China braces itself for Bo protest

Activists, academics and dissidents are questioning China’s purge of Bo Xilai, demanding the rule of law be followed allowing the disgraced leader to defend himself.

China’s leadership is desperate to move beyond the scandal involving the former member of its Politburo that has drawn worldwide attention, and some say it is doing so at the expense of standard legal procedures.

Left-leaning supporters of Bo wrote an open letter to the National People’s Congress urging it to allow Bo to have his say. The petition has begun to draw broader and somewhat unlikely support, attracting signatures from exiled dissidents and rights activists who do not consider themselves Bo supporters.

The legislature’s standing committee was expected to expel Bo during a four-day meeting, a move that would strip Bo of his legislative immunity and pave the way for his criminal prosecution, probably in a swift trial.

The letter, which also has circulated on activist websites that are blocked in China, urges the congress not to expel Bo until he has the chance to address allegations against him.

“They should give Bo a chance to defend himself. The procedure has to be just,” said Zeng Yuan, a local rights activists from Chengdu who said he signed the petition even though he does not support Bo.

“A Politburo member has been silenced just like that? This has gone against what the constitution says about human rights,” Zeng said.

Bo was one of China’s best-known politicians until he fell from grace earlier this year when a close aide disclosed that Bo’s wife had murdered British businessman Neil Heywood. He has been out of sight, presumably detained, since mid-March. He was expelled from the party last month.

Authorities have said they intend to charge Bo with obstruction of justice connected with the Heywood murder, as well as corruption and illicit sexual affairs that go against Communist Party rules.

Bo’s reputation for championing social fairness and communist nostalgia made him popular among poorer Chinese and those who identify themselves as member of the new left – believers in a strong authoritarian government that promotes more egalitarian economic and social policies.

But his manoeuvring to reach the highest echelons of the Communist Party angered many in Beijing, while his campaign to promote Communist Party culture revived memories of the chaotic Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong’s radical experiment in class warfare to root out opponents of communism.

He also has been accused of trampling on civil liberties – making it all the more noteworthy that rights activists are coming to his defence. His anti-mafia crackdown in the city of Chongqing was rife with allegations of torture against suspects.

The open letter was drafted by Liu Jinhua, 77, a Bo supporter in the south-western city of Leshan, who said the missive was sent by registered mail to the legislature.

“Whether Bo Xilai broke the law or not should be based on facts; we ask for openness and fairness,” Liu said. “We hope that in the handling of major events, like the Bo Xilai incident that has grabbed the attention of the world, we can promote China’s rule of law.”