June 28, 2004

President Hu Jintao Guojia Zhuxi
Yongneixijie
Beijingshi 100017
People's Republic of China

Dear President Hu Jintao,

We are writing to request the immediate release of Dr. Jiang Yanyong. Dr. Jiang and his wife, Hua Zhongwei, were arbitrarily detained on June 1, 2004. We were happy to hear of the recent release of Hua Zhongwei, but remain extremely concerned with the well being of Dr. Jiang.

Dr. Jiang is a respected and admired medical specialist who has greatly contributed to the well being of society in China and the world. The role he played in alerting the world to the extent of the SARS epidemic is well known. Without his courageous actions, the epidemic would have been larger in scale, putting at risk an untold number of Chinese and potentially further expanding the epidemic throughout the world.

We understand that in February of this year Dr. Jiang wrote a letter to parliam ent calling for an official reassessment of the 1989 crackdown in Tiananmen Square. We find it unacceptable if Dr. Jiang is being detained for exercising his fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression. Rather Dr. Jiang should be praised for his fortitude of mind and his years of service both as a medical professional and a concerned citizen.

We understand that your government recently expressed hope that differences we have on human rights would be resolved through dialogue and consultation. Our government has, in fact, engaged in a great deal of serious dialogue on this matter, but your government's responses - in those instances in which there has been any response at all - have been disappointing. Detaining an international respected doctor for expressing his views is an obvious step backward in regards to improving dialogue on human rights.

We, the below signed Members of Congress are extremely concerned about the Dr. Jiang's well-being. At 72, Dr. Jiang has admirably served his country throughout his long career in public service and should not in any way be detained or harmed by the your government. We urge you to take immediate action and release Dr. Jiang Yanyong.

Sincerely,

Sam Farr
Frank Wolf
Jim McDermott
Nancy Pelosi
Tammy Baldwin
Mark Kirk
Chris Van Hollen
Dennis Kucinich
Earl Blumenauer
Marcy Kaptur
Mark Udall
Lane Evans
Michael R. McNulty
Peter A. DeFazio
Pete Stark
Bernard Sanders
Maxine Waters
Neil Abercrombie
Michael M. Honda
Tom Udall