Here in the UK there are nine local Amnesty International groups spread around the country who have each taken up the case of specific individuals unfairly imprisoned in the XUAR. Tragically and to our dismay, one of these prisoners is believed to have been tortured to death. News of the other prisoners is rarely forthcoming, in fact even their relatives often do not know where they are or how they are.

The Newport group in South Wales are campaigning on behalf of eleven political prisoners who received heavy prison sentences after unfair trials. The group is asking the Chinese Government for a review of the cases and for details of the charges brought against the prisoners and the evidence. It is calling on the judicial authorities to grant them a new, fair and open trial in accordance with international standards, failing which they should be released. They are also asking for confirmation of the places of detention of the prisoners and assurances that they will not be ill-treated.

Although the human rights situation in China is bleak there is hope. We know that our letters are read by the authorities and are first translated if written in English. In a number of cases in other parts of China, for example Tibet, continuous pressure on the Chinese government has resulted in release of prisoners and for some of those remaining in prison an improvement in their conditions. Perhaps the most critical factor now for victims of human rights abuses in China is that people around the world refuse to forget them and continue to add their voice to those who are asking the Chinese government to improve the plight of these people.