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China activist set to end protest | China activist set to end protest |
(about 7 hours later) | |
A Chinese dissident has agreed to end his highly-publicised 12-week protest at Tokyo's main international airport. | A Chinese dissident has agreed to end his highly-publicised 12-week protest at Tokyo's main international airport. |
The man, Feng Zhenghu, has been living at Narita, blogging and posting Twitter messages to highlight China's refusal to allow him back into the country. | The man, Feng Zhenghu, has been living at Narita, blogging and posting Twitter messages to highlight China's refusal to allow him back into the country. |
Mr Feng - a human rights activist who was previously jailed for three years - had visited his sister in Japan. | |
He said he decided to leave the airport after being visited there by Chinese embassy staff. | He said he decided to leave the airport after being visited there by Chinese embassy staff. |
He has been denied entry to China eight times since June. | He has been denied entry to China eight times since June. |
Terminal man | Terminal man |
On the last of his attempts to return, he got as far as Shanghai's Pudong airport, where Chinese officials forced him to get back on a plane for Tokyo, which arrived on 4 November. | On the last of his attempts to return, he got as far as Shanghai's Pudong airport, where Chinese officials forced him to get back on a plane for Tokyo, which arrived on 4 November. |
Holding a valid Chinese passport and a visa to enter Japan, Mr Feng was free to leave the airport, but refused to pass immigration control. | Holding a valid Chinese passport and a visa to enter Japan, Mr Feng was free to leave the airport, but refused to pass immigration control. |
His decision to end the protest came after Chinese officials visited him at the airport last week - for the first time since he started camping out. | His decision to end the protest came after Chinese officials visited him at the airport last week - for the first time since he started camping out. |
"Chinese Embassy officials came to see me several times. Now they seem to acknowledge the problem," Mr Feng told The Associated Press from the airport terminal on his cell phone. | "Chinese Embassy officials came to see me several times. Now they seem to acknowledge the problem," Mr Feng told The Associated Press from the airport terminal on his cell phone. |
"I've decided to enter Japan, pull myself together and return to Shanghai for the Chinese New Year." | "I've decided to enter Japan, pull myself together and return to Shanghai for the Chinese New Year." |
"I believe next time I can return home," Mr Feng said. | "I believe next time I can return home," Mr Feng said. |
"As a Chinese citizen, I have a right to return home." | "As a Chinese citizen, I have a right to return home." |
Described by Amnesty International as a prominent "human rights defender" he has been living in a no man's land, stuck between the arrivals gates and passport control in Terminal 1. | Described by Amnesty International as a prominent "human rights defender" he has been living in a no man's land, stuck between the arrivals gates and passport control in Terminal 1. |
Tens of thousands of people who pass through the airport every day see him. | Tens of thousands of people who pass through the airport every day see him. |
Although Mr Feng says he has never seen the Hollywood film The Terminal, he agrees his situation is rather similar - although his own conditions have been much worse than in the film. | |
Equipped with a mobile phone and laptop he is keeping in touch with the outside world by blogging and tweeting. | Equipped with a mobile phone and laptop he is keeping in touch with the outside world by blogging and tweeting. |
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