The wife of jailed Taiwan activist Lee Ming-che has called on the Chinese government to open a channel of communication with him, saying that her letters are not being allowed through to her husband.

Lee Ching-yu took part in a protest on Thursday to mark the fifth anniversary of his detention. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chishan prison in Hunan province has also stopped accepting visits, she said.

NGO worker Lee Ming-che was arrested in March 2017 during a trip to the mainland. The former worker for Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party was sentenced by a Hunan court to five years in prison in November that year on charges of subverting state power.

Lee Ching-yu thanked the Taiwan public, local and international groups for their support. Although she understood she could not visit her husband, the authorities should allow phone calls, she said.

Lee Ming-che has only written her one letter since the pandemic, she said. He was not able to receive all the letters sent by members of the public and other groups, she added.

Lee Ching-yu said she had been trying to contact the semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation and the prison, but received no response. She was willing to quarantine for two weeks on both sides of the strait, she added.

She urged China to consider her three demands, including releasing Lee on bail since he had already served more than half of the sentence; allowing phone calls with her; allowing Lee to communicate with the outside. These were simple demands, she said.

Amnesty International Taiwan also urged China to ensure his right of communication in order to protect his health.

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