Philly-Based Video Bloggers Detained In Beijing For Pro-Tibet Protest
Beijing: Ethnic Park Protest - Aug. 13, 2008 from Students for a Free Tibet on Vimeo.
You may know Brian Conley and Jeffrey Rae from their much-noted video blog, Alive In Baghdad, which compiles weekly video feeds from Iraqi citizen journalists on topics related to daily life in present-day Iraq. Or, chances are, you may just know them from around. On Tuesday, Conley and Rae were detained along with three other activists (and possibly more) after a series of pro-Tibet protest actions based in Beijing during the Olympic games. (Above is video shot by Conley at a protest on August 13th.) Not much is known right now, other than this, according to FreeTibet2008:
At 12:30pm Beijing time on Tuesday, Conley’s wife in Philadelphia received a text message from him reading “In Jail. All fine.” A “twitter” message to Students for a Free Tibet suggested that they were being held with James Powderly, the artist and co-founder of Graffiti Research Lab who was preparing to debut a new work and technology of protest, the L.A.S.E.R. Stencil.
We’ll be following this story closely. If anyone comes across info on how to register support for Conley and Rae and their fellow travelers with the Chinese government and U.S. Embassy, respectively, please pass it along, and we’ll gladly repost.
FreeTibet: Videobloggers Detained [via BoingBoing]
August 20th, 2008 at 11:12 am
You can text from jail in China? That actually gives them a human rights one up over the U.S.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:25 am
I have a friend researching who we call to help Brian.
August 20th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Here’s contact info for the U.S. embassy in Beijing’s office that deal specifically with American citizens, from
http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/acs_notices.html
“Write to us, visit our office in person during work hours
American Citizen Services
U.S. Embassy, Beijing
No.2 Xiu Shui Dong Jie, Chaoyang District
Beijing, P.R. China 100600
Call the Embassy
(8610) 6532-3431
Email us
amcitbeijing@state.gov”
I believe if foreign nationals are arrested and charged for a crime, a country has to notify the foreign nationals’ embassy. So writing the embassy should get you a clear picture of what the State Dept. knows.
On the other hand, these guys could have been part of an action to “keep people off the street”, that is detained but not formally arrested or charged, and will likely be let go (perhaps after being documented) with a warning to avoid any further action that could be construed as agitation.
I sent a note off (with my legal identity, the “cheesesteak” is not a tax paying American, therefore irrelevent in political discourse) to the Embassy, expressing concern, will let you know if anything comes back.
August 20th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
About how the U.S. embassy assists U.S. citizens arrested in China:
http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/acs_eme.html
Turns out Chinese arresting/detaining authorities have four days from date of arrest/detention to notify the U.S. Embassy.
Also, if the group were not staying in a hotel (most activists I know generally couch surf/houseguest when “on the road”), and haven’t registered with the police, they may be in for substantial fines in addition to whatever else they may be facing.
I imagine Free Tibets activists could get similar treatment from Chinese authorities as that received by pro-Falun Gong activists described toward the end of the “Arrests and Detentions” section.
August 20th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Jeff Rae was in my class in High School… he was always active and working on something important… I hope everyone is freed promptly and unharmed.