Subject: IFCSS HQ NR-4027: Deadline Set for the Open Letter

From: IFCSS HQ <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1992 17:56:14 -0400

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IFCSS Headquarters News Release No. 4027:   September 22, 1992
     DEADLINE SET FOR SIGNING THE OPEN LETTER (SHEN TONG)
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Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars (IFCSS)
   733 15th Street, N.W., Suite 440, Washington, D.C.20005
         Tel. (202)347-0017  Fax: (202)347-0018
                Email: [email-masked]

      Deadline Set for Signing the Shen Tong Open Letter
      ==================================================

Dear fellow students/scholar nation-wide:

     The HQ has set a deadline for CSS organizations and
individuals to sign the open letter demanding the release
of Shen Tong and his friends. We will stop collecting the
signatures at:

     12:00 pm, (mid-night), Saturday, September 26.
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

     The open letter and the signature list will be sent
to China's Education Mission. It will also be released to
Chinese and American news media as well as the White
House and the offices on Capital Hill.

     There are four days left for the CSS community to
act upon the open letter. Please show your support for
Shen Tong  and his associates, please show  your support
for human rights in China, please show your support for
our efforts to rescue Shen Tong, and please show your 
support for our campaign to protect the rights
and safety of our fellow students/scholars.

     SIGN THE OPEN LETTER NOW!

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Enclosure 1

     As to September 22, the open letter has been endorsed
by the following organizations:

Boston University                    (CSA)
Brandeis University                  (CSSA)
Brown Chinese Student Democratic Movement Fund
Democracy for China Foundation, Inc. (Michigan)
East Tennessee Chinese Association
Florida State University             (CSSA)
Harvard University                   (CSS)
June 4 Memorial Fund at Buffalo
Los Alamos National Lab              (RFCS)
Oregon State University              (CSSA)
Purdue University                    (CSSU)
Texas Tech University                (CSSA)
Wayne State University (Detroit, MI) (FACSS)
University of Arizona                (CSSA)
UCLA                                 (CSSA)
University of Connecticut            (CSSC)
University of Georgia                (SUC)
University of Illinois at Chicago    (IFCSS)
University of Louisville             (CSS)
University of Maryland               (CGSA)
University of Texas, Arlington       (CSSA)
University of Wisconsin, Madison     (CSS)
Virginia Tech                        (ACSS)
Yale University                      (ACSSY)

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     The Open Letter has also been endorsed by the following
     organizations:

Chinese Student Association (Taiwan), University of Arizona
Malaysian Friendship Club, Univ. of Arizona
Korean Student Club, Univ. of Arizona
International Student Association/ASUA, Univ. of Arizona

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Enclosure 2        Call for signing the open letter

As part of the effort to rescue Shen Tong and his friends, IFCSS
calls upon Chinese students and scholars organizations across the
U.S. to sign the following open letter. Individuals may also
sign the letter. Please send your name, school and telephone
number to the HQ. For organizations, we need the name of your
organization and the school your organization is located.
Please give us the contact person's name and telephone number.

Thank you for your help.

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    An Open Lettere to China's State Education Commission
    On the Arrest of Shen Tong, Qi Dafeng and Qian Liyun

Mr. Li Tieying
Chairman
State Education Commission
Beijing, P.R. China

Dear Mr. Chairman:

We, the undersigned individuals and organizations, are writing to
request your immediate attention to the arrest of Shen Tong and
two other individuals.

Shen Tong, a Chinese student studying at Boston University in the
United States, was arrested on the 31 of August at his mother's
residence in Beijing during his home-visiting trip. Arrested at
the same time were Qi Dafeng and Qian Liyun, former schoolsmates
of Shen Tong. The police did not produce a warrant while making
the arrest; moreover, up to now no specific offence has been
identified and released.

The incident has roused tremendous attention in the U.S. as well
as other countries and caused alarm among Chinese students. The
skeptism about the government's sincerity in pursuing an open
policy regarding overseas students has deepened.

Although studying abroad, we are genuinelly concerned with
development and progress in our motherland. We believe that the
above-mentioned arrest was politically unwise and morally
unjustifiable, an incident that could not but discourage the
return of overseas students. Therefore, we strongly urge you to
intervene, through your office, in this case to win immediate
release of the three individuals.

We recognize that the arrest was not an isolated event and that
it reflected a lack of respect for the basic rights of citizen
guaranteed by our country's constitution. We look forward to
seeing general improvements made in this regard.

Sincerely,

(signed)

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         IFCSS Headquarters Office    Signature
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