China Rejects Dissident's Surrender Bid

FILE - Former student leader in the Tiananmen protests of 1989 Wu'er Kaixi, speaks to media in Taipei, Taiwan.

An exiled Chinese dissident has again been rejected in his bid to turn himself in to Chinese authorities.

Wu'er Kaixi, listed by Beijing as the second-most-wanted leader of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, tried to surrender during a stop at the Hong Kong airport Monday.

While waiting in the airport immigration office, the dissident told VOA by phone that he misses his family after 24 years away from home.

He said, "I already told them I am a wanted Chinese criminal, and wanted to turn myself in. I haven’t seen my father and mother for over 20 years. I hope the Hong Kong government can provide assistance in helping me turn myself in, and extradite me to China.”

However, authorities refused to let him into the territory and quickly deported him back to Taiwan, where he currently lives in exile.

China issued an arrest warrant for Wu'er following the 1989 protests, but has rebuffed his attempts to surrender on at least three other occasions.


This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Mandarin service.