DATE=11/25/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-242125
TITLE=CHINA / INTERNET TRIAL (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE TRIAL OF A MAN IN POLICE CUSTODY, WHO IS ACCUSED OF
SELLING E-MAIL ADDRESSES TO AN OVERSEAS CHINESE DISSIDENT
ORGANIZATION, HAS BEEN POSTPONED. AS VOA'S STEPHANIE HO REPORTS
FROM BEIJING, THE MAN'S WIFE SAYS SHE WAS GIVEN NO REASON FOR THE
DELAY.
TEXT: THE TRIAL OF LIN HAI, WHICH WAS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ON
THURSDAY, HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE 30-YEAR-OLD SOFTWARE ENGINEER
IN SHANGHAI HAS BEEN IN POLICE CUSTODY SINCE MARCH, CHARGED WITH
"SUBVERSION OF STATE POWER. " HE IS ACCUSED OF PROVIDING TENS
OF THOUSANDS OF E-MAIL ADDRESSES TO AN ONLINE PRO-DEMOCRACY
CHINESE NEWSLETTER, THAT IS PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE SHANGHAI FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICE HAD SAID FOREIGN JOURNALISTS
ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ATTEND HIS TRIAL BECAUSE IT INVOLVES STATE
SECRETS AND, THEREFORE, WILL NOT BE OPEN. ON WEDNESDAY, A
SPOKESMAN AT THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAS
HEARD OF LIN HAI'S CASE, BUT DOES NOT KNOW WHY IT WAS DELAYED.
MR. LIN'S WIFE, ANGELA XU (XU HONG), SAYS HER HUSBAND'S LAWYER
NOTIFIED HER OF THE POSTPONEMENT WEDNESDAY MORNING.
// XU CHINESE ACT -- IN FULL, FADE OUT //
THERE WAS NO NEW DATE FOR THE TRIAL, SHE SAYS, BECAUSE SHE WAS
TOLD IT IS STILL BEING DETERMINED. SHE ADDS THAT ALTHOUGH SHE
WAS GIVEN NO OFFICIAL REASON FOR THE DELAY, SHE BELIEVES IT HAS
TO DO WITH THE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION HER HUSBAND'S CASE HAS BEEN
GETTING IN INTERNATIONAL MEDIA.
// XU CHINESE ACT -- IN FULL, FADE OUT //
MS. XU SAYS SHE WAS ALSO TOLD SHE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND
THE TRIAL, BUT THAT SHE WAS PLANNING TO BE OUTSIDE OF THE NUMBER
ONE INTERMEDIATE COURT HOUSE WITH SEVERAL JOURNALISTS.
A REPORTER WHO TRIED TO SPEAK TO THE TWO OFFICIALS HANDLING LIN
HAI'S CASE AT THE SHANGHAI INTERMEDIATE COURT WAS TOLD THE PAIR
DO NOT WORK THERE.
MS. XU SAYS HAS NOT SEEN HER HUSBAND SINCE HE WAS TAKEN BY POLICE
EIGHT MONTHS AGO. SHE SAYS SHE HOPES HE WILL BE FREED SOON, BUT
SAYS SHE THINKS THE CHANCE OF THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENING IS VERY
SLIM. (SIGNED)
NEB/HO/FC
25-Nov-98 5:35 AM EST (1035 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
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