“I do not feel safe, I want to leave China,” said Thursday the civil rights activist Chen Guangcheng, calling the United States for help, a day after getting “guarantees” of his safety from the Chinese government if he remained in his country. The United States have expressed their willing to help him.

“I want to go abroad. I want the U.S. to help me and my family. They helped me before, “said Chen, interviewed by telephone in Chaoyang hospital in Beijing where he was admitted on Wednesday. He got a foot injury when jumping from a wall to escape the vigilance of his many guards and escaped from his home in Shandong on 22 April. “I do not feel safe here. I want to leave, “he insisted.

The blind activist left the embassy of the United States Wednesday where he had stayed for six days after an agreement negotiated between Washington and Beijing for his departure. This agreement was conveniently reached on the eve of the opening of Sino-American strategic and economic dialogue, while the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had just arrived in Beijing for the high-level discussions.

Threats of reprisals against his family

Relatives said Chen left the embassy of the United States because of the reprisals threats against his family members, who will be sent to their home in Shandong province if the Chinese civil rights activist remained in the embassy.

The dissident told the CNN that he wanted to go into exile in the U.S., a prospect he had not mentioned at all during his stay in the diplomatic premises.

U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke assured that Chen has “never been pushed” to leave the diplomatic premises of the United States.

  democracy