Ai Weiwei family call inquiry ‘absurd’

Chinese artist’s relatives say allegations are an attempt to stifle activism amid wider government crackdown on dissidents Relatives of the detained Chinese artist Ai Weiwei have denounced an official report that he is suspected of economic crimes as “absurd”. The state news agency, Xinhua, published a one-line story saying police were investigating the 53-year-old , but deleted it from its website within the hour. The piece did not explicitly say that authorities were holding him and police have not responded to faxed queries. There is still no word on Ai’s friend Wen Tao, 38, who was reportedly detained on Sunday. Human rights groups believe Ai’s detention is part of a wider crackdown in which scores of activists and dissidents have been detained, formally arrested or disappeared . It has sparked an international outcry. Ai’s older sister, Gao Ge, told Reuters: “The economic crimes report is absurd, because the way he was taken and then disappeared shows it’s nothing of the sort. This is more like a crime gang’s behaviour than a country with laws.” She said her brother had previously warned his family he might one day be jailed for his activities. “He was very clear that we shouldn’t try to meddle and stop him speaking out … My mother cried,” she added. Ai’s mother, Gao Ying, said the “economic crimes” allegations were being used to stifle his activism, adding: “If he’s not released, this will be the start of a long struggle … They still haven’t notified us why he was taken or where he is.” Chinese law states that police must inform an individual’s relatives or place of work within 24 hours of detention, unless there is no way to do so or it would “impede the investigation”. Gao said her son was unlikely to accept charges to win a swift release. “If he’s not given justice, he’ll refuse to come out, I think. That’s his character,” she said. Human rights groups allege that similar accusations of economic wrongdoing – such as tax-related charges – have been used to intimidate activists in the past. In an interview last year, Ai told the Guardian the state might take action against him and that security officials had recently visited his bank. But he added: “I also have to speak out for people around me who are afraid, who think it is not worth it or who have totally given up hope. So I want to set an example: you can do it and this is OK.” The Global Times, a popular state-run tabloid, has run another attack on western condemnation of the case. “[China] needs people like Ai Weiwei. But at the same time, it is even more important that Chinese law restrict the provocative behaviour of Ai Weiwei and others,” it wrote. The outgoing US ambassador, Jon Huntsman, described Ai Weiwei as one of the activists who “challenge the Chinese government to serve the public in all cases and at all times” in a strongly worded speech in Shanghai on Wednesday night. He said future ambassadors would continue to defend social activists such as Ai, jailed writer and Nobel peace prizewinner Liu Xiaobo, and Chen Guangcheng, a rights activist under house arrest. China Ai Weiwei Human rights Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 7, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.