FIVE pro-democracy activists have begun a 15-day hunger strike in front of the White House in Washington to protest against China's continual suppression of dissent and called for the release of political prisoners.
The hunger strike was the latest in a series of activities planned by dissidents in exile to put pressure on US President Bill Clinton not to overlook the plight of political dissidents in China when he decides whether or not to renew China's Most Favoured Nation (MFN) trading status this week.
It was believed that Mr Clinton would be likely to extend China's MFN this year despite the fact that such a decision might face strong opposition from Congress.
The five hunger strikers are: former Tiananmen Square student leader, Zhang Boli; All-America Chinese Student Autonomous Union chairman, Lin Changsheng; China Christian Democracy Alliance vice-chairman, Zhao Xiaowei; Human Rights in China Foreign Affairs deputy secretary-general, Yang Lijun; and China Free Democratic Party Maryland representative, Duan Changshun.
In a joint statement issued over the weekend, the hunger strikers called on Mr Clinton to continue to put pressure on Beijing.
''We urge President Clinton to stand by his pledge: no human rights, no MFN,'' the statement said.
While the statement called for unconditional release of all political prisoners, it specifically named seven veteran dissidents, Wei Jinsheng, Fu Shenqi, Ren Wanding, former Communist Party official Bao Tong, scholar Yuan Hongbing and labour activists Zhou Guoqiang and Liu Gang.