We write on behalf of the Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers to express our deep concern about reports of lawyers in China who are being intimidated after they called for the direct election of officials in the Beijing Lawyers Association (BLA). Our objective is not to support or oppose the direct election of the leaders of the BLA; that is entirely an internal matter between you and your members. We do, however, seek your assistance in investigating these reports and protecting any lawyers who are being intimidated for expressing their views.

Self-appointed citizen government watchdog Guo Yongfeng today at 9 a.m. had 8 officials from the Shenzhen Bureau of Civil Affairs search his house. Two computers were confiscated and Guo, his wife, and his daughter were interrogated.

Dying to defend one's home is a solemn matter. In fact, even dying is sometimes not enough to protect one's home. This event took place in Shandong Province's Yantai City Laishan District Sunjiatan Village.

On Tuesday November 25 at 1 a.m. organized crime thugs were hired to again attempt to expel the Sun family and demolish their home. More than 50 thugs arrived in large and small vans and autos. They were armed with machetes, iron pipes, wooden batons, ladders, etc. They beat up everyone in the Sun family's house.

On Monday December 1, 2008, Shanghai rights defenders Du Yangming and Tian Baocheng were released from prison after both serving 2 1/2 years for the trumped-up charge of "disturbing public order."

On May 16, 25-year-old political dissident and Union of Chinese Nationalists (Mainland supporters of Taiwan's Nationalist Party) member Zhang Qi was detained for "suspicion to incite the subversion of state power." On June 20 a Chongqing branch procuratorate approved the arrest, but the charge was changed to "illegal possession of state secrets." It is reported that the grounds for this charge is a group picture including Zhang Qi in front of a discarded military tank.