海角大神

Chinese activist and whistle-blower Chen Guangcheng is accusing New York University of submitting to Chinese pressure in pulling a fellowship position he had held since arriving in the United States last year.聽

Mr. Chen鈥檚 allegation follows a New York Post article that claimed China had a hand in Chen鈥檚 departure from NYU. Chen, who is blind, issued a statement today for bowing to 鈥済reat, unrelenting pressure鈥� from China, according to Reuters. The University insists his fellowship was only ever meant to run for a year and China has nothing to do with it.

Chen, a self-taught or "barefoot peasant lawyer" as he is known in China, gained international attention last year for sparking a diplomatic crisis between the United States and China.

For many years Chen had been under police guard at his home after exposing local authorities in Shandong province for conducting an unofficial policy of forced abortions and sterilization that ran into the thousands and was hidden from Beijing. Yet on April 22 last year Chen escaped, eluding police guards at night, and made it 300 miles to the US Embassy in Beijing. He arrived a week before the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.聽

While he originally intended to stay in China, Chen changed his mind after expressing fear for his family鈥檚 safety, claiming that the government threatened violence against his wife and two children.

Since arriving in the US last May, Chen has been a visiting fellow at NYU, and has been provided with housing, food, insurance, and English and law lessons. But now Chen say the university is pushing him out for fear that his continued criticism of China will abroad, says the New York Times.

鈥淭he work of the Chinese communists within academic circles in the United States is far greater than what people imagine, and some scholars have no option but to hold themselves back,鈥� Mr. Chen said. 鈥淎cademic independence and academic freedom in the United States are being greatly threatened by a totalitarian regime.鈥�

NYU has denied the accusations. University spokesman John Beckman says that Chen鈥檚 fellowship was only ever meant to last a year. Jerome Cohen, a member of NYU鈥檚 law faculty and a specialist on Chinese legal reform, who helped Chen secure the fellowship, has also denied Chen's allegations.

鈥淣o political refugee, even Albert Einstein, has received better treatment by an American academic institution than that received by Chen from NYU,鈥� 聽The Washington Post. Cohen explained that it would be unlikely for China to pressure NYU after it had already let him leave the country.

Yet Chen鈥檚 flight from China has not stopped the Chinese government from targeting the dissident through his family members. As 海角大神 reported, China has been persecuting his relatives who have remained behind. Chen鈥檚 nephew, Chen Kegui, was arrested for 鈥渋njuring鈥� local officials after they raided his house looking for his uncle soon after the escape and sentenced after a highly suspect snap trial. More recently, prison officials have allegedly denied him medical treatment for acute appendicitis.

Chen's brother said the prison authorities have twice rejected his request that his son (Chen's nephew) be taken from the prison clinic to a proper hospital for an operation. 鈥淭hey told me that my son had only a small problem that according to the regulations do not justify moving him,鈥� Chen Guangfu said. 鈥淏ut if he has appendicitis I think he needs surgery.鈥澛�

As for Chen鈥檚 next moves, Radio Free Asia reports that he with Fordham University Law School about some possible future arrangement.聽