A HUMAN rights group yesterday demanded that China refrain from using Chinese-American rights campaigner Harry Wu Hongda as a pawn in its increasingly hostile political row with the United States.
The New York-based Human Rights in China urged Beijing to convey assurances to the international community on the welfare of Wu, 58, detained upon entering the country two weeks ago and officially arrested on Saturday on espionage charges.
'The Chinese Government should strictly observe international laws and norms, forbid any sort of spiritual or physical violence against Mr Wu and not use him as a card to play in exacting international political revenge,' the group said.
Known for his secret travels through China to document prison labour abuses, Wu has been held incommunicado since June 19 when border guards in the northwest town of Horgas discovered his identity as he entered Xinjiang province from Kazakhstan with an associate.
The People's Daily said Wu had tried to 'slip into China, but was tracked down by public security forces in border areas'.
The newspaper repeated the Government's most serious charge against him, claiming he violated China's state secrets law when he allegedly entered 'areas and units closed to foreigners on several occasions, engaged in espionage and bought secret information and stole secret documents'.