Yang Hengjun’s family urges Albanese to negotiate with China for jailed Australian writer’s release

Sat, 2 Dec 2023 12:41:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/01/yang-hengjuns-australian-writer-jailed-china-family-plea-albanese-negotiate-release>

"The children of jailed Australian writer Yang Hengjun, detained for more than
four years in China, have pleaded with Anthony Albanese to negotiate his
release in Beijing this week, telling the prime minister his situation is
critical and their father risks “being left to die”.

The writer and avowed democracy activist was arrested in January 2019 and
charged with espionage. Yang has collapsed in prison and been told he has a
10cm cyst growing on his kidney, his sons said in a letter to Albanese,
emphasising there was “a narrow window of opportunity” to secure his release.

“The risk of being left to die from medical maltreatment is especially clear to
our father because he has seen it happen to his friends,” they wrote.

“We request that you do all in your power to save our father’s life and return
him immediately to family and freedom in Australia.”

The prime minister leaves for China on Saturday for an official visit,
including a meeting with president Xi Jinping. Sources familiar with the
diplomatic relationship argue Australia’s diplomatic leverage to secure Yang’s
release will dissipate with the end of the three-day visit."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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