http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/world/asia/04tibet.html
BEIJING =97 Two prominent human rights lawyers have lost their licenses
after volunteering to defend Tibetans charged in the violent anti-
China protests that erupted in March. The decision comes as Beijing
authorities are tightening scrutiny over dissidents in advance of the
Olympics in August.
The two lawyers, Teng Biao and Jiang Tianyong, are known for taking on
politically contentious cases, including those alleging official
abuses of human rights. Reached on Tuesday night, Mr. Teng said he
learned last week that judicial authorities had renewed the license of
every lawyer in his firm, except his own.
=93Obviously, it is because of the Tibetan letter that I signed and also
other sensitive cases I handled,=94 Mr. Teng said.
Judicial authorities could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. But
the action against the two lawyers came after human rights groups say
authorities initially considered denying license renewals for numerous
lawyers, only to relent in the cases other than those of Mr. Teng and
Mr. Jiang.
Lawyers are increasingly at the cutting edge of efforts to push
systemic reform in China. Self-styled =93rights defenders=94 regard the
law as a tool to expand and protect the rights of individuals in an
authoritarian political system. But the ruling Communist Party is
often wary of lawyers who try to challenge what it regards as the
unassailable pre-eminence of the party in society.
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