Leading Dissident Leaves Beijing Amid Crackdown

China’s most famous dissident left Beijing suddenly Sunday, a day after he was released by police after a brief detention.

Wei Jingsheng’s abrupt disappearance came as the official New China News Agency accused him of violating his parole, and police extended a crackdown on dissidents by taking away a prominent student leader of the 1989 Tian An Men Square protests.

Wei’s secretary, Tong Yi, told reporters that the veteran activist had departed voluntarily.

She said she did not know if police had advised Wei to leave before this week’s visit by Secretary of State Warren Christopher.

Wei, a stirring political essayist who publicly challenged Chinese Communist leader Deng Xiaoping during the 1978-79 democracy movement, was released from jail in September after serving 14 1/2 years of a 15-year prison term, much of it in solitary confinement.

The conditions of his parole are said to include a prohibition against participating in political activities or publishing articles on political subjects.

But soon after his release, Wei reassumed his position as leader of the banned opposition, defying authorities by meeting openly with foreign reporters and allowing new essays to be published abroad.

President Clinton’s top human rights envoy, John Shattuck, said the Chinese justification for Wei’s detention was not sufficient reason.

“Individuals free on parole, whatever their formal continuing obligations to police and judicial authorities, ought not to be denied an opportunity to express their views peacefully,” said Shattuck, who was in Hong Kong on Sunday.

Last week, Wei met with Shattuck and reportedly urged the U.S. government to be tough with China on human rights issues.

China’s recent roundup of opposition voices sparked a furor in the Clinton Administration only a week before Christopher is scheduled to arrive in Beijing to meet with Chinese leaders on human rights issues.

The latest incident occurred Sunday. Zhai Weimin, who served a 3 1/2-year sentence for his pro-democracy activity in the Tian An Men Square movement, was taken away by four people outside a Beijing university, according to Wang Dan, another student leader from 1989.

Some recent detainees have been released after about 24 hours. Others have yet to be freed.

Qian Yumin, a dissident who was freed late Saturday after being held for four days, said police had cautioned him not to make trouble during Christopher’s visit.

“They warned me to put the country’s interest above all,” Qian said.