A Thai immigration official showed her surveillance video of the jail entrance, where more than a dozen Chinese security agents were waiting. The Chinese agents outside soon realised what had happened and pursued them, finally meeting in a standoff at the Bangkok airport where Chinese, Thai and US officials heatedly argued over custody of the family. The Chinese government launched its largest-ever crackdown against human rights lawyers and activists on July 9, 2015, seizing and questioning of hundreds of people nationwide. It's unusual for US officials to take such bold action to help Chinese citizens - in Chen's family's case, human rights workers say. Yet the US notably did not sign onto a letter from 11 Western countries who, spurred by Xie's allegations, protested the torture of Chinese human rights lawyers, he added.

Source: Bangkok Post May 08, 2017 09:33 UTC