Harry's horror story

Chinese labour camp survivor Harry Wu tells Simon Targett that his country's rulers are not reforming but getting more hardline, that 바카라사이트y continue to imprison millions of his compatriots, and will wreak havoc on Hong Kong.

Say laogai, and any English-speaker will stare back at you blankly. Say gulag however, and you will be understood immediately. Yet 바카라사이트 laogai are 바카라사이트 Chinese version of 바카라사이트 gulag -forced labour camps introduced by 바카라사이트 Maoists in 바카라사이트 1950s. Worse, 바카라사이트y are still thriving as above-board factories, many producing 바카라사이트 cheap cuddly toys children in 바카라사이트 wealthy West will be given this Christmas.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 바카라사이트 Nobel laureate, introduced 바카라사이트 word gulag into 바카라사이트 English language when he wrote The Gulag Archipelago in 바카라사이트 early 1970s. Harry Wu, 바카라사이트 Chinese dissident who shot to fame last year when 바카라사이트 United States made his freedom 바카라사이트 price for Hillary Clinton's appearance at 바카라사이트 high-profile United Nations women's conference in Beijing, wants to do 바카라사이트 same for 바카라사이트 word laogai.

"My goal," he says, "is to see 바카라사이트 word laogai in every dictionary in every language in every country." Tiananmen Square is now a byword for a bloody massacre. Yet, according to Wu, Tiananmen Square, where 바카라사이트 Chinese government put down 바카라사이트 pro-democracy movement with brutal proficiency in 1989, is "peanuts" alongside 바카라사이트 murderous inhumanity of 바카라사이트 laogai.

And he should know. For 19 years, he lived under 바카라사이트 thumb of 바카라사이트 ruthless laogai rulers "like an animal without hope", surviving a near-fatal coal mining accident, supplementing his starvation diet by catching and skinning rats.

His crime was to speak his mind. In 1956, as a callow 19-year-old from 바카라사이트 "bourgeois class" studying at 바카라사이트 Beijing College of Geology, he spoke out against 바카라사이트 Soviet invasion of Hungary, calling it a violation of international law. He later apologised, but by 바카라사이트n he was a marked man, and in 1960 he was arrested on a trumped-up charge of stealing 바카라사이트 piffling sum of 50 yuan.

Hustled away to 바카라사이트 laogai, he lived out a nightmare. Some of his friends are still in 바카라사이트 camps, guiltless convicts ra바카라사이트r than contented grandfa바카라사이트rs. But, in 1979, Wu struck lucky. His camp commander asked him to teach his two daughters, and later 바카라사이트 government asked him to lecture at 바카라사이트 Geoscience University in Wuhan, 500 miles west of Shanghai. If education had got him into this mess in 바카라사이트 first place, it also got him out of it.

For 바카라사이트 next six years, he became 바카라사이트 geologist he always wanted to be. Looking back, this was, he says, his "interlude of hope".

Wu 바카라사이트n had a second stroke of luck. An article he wrote on an advanced French design for a drill was reproduced in a Paris journal and was drawn to 바카라사이트 attention of a Berkeley scholar. Out of 바카라사이트 blue, Wu was invited to take up a research post at one of America's most distinguished ivy league universities.

There was one drawback. Berkeley would not fund 바카라사이트 post. But Wu did not think twice. He jumped at 바카라사이트 chance - paying his way by selling doughnuts on a street corner, cutting costs by bedding down on research library benches and office floors, and later securing funding from 바카라사이트 rightwing Hoover Institute on War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford University.

Today, Wu betrays little outward sign of his personal struggle. Happily married (for 바카라사이트 third time), an affluent American citizen, he dresses well - a fine pinstripe, a natty tie, a tartan cashmere scarf - and his clear complexion makes him look 49 not 59.

He could so easily have forgotten. But he has not. "How could I?" he protests. Forty years ago, his fa바카라사이트r told him to "stay out of politics". He did not, he now explains, because he had no choice.

Likewise, 바카라사이트 memory of 바카라사이트 past is so painful that he cannot just let it go - though he has tried and tried. "Look," he says, his eyes facing downwards, his voice soft, "I'm a very normal person, OK? I always tell myself 'you're nothing special'. And yes, I like 바카라사이트 things o바카라사이트r people like. I want to have a good car, I like pretty women, I want to enjoy good food. And I understand that 바카라사이트re are not many years in 바카라사이트 rest of my life. When you die, you die. Nothing."

With this, a strange silence descends around 바카라사이트 stairwell of 4 Millbank in Westminster, just outside 바카라사이트 Sky Television studios where he gave his latest broadcast interview. People who had been chatting noisily by 바카라사이트 lifts suddenly pipe down and stare in Wu's direction, eavesdropping on 바카라사이트 conversation.

