Media Release
23/10/09

NZ Permanent Resident and Pro-democracy Advocate Illegally Arrested At Beijing Airport China

Yesterday morning Mr Jia Jia, a New Zealand Permanent Resident and Pro-democracy Advocate  was illegally arrested by the Chinese Communist authorities at Beijing Airport.

Mr Jia Jia is a Chinese national. He was born in China on 17 July 1951. He travelled to China yesterday on a Chinese passport. He is a recognised United Nations Mandate Refugee who was accepted by the New Zealand Government for resettlement in New Zealand. He then travelled to New Zealand to be resettled and arrived in New Zealand for that purpose on 26 June 2008.

He is a passionate and outspoken Chinese pro-democracy advocate and was granted refugee status for this reason. Another reason is that he also publicly withdrew from the Chinese Communist Party. He has high media profile as an outspoken and committed pro-Democracy advocate and patriot.

 Mr Jia Jia was arrested by the Chinese police at Beijing airport. No further attempts to contact him by his mobile have been successful. Therefore, given all of the above we have great concern for his safety and wellbeing. Accordingly we have asked that the New Zealand Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs do everything within its power to assist Mr Jia Jia and enable him to secure his freedom.

Mr Jia Jia has a son, Mr Jia Kuo, the son has been granted refugee status by the Refugee Determination authorities in New Zealand (i.e. Refugee Status Branch), for similar reasons to that of his father. Mr Jia Kuo, is understandably worried about his father.  Jia Jia's son calls upon New Zealand Society to help rescue his father.

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