Subject: IFCSS HQ NR-4037: 56 CSS Organizations Signed Open Letter

From: IFCSS HQ <ifcss>
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 92 22:41:48 -0400

**************************************************************
IFCSS Headquarters News Release No. 4037    September 25, 1992
       56 CSS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ENDORSED OPEN LETTER         
**************************************************************
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: [email-masked]

       56 CSS Organizations Have Endorsed the Open Letter
       ==================================================

       As of 10:00 pm, Friday, September 25, the Open Letter
to China's Commissioner of Education Li Tieying demanding the
release of Shen Tong, Qi Dafeng and Qian Liyun has been 
endorsed by 56 CSS organizations. 5 other organizations
also signed the open letter. Individual signatures are
coming in the hundreds every day since the passage of the
protection bill. Everyone who signed this open letter through
email should have received a "thank you" note from the HQ
through the email.

       The Deadline for signing the open letter is 

       12:00 pm, mid-night, Saturday, September 26.
       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

       Thanks for the support.

------------------------------------------------------------

Boston University                    (CSA)
Brandeis University                  (CSSA)
Brown Chinese Student Democratic Movement Fund
Case Western Reserve University      (CSSA)
City College of New York             (CSSU)
Columbia University                  (CSSA)
Democracy for China Foundation, Inc. (Michigan)
East Tennessee Chinese Association
Florida State University             (CSSA)
Harvard University                   (CSS)
Indiana University                   (SUCS)
Iowa State University                (CSSFA)
June 4 Memorial Fund at Buffalo
Kansas State University              (CSSA)
Los Alamos National Lab              (RFCS)
Marquette University                 (PRCSA)
Memphis State University             (CSA)
National Institute of Health         (CSSA)
New York University                  (CSS)
Oregon State University              (CSSA)
Purdue University                    (CSSU)
Rutgers University                   (CSR)
Rutgers University, Newark           (CSA)
Stanford University                  (ACSSS)
SUNY-Buffalo                         (CSSA) 
SUNY-Stony Brook                     (MCSO)
Texas A&M                            (China Club)
Texas Tech University                (CSSA)
Wayne State University (Detroit, MI) (FACSS)
University of Arizona                (CSSA)
University of Arkansas Medical Sci.  (CSSA)
UCLA                                 (CSSA)
University of California, San Diego  (CSSA)
University of Chicago                (CSU)
University of Colorado at Boulder    (CSS)
University of Connecticut            (CSSC)
University of Dayton                 (CSSA)
University of Florida                (CSSA)
University of Georgia                (SUC)
University of Kentucky               (SSSU)
University of Illinois at Chicago    (IFCSS)
Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign  (CSSSU)
University of Iowa                   (Alumni Asso.)
University of Louisville             (CSSA)
University of Maryland               (CGSA)
University of Missouri, St. Louis    (CSSA)
University of North Carolina         (FACSS)
University of Southern California    (CSS)
University of Texas, Arlington       (CSSA)
University of Texas, Dallas          (CSSA)
University of Utah                   (CSSA)
University of Wisconsin, Madison     (CSS)
Vanderbilt University                (CSSA)
Virginia Tech                        (ACSS)
Yale University                      (ACSSY)

***********************

Chinese Student Association (Taiwan), University of Arizona
Malaysian Friendship Club, Univ. of Arizona
Korean Student Club, Univ. of Arizona
International Student Association/ASUA, Univ. of Arizona
Human Rights in China      (Michigan)

===============================================================
Enclosure 2        Call for signing the open letter

As part of the effort to rescue Shen Tong and his friends, IFCSS
calls upon Chinese students and scholars organizations across the
U.S. to sign the following open letter. Individuals may also
sign the letter. Please send your name, school and telephone
number to the HQ. For organizations, we need the name of your
organization and the school your organization is located.
Please give us the contact person's name and telephone number.

Thank you for your help.

---------------------------------------------------------------

    An Open Lettere to China's State Education Commission
    On the Arrest of Shen Tong, Qi Dafeng and Qian Liyun

Mr. Li Tieying
Chairman
State Education Commission
Beijing, P.R. China

Dear Mr. Chairman:

We, the undersigned individuals and organizations, are writing to
request your immediate attention to the arrest of Shen Tong and
two other individuals.

Shen Tong, a Chinese student studying at Boston University in the
United States, was arrested on the 31 of August at his mother's
residence in Beijing during his home-visiting trip. Arrested at
the same time were Qi Dafeng and Qian Liyun, former schoolsmates
of Shen Tong. The police did not produce a warrant while making
the arrest; moreover, up to now no specific offence has been
identified and released.

The incident has roused tremendous attention in the U.S. as well
as other countries and caused alarm among Chinese students. The
skeptism about the government's sincerity in pursuing an open
policy regarding overseas students has deepened.

Although studying abroad, we are genuinelly concerned with
development and progress in our motherland. We believe that the
above-mentioned arrest was politically unwise and morally
unjustifiable, an incident that could not but discourage the
return of overseas students. Therefore, we strongly urge you to
intervene, through your office, in this case to win immediate
release of the three individuals.

We recognize that the arrest was not an isolated event and that
it reflected a lack of respect for the basic rights of citizen
guaranteed by our country's constitution. We look forward to
seeing general improvements made in this regard.

Sincerely,

(signed)

***************************************************************
         IFCSS Headquarters Office    Signature
***************************************************************