe skepticism, and the black hand of China has severely impacted the development and space of civil society in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Lee Ming-che, an employee of the Wenshan Community College in Taiwan, has been "disappeared" since March 19, marking 156 days to date. To this day, even his detention location remains unknown. The Chinese government only announced on May 26 that he was formally arrested on suspicion of "subversion of state power," and in June stated that a lawyer had been assigned. However, from the beginning to the end, the so-called "lawyer" has never contacted the family, and we do not even know the lawyer's name. Furthermore, regarding the family's right to humanitarian visitation under the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, the Chinese government has still refused without giving any reason.

Previously, Taiwanese NGO groups initiated a joint statement endorsed by a total of 147 organizations. Today, we officially established the "Lee Ming-che Rescue Team" and once again questioned the Chinese government: First, what is Mr. Lee Ming-che's detention location? Second, what are the relevant legal procedures concerning Mr. Lee Ming-che? Third, who is the assigned lawyer, and why have they never contacted the family? Fourth, please provide all relevant information and the family's right to humanitarian visitation in accordance with Chapter III, Article 12 of the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement.

The "Lee Ming-che Rescue Team" will launch an island-wide lecture tour and hold a two-day lecturer training session for the northern region at the Taipei Bar Association on August 28-29, followed by central and southern region sessions. On the afternoon of September 17, the Rescue Team will hold a human body formation action at Xinyi Park near Taipei 101, urging people from all over to respond until the Chinese government responds to the demands of the family and NGOs.

Lee Ming-che's family member, Lee Ching-yu, will also testify and report on Lee Ming-che's ongoing situation of enforced disappearance during the official session of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in September. Lee Ching-yu will also officially issue official documents to PRC President Xi Jinping, the Supreme People's Procuratorate of the PRC, the Ministry of Public Security of the PRC, and the State Council of the PRC, demanding that the Chinese government explain Lee Ming-che's detention location and provide the family with the right to humanitarian visitation in accordance with the law.

Time

August 22, 9:30 AM

Location

Outside the Qunxian Building, Legislative Yuan

Attendees

Moderator Taiwan Association for Human Rights　Ch'iu I-ling

Spokespersons
Principal, Wenshan Community College　Cheng Hsiu-chuan
Covenant Watch　Huang Sung-li
President, Tibet Taiwan Human Rights Network　Tashi Tsering
Judicial Reform Foundation　Hsiao I-min
Human Rights Committee, Taipei Bar Association　Attorney Lin Tzu-lin
Amnesty International Taiwan　Fang Yung-sheng
Economic Democracy Union　Ch'en Kuan-yu
Taiwan Association of University Professors　Chuang Cheng-yang
Democratic Front　Yang Kang
Alliance for Constitutional Democracy　Hsu Wei-chun
Presbyterian Church in Taiwan　Rev. Lin Wei-lien
Executive Director, Taiwan Association for Prisoners' Rights / Taiwan Innocence Project　Lo Shih-hsiang
Deputy Executive Director, Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty　Wu Chia-chen
Taiwan Labour Front　Yang Shu-wei
Green Citizens' Action Alliance / New Power Party / Civil Power Foundation (Check context: 台北政經學院基金會/青平台... 青平台基金會) Cheng-Feng Foundation　Liu Lu-na
Taiwan Radical Wing (Yung-she)　Hung Chung-yen
Taiwan Radical Wing (Yung-she)　Prof. Yang Tsung-jung
Alliance for the Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare, Taiwan　Yeh Ta-hua
Education Advancement Foundation / Humane Education Foundation　Attorney Shih I-hsin

Press Contact

Taiwan Association for Human Rights　Ch'iu I-ling