Stanek:Harrowing details of Chen Guangcheng’s escape; accomplice gone missing

This is amazing....for those of us who take our freedom and safety for granted....

"I’m struck by the obvious heroism of these people, trying to stop forced sterilizations and abortions. It is a sobering gut check. How much are we willing to sacrifice to stop abortions in America?"

Cross Posted at Jill Stanek.com

Harrowing details of Chen Guangcheng’s escape; accomplice gone missing

Read my previous post on Chinese pro-life dissident Chen Guangcheng’s escape to the U.S. Embassy, where he has reportedly been holed up since April 22.
According to the Los Angeles Times this morning, an agreement has been reached between the U.S. and China that Guangcheng and his family, pictured below, will remain in his home country as is his wish, with assurances they “can live a normal life, including relocation to a “safe environment” and ability to attend university.

Now come harrowing details from Reggie Littlejohn of Women’s Rights without Frontiers, explaining exactly  how this blind man under house arrest made his way to freedom.
According to LAT, Guangcheng’s accomplice, He Peirong, mentioned in Littlejohn’s report and pictured right, is still missing, as is Chen’s nephew, Chen Kegui. Reading Littlejohn’s account, I’m struck by the obvious heroism of these people, trying to stop forced sterilizations and abortions. It is a sobering gut check. How much are we willing to sacrifice to stop abortions in America?

He Peirong is a petite woman with a spine of steel.  I know her because she spearheaded the movement to free Chen Guangcheng inside China, while I have played a similar role in the U.S. and Europe.  That’s where the similarity ends.  I have advocated for Chen in complete safety.  Peirong, however, has been beaten and detained repeatedly for this extremely dangerous undertaking.  Now, she is detained again, for rescuing Chen.
How did Chen escape?  The Chinese Communist Party clamped down on him as hard as it could.  His house was surrounded by 66 guards working in three shifts – 22 guards every eight hours.  His village was sealed off by yet more guards.  His phone, computer and television were confiscated.  He was completely shut off from the outside world.  Plus he was sick and injured from all the beatings.
According to Peirong, Chen spent months on his back, pretending to be near death, so that his guards would relax their vigilance.  Then on April 22, with exquisite timing, he scaled a wall and ran for his life, taking several wrong turns and falling into a river because of his blindness.  Peirong drove 20 hours to meet Chen and fooled the village guards into letting her in.  She disguised herself as a courier.  Then she drove Chen another eight hours – still wet from his fall in the river – to safety in Beijing.  Their plan was so masterfully executed that the authorities did not realize Chen was gone for four days.
Once authorities discovered that Chen was missing, the reprisals began.  The Chinese Communist Party violently detained Chen’s older brother and nephew, and his wife, children and mother are at risk as well
As news of Chen’s escape was breaking, I skyped with Peirong on and off all Thursday night from Dublin, where I had testified about Chen at the Irish Parliament.  Peirong was alone and worried – about Chen and his family, and about her own safety.  Peirong knew that the price of securing Chen’s freedom might be her own.
At about 5:00 a.m. Dublin time, I skyped Peirong one last time and she did not answer. She had been detained, and no one has heard from her since.   We don’t know if Peirong is being tortured or whether her detention will last days, months or years.
In pressing for Chen’s freedom, let us also press for the freedom of his rescuer, He Peirong, a hero in her own right.   She stood up for Chen during his time of greatest need.  The least we can do is stand by her as she pays a terrible price for her courage.

[Middle photo via LAT; bottom photo via Women's Rights without Frontiers]