Mystery Deepens Over Missing Chinese AIDS Activist

By REUTERS | The New York Times
March 21, 2006

BEIJING (Reuters) - The wife of a Chinese AIDS activist missing for over a month said on Tuesday she was no closer to discovering his whereabouts despite repeated requests to the police and state security apparatus for information.

The 32-year-old Hu Jia went missing after going on a hunger strike with several others to protest what they said was the government's hiring of thugs to beat up civil rights campaigner Yang Maodong in the southern province of Guangdong in February.

``I've worked so hard, but there is still no news,'' Hu's wife, Zeng Jinyan, told a news conference in a Beijing hotel room. ``I have no idea what to do.''

Hu had been under house arrest on and off since January and needed permission from state security agents to even leave his home.

He went on a 24-hour hunger strike on February 6 and was placed under house arrest again on February 11, Zeng said.

Hu has been critical in the past of the government's AIDS policy and for not doing enough to help sufferers and their families.

``We thought he might be released after parliament met, but no,'' said his wife, adding that Hu had previously been beaten up by plainclothes police.

>> Read the complete article