Tiananmen protest leader released

Wu’er Kaixi, a student leader in the 1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy protests, has been released from custody after allegedly trying to force his way into the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo last week.

The 42-year-old activist, who jumped over a small steel fence in front of the embassy on Friday to mark the 21st anniversary of the bloody crackdown, was quickly overpowered by Japanese police and arrested.

Tokyo police spokesman said today that Wu’er, now a Taiwanese citizen, was released from custody, but declined to give further details.

Wu’er was No 2 on China’s list of 21 wanted student leaders after the 1989 military crackdown at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

He escaped and has lived in exile in Taiwan, where he has been a businessman and political commentator.