************************************************************** IFCSS Headquarters News Release No. 5117 March 04, 1994 ************************************************************** Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars (IFCSS) 733 15th Street, N.W., Suite 440, Washington, D.C.20005 Tel. (202)347-0017 Fax: (202)347-0018 Email: ifcss@wam.umd.edu IFCSS HQ Explores Possibility to Provide Protection for New Students ======================================== IFCSS HQ Note: In the process of preparing this news release, word came that Mr. Wei Jingsheng and other four dissidents were detained. This event has again demonstrated the unpredictability of the Chinese government in treating those who dare to voice their disagreement and accentuated the necessity to provide protection for Chinese students and scholars who came to the U.S. after April 11, 1990. *** *** *** In the past week, IFCSS HQ contacted a number of congressional offices to explore possibility of further legislative actions that would provide protection for Chinese students and scholars who came to the U.S. after April 11, 1990. As early as last June, opinions were expressed by new students that they deserved protection at least as much as those who came earlier, for during the 1989 Democracy Movement, they were in Tiananmen Square or participated in peaceful demonstrations in other Chinese cities, whereas those who benefitted from the Chinese Student Protection Act were in the United States. In addition, many of them went through great difficulties in obtaining their passports. Given their "poor record" in the eye of the Chinese government, they were more likely to be treated unfavorably than the "early birds." In addition, IFCSS recognizes that the current employment based country quota, which provides that visa numbers allocated to any country shall not exceed 7 percent of the world's total, works to the disadvantage of Chinese students given their unusually large number. IFCSS also notices that significant progress has not been made in China's human rights situation. Although a few well-known political prisoners were released shortly before their full terms were served out, there has been no change in the government's way of looking at political dissent. People continue to be arrested for their political and religious beliefs. Under such a situation, those new students who were once imprisoned, persecuted, or forced to express consent to the June 4th Massacre could once again be subjected to similar processes when they return to China. Because of the anti-immigration tide generated over the boat people, IFCSS did not take prompt action. However, IFCSS is well aware that despite repeated anti-immigration tides, the U.S. government tends to loosen restrictions from time to time. The most fundamental reason is that the full capacity for the U.S. to absorb immigrants has far from been reached and that immigrants provide renewed vitality to the economy. Given the above considerations, IFCSS HQ feels that time has come to take some preliminary measures. However, to bring about any change, the first thing needed is evidence. IFCSS has started to collect information on new students. If you have experienced harassment and reprisal because of your involvement in the 1989 Democracy Movement or other events, or if you met with difficulties while obtaining your passports on similar grounds, please put it in a written form and send it to us either through mail or e-mail. You can use the addresses contained in the header of this release. IFCSS HQ is planning to cooperate with its New-Comers' Working Committee to collect information needed to support the argument that the overwhelming majority of Chinese students currently studying in the U.S. can contribute to the growth of U.S. economy with their knowledge of advanced technologies rather than become a burden of the American society. The goal of IFCSS has always been promoting economic prosperity as well as political progress in China and it remains willing to cooperate with the Chinese government on every front. However, it shall never forfeit its duty to protect Chinese students and scholars in the U.S. both against racial discrimination and against political persecution. ********************************************************************* * IFCSS Headquarters Office * *-------------------------------------------------------------------* * President: Lin Changsheng Vice President: Shi Heping * * Exec. Director: Liu Xiaozhu Chief of Staff: Huang Songyun * *-------------------------------------------------------------------* * PBS-L is IFCSS's news distribution list for individuals. To sign * * on or off from IFCSS E-mail mailing list, please send email to : * * listserv@ifcss.org * * leave the subject line open and put in the mail body: * * (For signing on) sub PBS-L last_name first_name * * (For signing off) unsub PBS-L last_name first_name * * * * For IFCSS Service Program: ftp: ifcss.org:/services * * * * For more information about IFCSS, write to ifcss-info@ifcss.org * ********************************************************************* Dear Fellow Chinese Students: IFCSS HQ received this unfortunate news, the death of Mr. Xiaohuang Wang at Clarkson University. Please send our condolence to his family. And please help out the family if you can. =========================================================== >From scheng@orion.it.luc.edu Fri Mar 4 10:15:02 1994 To: ifcss@wam.umd.edu Status: R Dear IFCSS News Officers, Mr.Xiaohuang Wang, a fellow chinese student at Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, was shot to death by two blacks robbing a chinese resturant in Philadephia, PA on FEB 28, 1994. Mr. Wang is from ChuangQi, Sizchun province,P.R. China. He graduated from Chengdu PolyTech University, with B.S. of the material Science. He came to USA at last Fall, just half year. and he is currently registing at Clarkson University. He left Clarkson this January and worked in a chinese resturant due to an obivous reason. According to his close friend, just one day before his death, one of his friends called him and got a very good impression "Everything is going fine". But , just one day after , the tragedy happened. It is a so sad and shock news to his family and friends, and our fellow hard-study and hard-working students. A memorial fund account is set up by the Chinese students in Clarkson University for the expenses of this aftermath of the tragedy and arranging his parent coming from China. Can IFCSS help us to post the sad news for a donation to Wang's tragedy by expressing the sympathy and consolation to the victim's family ? Payable to : XiaoHuang Wang's Memorial Fund International Student Office Clarkson University Potsdam, NY 13699 For more info please call Mr. Lian He at 315-268-3774 (Office) 315-265-1914 (Home) Thank you very much ! Sincerely Alex S. Cheng A friend of the Victim