Chinese Academics Detained >
Other Petitions and Letters
Statement of Liu Yingli, wife of Dr. Li Shaomin
April 17, 2001
I regret that I could not attend the press conference personally today. With this statement, I want to express my appreciation to all the scholars around the world who have signed petitions for my husband Dr. Li Shaomin's release from unlawful arrest in China. I especially want to thank those who have worked so hard to organize the many petitions of appeal on his behalf. My family and I are grateful to your concern for Dr. Li Shaomin's detention, and your effort to protect academic freedom in China. The truth is -- the only effective way of protecting our own academic freedom is by protecting others' academic freedom. Your act of standing on principle is not only admirable, but also effective.
My husband Dr. Li Shaomin is an outstanding scholar. He devoted most of his time and energy to his academic research and teaching. I truly believe that he has done nothing wrong. All he did was to pursue his research in the academic areas related to China-study. I could not comprehend why Shaomin's devotion to academic research brought him and our family such a nightmare.
It has been more than fifty days since Shaomin's detention in February. This has been the most agonizing time for me. This painful experience would not even spare our daughter who is only nine, and our parents who are more than 70 years old. Our family has been spending sleepless nights and restless days waiting for Shaomin's return. Our daughter has been asking repeatedly when Daddy will come home.
Now the scholars around the world are sharing our concerns, and offering help to our family. Among them, some are Shaomin's mentors from Princeton and Harvard, some are his friends, and most of them are his academic colleagues whom his has not yet met. I am confident that, with your support for my husband Dr. Li Shaomin and other scholars who share Shaomin's unfortunate fate, your effort will eventually bring Shaomin and other similarly detained back home for family reunions.
On behalf of Shaomin and our family, again, please accept my heartfelt and grateful thanks to all of you.
Liu Yingli
Dr. Li Shaomin's wife
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