| Feng Zhenghu | |||||||
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| Feng Zhenghu on 22 January 2010 in immigration area of Narita International Airport, Japan | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 馮正虎 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 冯正虎 | ||||||
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Feng Zhenghu (born 1 July 1954) is a Chinese economist and scholar based in Shanghai. Citing Amnesty International, The Guardian said that Feng was "a prominent human rights defender" in China. In 2001 he was sent to prison for three years ostensibly for "illegal business activity". He was released in 2004, has since written critical pieces highlighting alleged malpractice by local governments and forced evictions.[1]
Outside China, Feng is best known for having been refused re-entry into China eight times in 2009. He protested and remained in the immigration hall of Narita International Airport for 92 days, attracted concern from Asian activists, and received worldwide media attention.[1]
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Feng was born in Wenzhou, Zhejiang. He started his business in 1980s and later founded the Institute of China Business Development. He lives in Shanghai; he has a sister, who lives in Japan with her Japanese husband.[1]
He criticized the Chinese government and the People's Liberation Army for suppressing the democratization of the Chinese society. He later went to study in Japan and returned to China, and was imprisoned in 2001 for "illegal business activities".[2]
In early 2009, Feng was inexplicably detained for 41 days;[3] he left China for medical treatment in Japan soon afterwards — in April 2009.[4] On attempting to return home in June, he was refused entry by the authorities. According to Feng's sister, airlines prevented him from boarding a China-bound flight four times; on the four occasions he succeeded in boarding a plane, Chinese authorities at Shanghai turned him away. A Japanese immigration official said Feng arrived from Shanghai on 4 November with a valid Chinese passport and a visa to enter Japan – but has refused to be admitted.[1] He is spending his time on a couch near an immigration checkpoint in the south wing of Terminal 1 of Narita Airport, subsisting on snacks given to him by travellers and activists (including Hong Kong activist Christina Chan).[5] He has been likened to the Tom Hanks character in Steven Spielberg's 2004 film The Terminal.[5][6] From 3 Dec. 2009, the airport authorities issued daily notices to Mr. Feng, requesting him to leave the arrival zone and be admitted into Japan.[7][8][9] Finally, after several visits by Chinese diplomats from Tokyo, Feng announced on 2 February 2010 that he was going to enter Japan on the next day in anticipation of being allowed to return to Shanghai by mid February.[10]
On 8 February 2010, Feng publicly announced his plan to return to Shanghai. On 12 February 2010, two days ahead of Chinese New Year, he successfully entered China after arriving on a flight from Narita to Shanghai.[11] Afterwards, he stayed in his Shanghai apartment under guarded house arrest.[12]