Cheel, son of Southern Mongolian dissident writer Huuchinhuu

The following is an appeal letter from Mr. Cheel, son of Ms. Huuchinhuu, a prominent Southern Mongolian dissident writer who has been repeatedly beaten by Chinese police during her detention:

My name is Cheel, and my mother is Huuchinhuu, a proud and valiant human rights activist in Southern Mongolia. My mother has been held under house arrest for nearly a year now. Recent pictures of my Mother showing clear evidence of having been beaten by Chinese policemen show that my mother is not only subject to violence but clearly is at risk of death at the hands of Chinese authorities. Given the circumstances under which my mother is being held against her will with no prospect of due process or legal recourse, I request the Chinese authorities to give my mother’s freedom back and issue my mother a passport so that I, her only child, can restore my mother’s physical and emotional health. At the same time, I call on the public media and governments/organizations that espouse zero-tolerance against human rights violators to bring public attention to my mother’s dire situation. I fear that she could die soon from the beatings by the Chinese police. 

My mother was placed under house arrest in November 2010 with no clear charges established by the authorities. Her laptop and cell phone were confiscated thus severing her ability to communicate with the outside. More than 20 “national security police” surrounded her building on continuous 24 hour watch and all visitors were barred from entering her apartment. Not respecting her right to privacy, my mother’s daily life was disrupted and she was subjected to verbal abuse. Under the harsh and frequent harassment, my mother suffered a cerebral accident and was hospitalized. Even while hospitalized, the police denied her even a minute of rest. The harassment never stopped. A few days before Chinese New Year, my mother was forced to leave the hospital and then vanished into nowhere.

My mother is a well respected teacher, a writer who insists on telling the truth. She has never in her life experienced the kind of disrespect and affronts to her sense of dignity the authorities have meted out to her; never under any circumstances has she yielded to force. She is strong willed but physically she is a very vulnerable woman: she suffers from breast cancer, heart disease, lymphedema caused by cancer surgery, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis caused by detention in a cold and humid cell during the mid 1990s. This time “thanks again to” the authorities--- blockage in a cerebral vascular artery.

These days, I am living in America, feeling so sorry about my freedom while my mother lives under zero freedom in Southern Mongolia under Chinese control. I am in a very difficult dilemma. On the one hand I cannot go back to her, because risking my freedom will make no difference and would ruin her last hope; on the other hand, my mother is left a hostage to Chinese authorities. I know I have to act carefully. I fear that whatever I do, most probably will have a negative impact on my mother.

In late September, I found my Facebook page suddenly full of these pictures dated from 20^th July to 30^th July 2011. At that point, I could no longer remain quiet or calm. Simply explaining it as a “careless mistake” to my cousin with apologies is unacceptable. The bruising and swelling indicate how brutal the beating was. Deliberate beating is so obvious that the authorities trying to cover it up as a careless mistake is ridiculous. Right now, I have no single piece of information about my mother’s current situation. I asked my cousin to visit her after I saw these pictures but he was denied a visit. I am requesting an immediate phone call with my mother to make sure she is fine.

The reasonable and humane act that I am asking from the Chinese authorities is to give my mother her freedom immediately. Brutally beating a 57 year old woman fighting cancer and many other diseases is just plain evil. What kind of government treats its citizens with such callous disregard for their human rights and dignity?