Timeline: The whole Chen Guangcheng story
Chen Guangcheng: The blind legal activist from China successfully made a daring escape from under house arrest, seeking refuge at the US embassy in Beijing and causing a diplomatic furor between the US and China. His escape highlighted China’s dismal human rights record and caused the Asian regional power severe embarrassment. After extended and tense negotiations between the Americans and Chinese, Chen was allowed to leave China to study abroad.
After eight days of diplomatic wrangling, it seems that a crisis was avoided between China and the United States. Secretary of State Clinton, as well as Chinese leadership, came out looking haggard but successful. A formerly jailed activist is being allowed to leave with his family to study abroad in the U.S., and relations between the two countries are no longer too strained.
However, out of sight of the media, while Chen has the attention of the cameras, his friends and colleagues in dissent face an even harsher crackdown by authorities in China. Reports of detention and abuse began to trickle out as Sec. Clinton's plane took off.
Here's a timeline of the events of that unfolded after the blind, barefoot activist's escape from house arrest on April 26.
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