Washington: Long-time Chinese human rights champion and former political prisoner Harry Wu, who advocated on behalf of those in brutal forced labour camps, has died at age 79, according to his research foundation.
Wu died on Tuesday morning while vacationing in Honduras with friends, the Laogai Research Foundation said in a statement.
He founded the organisation in 1992 to analyse and raise awareness about China’s “laogai” or forced labour detention centres, which began under Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.
While studying at university in China, Wu was sentenced to 19 years in prison after speaking out against the Soviet Union, an ally of China.
He was released in 1979 and in 1985 went to the US, where he worked to raise awareness about the laogai, including before Congress.
Wu was arrested in China in 1995 on charges of espionage in retaliation for his human rights work. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison before being deported to the US.
Wu, an author of multiple books, also founded the Laogai Museum in Washington.
He is survived by his son, Harrison, and former wife, Ching Lee, according to the Laogai Research Foundation.
