Post date: Apr 28, 2012 11:55:55 AM
Chen, a self-schooled legal advocate who campaigned against forced abortions, had been restricted to his village home in Linyi in eastern Shandong province since September 2010 when he was released from jail.
His confinement under guard with his family fanned protests by Chinese sympathizers and criticism from foreign governments and activist groups.
Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng refuses to leave China and is now hiding in a safe location in Beijing, says U.S. human rights group.
SHANDONG PROVINCE, CHINA (FILE) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (OBTAINED BY CHINAAID) - When prominent Chinese dissident and blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng escaped from home imprisonment last Sunday (April 22), he refused to leave the country and is now hiding in Beijing, a U.S.-based rights group said on Friday (April 27).
In a video posted on YouTube, Chen confirmed his escape.
While Reuters was not able to authenticate the video, there was scant doubt it was Chen, wearing his trademark dark glasses and speaking in his halting, Shandong-accented Mandarin Chinese.
In the video, titled "Chen Guangcheng raises three requests for premier Wen Jiabao," the blind activist condemned what he claimed to be rampant corruption among local authorities and urged Wen to investigate them seriously.
"How serious is this kind of corruption. How recklessly has money and power been used. Therefore, I am asking Premier Wen to investigate and deal with this kind of corrupted behaviour," said Chen.
Chen also said the problem of corruption would degrade the Communist Party's image.
"Us common people's tax money cannot be used in vain by some local authorities to harm people illegally and harm our party's image. Whenever they conduct such shameless behaviour, they do it in the name of the party. They say the party let them do it," Chen added.
Chen's reported escape and the furor it has unleashed could add to the headaches of China's ruling Communist Party, which is striving to ensure stability and authority ahead of a leadership transition later this year.
Chen did not say where he was nor what his plans were.
Bob Fu, president of the Texas-based religious and political rights advocacy group ChinaAid, told Reuters over a Skype interview that Chen refused to leave China when his supporters made the offer.
"After Chen Guangcheng walked out of his home, he was offered to come abroad for safety protection, but he was very reluctant to do so, because he wants to, what he says is to fight to the end for the freedom and basic rights as a Chinese citizen and also for his family," Fu said on Friday.
Although ChinaAid stated in a press release that "there is speculation that Chen is in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing," Fu said he could not further comment on the issue as U.S. State Department officials and American diplomats had advised him not to.
Chen is in the city of Beijing, Fu said, adding that he is hiding in a completely safe place.
"So he was able to be transported to a safe location in Beijing. So I can share with you is Chen Guangcheng is right now in about 100 percent safety environment and location in Beijing," said Fu.
Chen angered Shandong officials in 2005 by exposing a programme of forced abortions as part of China's one-child policy. He was formally released in September 2010 after four years in jail on a charge of "blocking traffic".
Last year, dozens of supporters were blocked from visiting Chen. Many of them were beaten by men in plain clothes.
In December, Hollywood actor and "Batman" star Christian Bale was roughed up by security guards while trying to visit Chen. Bale had been in China to promote a movie with Chinese director Zhang Yimou.