Stand in solidarity with missing Chinese Christian

Gao was last seen with his
family in January 2009.
(Photo ChinaAid)

For nearly two years, Gao Zhisheng, a Christian human rights lawyer in China has been detained by authorities, his whereabouts often unknown. He was initially seized from his home in Shaanxi province on February 4, 2009, and held incommunicado by security officials for 13 months. In early April 2010, news surfaced that he had been released. Shortly thereafter he was again reported missing.

In an October radio interview, Gao’s wife, Geng He, expressed her and her family’s eagerness to find him: “My family only wants to get some news of him. When I talked with his sister, she said: ‘He is a member of the family. No matter what he does, such as eating the daily meals, sleeping or even taking a walk outside, anything would make us miss him. Where on earth has he gone?’ The entire family of mine is puzzled and we have been looking for him ever since.”

You can get involved in a worldwide advocacy effort on Gao's behalf. In recognition of Human Rights Day on December 10, ChinaAid is coordinating a campaign with the aim of delivering 150,000 signed petitions to Chinese embassies around the world.

Please consider joining with your friends and family members in writing letters and delivering them to the Chinese embassy in Ottawa.

H.E. Zhang Junsai
Ambassador
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Canada
515 St. Patrick St.
Ottawa, ON K1N 5H3
Tel: 613-789-3509
Fax: 613-789-1414

Your sample letter might look like this:

To the Honourable Ambassador from China,

I am aware that Chinese authorities have detained Christian attorney Gao Zhisheng since February 4, 2009. He was at the home of relatives in Shaanxi province when more than a dozen Public Security Bureau officers took him away. He resurfaced in April of this year and then disappeared again.

Since 2005, Gao has been repeatedly kidnapped, arrested, imprisoned and tortured for his work defending those persecuted for their faith. He and his family have been monitored by authorities for more than two years.

I am praying for the leaders of China and request that you communicate with relevant Chinese leaders and release Gao Zhisheng immediately, as arbitrary detention is in violation of Chinese law.

Thank you for your kind attention to this matter.

Your name

Need some additional letter-writing guidance? Download VOM’s letter-writing guide here.