'Mr Rogge . . . come just once to Beijing No 2 Prison to see what it is like'

CHINA:HE DEPU is one of China's most prominent political prisoners. He took part in the Democracy Wall Movement in 1979, the pro-democracy movement in 1989, and a signature campaign for the activist Wang Dan between 1993 and 1995. He set up a magazine, Beijing Youth, and in 1998 helped form the banned China Democracy Party.

He was detained in November 2002 after signing an open letter calling for political reform and was sentenced to eight years in prison for "inciting subversion of state power".

The following are excerpts from a letter published by the group Human Rights in China. It is dated April 26th this year, but it took a long time to make it to Mr He's family.

"Most Honorable Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge: Hello! I am a political prisoner in China. Because I wrote and published articles on my political views on the internet in 2002, I was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Chinese government. Because I live in Beijing, I am currently being held in the Beijing No 2 Prison, Prison Block 17.

"Today marks the 100th day before the Beijing Olympic Games, and I am writing this letter in the hope that I might use the Olympics as a 'catalyst' to change the human rights situation in prisons, even if the change is small and basic. What worries me most is that this 'catalyst' will not have a catalysing effect in Chinese prisons whatsoever.

"In August 2007, you wrote an article entitled, 'A Catalyst, Not a Cure'. In your piece you wrote: 'It is natural for human rights and other organisations to place their causes in the spotlight that the Beijing Olympic Games is casting on China, and to draw attention to reforms they advocate. However, the Games can only be a catalyst for change and not a panacea.'

"But the question is, whether the human rights situation in Chinese prisons is improving or worsening. Is this catalyst having a catalysing effect? I believe that the Olympic Games should not just be understood as a collection of competitions of active sports. They are athletic competitions, but even more so, they should be viewed as a movement for social progress that embodies the values of humanity, or a movement that promotes human civilisation.

"As for what you wrote in 'A Catalyst, Not a Cure': 'The Olympic Movement does not exist in a vacuum. Sport is part of society.' I have a question for Mr Rogge: Each time you come to Beijing and see the joyous spectacles here, do you know that just 10 or so kilometres away, Beijing's political prisoners are suffering immensely for the progress of society and the elevation of human civilisation?

"Tens of thousands of prisoners in Beijing, each holding a bowl half-full of boiled vegetables, are training their eyes upon you. How does this make you feel?

"Finally, I hope that when it is convenient, you can come just once to the Beijing No 2 Prison to see what it is like for the prisoners living here, give some attention to the human rights conditions of prisoners, and see if your so-called 'catalyst' has really done any good.

"We are not asking for a total transformation in the human rights condition. We are only asking for a small, basic change.

"To your health, He Depu - Beijing political prisoner, April 26th, 2008, Beijing No 2 Prison, Prison Block 17."