German Practitioner Lodges Formal Complaint Against his Illegal Detention in China

Matthias Schmelz
Bahnhofstrasse 18
65830 Kriftel/Germany Kriftel, June 12, 2001

The Foreign Office
C/o Mrs. Brita Wegener
Department GF 08
Werderscher Markt 1
10117 Berlin/Germany

Protest against my arrest on November 20, 2001 at Tiananmen Square in Beijing

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

As a German national and one of the thirty-six peaceful protesters who had assembled at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, I am lodging a formal protest against the violation of international agreements by the Chinese authorities at my arrest. I appeal to you to take the necessary steps against the People’s Republic of China.

In the afternoon of November 20, 2001, around 2:15 P.M. thirty-five other peaceful protesters and I were forcefully transported to a police precinct close to the square. Once there, we were held, for approximately five hours, crammed together in a cell in the basement of the police building. During this detention lasting a total of 23 hours, the Chinese security authorities refused to give us a reason for this arrest. I was instead informed that this does not constitute arrest. Furthermore, they refused us telephone contact with our embassy.

After about 4-5 hours, outnumbered by police forces 2-1 or even 3-1, the Chinese officers brought us to a deserted hotel near the airport, where some of us, without the presence of a lawyer or a member from our respective national embassies were interrogated for up to two hours. When we questioned the officers why we were refused embassy representation, they replied, “Your embassy does not want to see you.” Our refusal,to sign documents presented to us written in Chinese, while the interrogations were conducted in English, brought angry outbursts from the officer making the demand and in some cases lead to manhandling. One German national calmly commented in Chinese language on the inappropriate action of this officer who replied in Chinese that he would kill him.

How can it happen that we were refused our most basic rights, simply because we wanted to peacefully show support for the human rights of those Falun Gong practitioners who are persecuted in China, while in other countries, these basic rights are even granted to criminals? How is it that only a day later could I read in a Chinese newspaper the reasons for my arrest and deportation, while the Chinese authorities refused to answer my questions in detention during these actual occurrences?

In view of the aforementioned, massive infractions against basic rights of German citizens I appeal to you to please forward a copy of this letter to the German Embassy in Beijing.

Sincerely,

Matthias Schmelz

(Original text in German)