Photo courtesy of Li Wenzu
The wife of Chinese rights lawyer Wang Quangzhang, who has been missing, believed detained, since July 2015, has begun a 100-kilometer (60-mile) march "in search of my husband." Li Wenzu, who has repeatedly met with stonewalling from officials on her husband's status, says she has no idea if he is even alive. She set out this week to walk from Beijing to the Tianjin No. 2 Detention Center, where she believes Wang may be held, although the authorities have never confirmed this. She spoke to RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services before she left:
It is nearly 1,000 days since Wang Quanzhang disappeared. Since he was taken away, the authorities haven't allowed him a visit from a lawyer, neither have they allowed his family to be in contact with him in any way. We have no way of knowing whether he is dead or alive, or his state of health.
I have been holding out during this very long period of time in the hope of using legal channels and legal processes to resolve this. We have lodged complaints with so many government departments related to this case, in search of an explanation, and to allow Wang Quanzhang's family members and lawyers to visit him, and to find out his situation and state of health. But none of our hard work has yielded any result, and we have now reached a dead end.
So I have decided to walk from [Beijing] to Tianjin in search of him. China is a country ruled by law, right? A country that is run according to the law? I want to use this action to show the determination that I feel.
It is snowing heavily outside right now. The snow is getting thicker and thicker, and the temperature is dropping. I didn't think it would be like this.
But we are going to give it our utmost, and keep going. Whatever happens, we won't stop walking. We will keep on walking down this road, in search of Wang Quanzhang.
I would also like to extend my deep gratitude to so many of our friends who have shown their concern and support for us today, including many of them who are coming with me on my journey to find my husband.
Actually, they make me feel warm, in spite of the sudden cold weather we are having.
Thank you, everyone, for your support.
Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
