DATE=11/25/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-242125
TITLE=CHINA / INTERNET TRIAL (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  

INTRO:  THE TRIAL OF A MAN IN POLICE CUSTODY, WHO IS ACCUSED OF 
SELLING E-MAIL ADDRESSES TO AN OVERSEAS CHINESE DISSIDENT 
ORGANIZATION, HAS BEEN POSTPONED.  AS VOA'S STEPHANIE HO REPORTS 
FROM BEIJING, THE MAN'S WIFE SAYS SHE WAS GIVEN NO REASON FOR THE
DELAY.

TEXT:  THE TRIAL OF  LIN HAI, WHICH WAS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ON 
THURSDAY, HAS BEEN CANCELLED.  THE 30-YEAR-OLD SOFTWARE ENGINEER 
IN SHANGHAI HAS BEEN IN POLICE CUSTODY SINCE MARCH, CHARGED WITH 
"SUBVERSION OF STATE POWER. "  HE IS ACCUSED OF  PROVIDING TENS 
OF THOUSANDS OF E-MAIL ADDRESSES TO AN  ONLINE PRO-DEMOCRACY 
CHINESE NEWSLETTER, THAT IS PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE SHANGHAI FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICE HAD SAID FOREIGN JOURNALISTS 
ARE NOT  ALLOWED TO ATTEND HIS TRIAL BECAUSE IT INVOLVES STATE 
SECRETS AND, THEREFORE, WILL NOT BE OPEN.  ON WEDNESDAY, A 
SPOKESMAN AT THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAS 
HEARD OF LIN HAI'S CASE, BUT DOES NOT KNOW WHY IT WAS DELAYED.

MR. LIN'S WIFE, ANGELA XU (XU HONG),  SAYS HER HUSBAND'S LAWYER 
NOTIFIED  HER OF THE POSTPONEMENT WEDNESDAY MORNING.

       // XU CHINESE ACT -- IN FULL, FADE OUT //

THERE WAS NO NEW DATE FOR THE TRIAL, SHE SAYS, BECAUSE SHE WAS 
TOLD IT IS STILL BEING DETERMINED.  SHE ADDS THAT ALTHOUGH SHE 
WAS GIVEN  NO OFFICIAL REASON FOR THE DELAY, SHE BELIEVES IT HAS 
TO DO WITH THE  AMOUNT OF ATTENTION HER HUSBAND'S CASE HAS BEEN 
GETTING IN INTERNATIONAL MEDIA.

// XU CHINESE ACT -- IN FULL, FADE OUT //

MS. XU SAYS SHE WAS ALSO TOLD SHE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND 
THE TRIAL, BUT THAT SHE WAS PLANNING TO BE OUTSIDE OF THE NUMBER 
ONE INTERMEDIATE COURT HOUSE WITH SEVERAL JOURNALISTS.

A REPORTER WHO TRIED TO SPEAK TO THE TWO OFFICIALS HANDLING LIN 
HAI'S CASE AT THE SHANGHAI INTERMEDIATE COURT WAS TOLD THE PAIR  
DO NOT WORK THERE.

MS. XU SAYS HAS NOT SEEN HER HUSBAND SINCE HE WAS TAKEN BY POLICE
EIGHT MONTHS AGO.  SHE SAYS SHE HOPES HE WILL BE FREED SOON, BUT 
SAYS SHE THINKS THE CHANCE OF THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENING IS VERY 
SLIM.  (SIGNED)

NEB/HO/FC

25-Nov-98 5:35 AM EST (1035 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.