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China executes Taiwan spy

AFP

In this photo released by Ran Chen, Wo Weihan escorts his daughter Ran Chen at her wedding in Innsbruck, Austria, 8 May 2004. Wo, 59, who was accused of spying for Taiwan, was put to death on Friday, prompting strong criticism from Brussels and Washington officials who had appealed to China to spare his life.AP/Austria

China on Friday executed a scientist accused of passing information to Taiwan, triggering condemnation from his family as well as the United States and the European Union.

Wo Weihan, a 59-year-old medical scientist, was put to death on Friday morning, his daughter Ran Chen — an Austrian citizen married to an American — said.

‘We are deeply shocked, saddened, disappointed and outraged,’ Ms Chen and her sister Di said in a statement emailed to AFP. ‘My father was put to death. So was our hope in the Chinese justice system .’

The United States confirmed the execution had taken place.

‘We are deeply disturbed and dismayed by reports that the Chinese government has carried out the death penalty against Wo Weihan,’ US embassy spokesman Susan Stevenson told AFP.

The European Union also condemned the execution and warned of damaging consequences for dialogue with Beijing on human rights.

Wo, a Chinese citizen who previously lived in Austria, was detained in early 2005.

He was accused of leaking state secrets and Ms Chen said one charge listed in court documents said he might have talked about senior leaders’ health — an act punishable by death in China.

The case drew worldwide attention, with Austrian President Heinz Fischer and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appealing directly to Beijing to spare him.

Austria’s foreign minister on Friday called the execution a ‘premeditated affront’ to the European Union by China.

‘The fact that this execution comes precisely on the day of dialogue between the EU and China on human rights shows the lack of consideration and the harshness with which this case has been handled,’ said Ms Ursula Plassnik.

‘This behaviour must in this regard be considered as a premeditated affront by the entire EU.’

A statement from the EU later said: ‘The European Union condemns in the strongest terms the execution of Mr Wo Weihan. This execution seriously undermines the spirit of trust and mutual respect required for this EU-China dialogue on human rights.’

Ms Chen saw her father for the first time in four years — and for the last time — on Thursday morning, but Ms Di was unable to meet him.

‘Because he did not know about a looming execution, he was hopeful and did not leave any final words or a will with our family,’ Ms Chen said in the statement.

‘We, the family, were not allowed to say goodbye. We were also denied the most fundamental and universal right of information about what was happening with our father.’

China on Thursday had warned it would not give Wo special treatment.

‘Wo Weihan is a Chinese citizen who broke Chinese law,’ foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters. ‘We can’t give privileges to Wo Weihan because he has foreign relatives.’

A spokesman for the ministry, who refused to be named, on Friday said he had nothing to add to Mr Qin’s comments.

The United States said Wo’s arrest and trial had fallen short of international standards for due process.

‘Reportedly, Mr Wo did not have access to legal counsel until after the prosecuting officials completed their investigation,’ Ms Stevenson said.

‘His confession was coerced and the charges against him were questionable.’ The 27-nation EU deplored the conditions under which Wo had been detained and tried and said it regretted that China had ignored numerous calls to defer the execution and commute the death sentence.

The execution comes amid tension between China and the EU.

On Wednesday, China scrapped a summit with the European Union scheduled for next week in protest at plans by EU leaders to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

Copyright © 2008 Agence France-Presse

Published in Singapore Straits Times