Affidavit from World Rights on Behalf of Mr. Shi Jun Timothy Cooper W O R L D R I G H T S Human Rights Advocacy Worldwide March 24, 2006 To Whom It May Concern: The purpose of this letter is to attest to my knowledge of the dissident activities of pro-democracy, China Democracy Party (CDP)leader, Mr. Shi Jun, during the period 1999-2003, and my more general knowledge of the CDP activities in mainland China and overseas. The China Democracy Party was born in China in 1998 under the leadership of pro-democracy Chinese dissidents Xu Wenli and Wang Youcai. During President Clinton's visit to China in 1998, they launched an initiative to legally register the first-ever opposition party to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under the Chinese constitution. Within months, branches of the CDP had been established in the majority of China's provinces, despite a fierce crackdown by former President Jiang Zemin. Xu Wenli and Wang Youcai, among others, soon became casualties of their own success and were arrested,summarily tried, and sentenced to decade-long prison terms for their leadership. The CDP was effectively banned in China and any Chinese dissidents claiming affiliation with CDP were subject to arrest and imprisonment in China for "endangering state security." In 2000, I was appointed the CDP's Ambassador-at-large by well-known Chinese dissident Wang Xizhe, after serving as international director for the Free China Movement. The Free China Movement is a pro-democracy, human rights association consisting of more than thirty pro-democracy Chinese organizations around the world. It was in these capacities that I worked with Mr. Shi. Mr. Shi Jun was an outspoken leader for the CDP (North American Branch). Between 1999-2003, Mr. Shi participated in various anti-CCP demonstrations in Washington, DC. The purpose of these demonstrations was to denounce the Chinese government's harsh and unwarranted treatment of CDP dissidents in China. Mr. Shi, and others, generally called for the immediate release of CDP leaders, such as Xu Wenli and Wang Youcai, as well as for freedom for Tiananmen Square student leaders still being held in prison in China, more than a decade after that tragic event took place. During this time, Mr, Shi also attended CDP/Free China Movement press conferences in Washington, during which he vigorously denounced the Chinese government's actions against CDP members, more than forty of whom by this time has been arrested and imprisoned for their CDP-related activities in China. Mr. Shi also participated in hunger strikes held outside of the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC aimed at prompting the advancement of political plurality in China. Moreover, he vigorously participated in a major effort on the part of the Chinese overseas pro-democracy movement to lobby the US Congress in voting against granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) to China. In all of these activities, Mr. Shi was a highly visible participant. His participation would have been well known to the Chinese government because China has a competent overseas network of informers that regularly report dissident activities to its intelligence services in Beijing. Due to the consistent pressure exerted on the China by Mr. Shi and others, Xu Wenli was finally released from prison in China, and exiled to United States, where he remains to this day. In addition, Wang Youcai has also been released. In conclusion, it is my opinion that should Mr. Shi be deported to China he will face retaliation and persecution by the Chinese government for his participation in and support of CDP-related activities. It would be cruel irony indeed that Mr. Shi, who diligently campaigned for the release of fellow CDP leaders imprisoned in China, would be returned to China by the United States, only to face the identical persecution which he himself, as a free man, fought so diligently against. Sincerely, Timothy Cooper Executive director Worldrights Human Rights Advocacy Worldwide 202.361.0989 www.world-rights.org (03/24/2006) (03/21/2006)