World

American Activist Disappears After Offering Himself for Arrest in Tiananmen Square

As the Beijing Olympics drew to a close, an American activist who carried out earlier protests presented himself for arrest in Tiananmen Square and has now disappeared.

A statement released today by representatives says that at 10.15pm Beijing Time activist Pastor Eddie Perez Romero sought to draw attention to himself in Tiananmen Square and to be arrested. While the exact events were difficult to track precisely, the statement says that representatives believe Pastor Romero was eventually taken away by the authorities in a car. He has not been heard of since.

While in Tiananmen Square Pastor Romero shouted about the concerns that had led him to protest and the goals of his campaign, namely the ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the release of five prisoners representing five key areas of concern.

On 5th August, prior to the Beijing Games, Pastor Romero had transformed two hotel rooms, creating effigies of blood-spattered torture victims and painting human rights slogans such as “Our World, Our Nightmare”.

Stuart Windsor, National Director at Christian Solidarity Worldwide said: “Pastor Eddie Romero is a much-loved church leader, professor and family man whose actions are driven by deepest concern for the abused in China. He took this exceptional step in order to draw much-needed attention to the plight of those suffering persecution for their faith and other beliefs. While CSW does not condone civil disobedience we strongly endorse the validity of the calls he is making for China to ratify the ICCPR and to release the named prisoners. His courage in handing himself over to the Chinese authorities shows the depths with which he identifies with the suffering of the Chinese people.”

CSW is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.

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