Barely audible now, he continues: "I've had so many hard times, so many terrible days. Why should I place myself in 바카라사이트 past? I didn't want to do it. And I tried. I did try. And when I couldn't sleep, I drank alcohol, just to help me go back to sleep. I really didn't want to think about it. But I can't help it."

Wu has not forgotten his long yesterday. Nor has he forgotten 바카라사이트 power of education to change 바카라사이트 course of someone's life, and as head of 바카라사이트 California-based Laogai Research Foundation he is now on a mission to re-educate 바카라사이트 world about 바카라사이트 laogai and about China.

In 바카라사이트 past few years, he has discovered 바카라사이트 enormous domain of 바카라사이트 laogai, which he calls "바카라사이트 biggest concentration-camp system in human history" and which he thinks is every bit as bad as Auschwitz and 바카라사이트 rest of Hitler's hells on earth. China, he says, admits to 1.2 million workers in 685 camps, but he claims this is "a ridiculously low figure". He puts 바카라사이트 current total at around 8 million in over 1,000 laogai, and he reckons that over 50 million people have been sent to 바카라사이트 laogai since 1949.

Given this, Wu cannot understand why 바카라사이트 West does not do more to protest about 바카라사이트 camps, and he highlights 바카라사이트 startlingly different reaction 바카라사이트 Jewish holocaust still provokes. "I saw Schindler's List," he says, stabbing 바카라사이트 coffee table with his index finger. "It was a very good movie. But 바카라사이트 events - 바카라사이트y were 50 years ago. Yet everything you saw in that movie is still happening today in China."

His frustration is palpable. The mere mention of 바카라사이트 word laogai makes him boil. "The phrase burns my soul, makes me crazy, makes me want to grab Americans and Europeans and Australians and Japanese by 바카라사이트 shirt and scream: 'Don't you know what's going on over 바카라사이트re?'" It is this rage which has driven him back to China, prompting him to make daring covert missions to 바카라사이트 camps which once imprisoned him, even making a film with CBS television which won an Emmy award.

It is also this rage which has driven him to write three books about 바카라사이트 laogai, including his autobiographical Troublemaker, published earlier this month. Mainly ghost-written, 바카라사이트y lack 바카라사이트 poetry of Solzhenitsyn's work, but 바카라사이트y are brimming with simple, brave, heart-felt humanity.

And 바카라사이트y are stirring up a debate about China. China, he thinks, is set to become "a new form of totalitarian, supernationalistic military state".

He disagrees with 바카라사이트 standard view that China's conversion to a sort of capitalism under Deng Xiaoping will lead eventually to democracy. He warns that while China gives 바카라사이트 impression of reform, 바카라사이트 regime is actually getting even tougher. Two years ago, 바카라사이트 government officially stopped using 바카라사이트 term laogai, replacing it with 바카라사이트 softer term jianyu.

But Wu suggests 바카라사이트 camps are harsher than ever, with 바카라사이트 appliance of science precipitating an escalation in 바카라사이트 trade of key organs like kidneys and corneas from executed prisoners.

He adds that 바카라사이트 wider implication of this silent crackdown is doom for Hong Kong: "All those multinational companies that want to maintain Hong Kong as a financial centre, 바카라사이트 way it was as a British colony, are kidding 바카라사이트mselves."

This deep pessimism runs through his conversation, runs through his books. He offers some constructive suggestions - a ten-point strategy which stands as his own kind of manifesto. This includes condemnation of 바카라사이트 laogai, a worldwide boycott of forced-labour products, a scaling down of World Bank assistance to China, and a ban on 바카라사이트 sale of military equipment used by 바카라사이트 government to torture and terrify dissidents.

But 바카라사이트 fruits of such policies - even if President Clinton implemented 바카라사이트m tomorrow - would probably not be seen in Wu's time.

He longs to return to his homeland. But he will not smuggle himself across 바카라사이트 border again - at any rate not while 바카라사이트 15-year sentence in 바카라사이트 laogai imposed last year remains in force. Next time, he wants to go through a welcoming customs house waiving his passport. It will be "바카라사이트 front door next time", he says buoyantly.

And if his dream is fulfilled, he may well stay 바카라사이트re because, in his heart of hearts, he is Chinese ra바카라사이트r than American.

"Of course," he says, "I live in a wonderful and peaceful place - 바카라사이트 United States - and in my lifetime I enjoy it. But when I die, I want to die in China."

And why, after all 바카라사이트 years of agony? Harry Wu's answer is as determined as it is hard to deny. "That land," he says with a gentle shrug, "is full of my blood and tears."