2020年是全世界民眾深陷新冠病毒的痛苦的一年。更為痛苦的是：以習近平為首的中共極權政府還利用疫情，加緊了對中國和香港等地的民主人士的迫害。鑑於這一現狀，勞改研究基金會在過去的一年裡，加緊和加強了對大陸政治犯及其受害者家庭的人道援助，在2020一年中有效地援助了59名政治犯及其家屬。

2020年的人道援助的重點，是在當前還在中國監獄服刑的、或剛出獄不久的政治犯及他們的家人。和獨立中文筆會（Independent Chinese PEN Center）的獄中作家和寫作自由委員（Programs of the Writers in Prison and Freedom to Write Committee）會合作，他們每年都會援助40位左右的維權律師、政治犯和人權活動家。這些被援助對像大多數是被中共新近判刑的，或剛剛出獄的人士。去年一年內，41位大陸政治犯得到了援助。

隨著中國政府對公民社會的鎮壓以及對言論管控的收緊，中國出現了越來越多的政治犯，其中很多人及其家庭陷入經濟困境。由於世界局勢的變化以及受新冠疫情的影響，世界上關注中國人權的人道救助資金也難以覆蓋需要經濟援助的中國政治犯。

爲此，勞改研究基金會理事會在維持原來的救助渠道的同時，在2020年10月1日成立了一個新的小型人道資助項目，對中國政治犯及家屬進行直接救助。至今為止，已經有6現有的中國政治犯、良心犯的得到了救助。

對歷史上受迫害的大陸政治犯及其家屬，勞改研究基金會也和一些有很高信譽的人權組織合作進行了援助。它們中有澳洲大陸受害者後援會（Support Network for the Persecuted in China）、美國加州民主教育基金會（Chinese Democracy Education Foundation）和美國明尼蘇達州中國民主基金會（Minnesota Chinese Democracy Foundation）。通過它們，勞改研究基金會在過去的一年內援助了12個六四受難者家庭和6個“天安門母親”成員。

2020: Laogai Research Foundation steps up and strengthens humanitarian assistance

Reporter Yang Fan

2020 is a year when people worldwide are deeply mired in the pain of the new coronavirus. What is even more painful is that the totalitarian CCP government headed by Xi Jinping also used the epidemic to intensify the persecution of democratic activists in China, Hong Kong, and other areas. Because of this situation, the Laogai Research Foundation has stepped up and strengthened its humanitarian assistance to mainland political prisoners and their victims’ families in the past year, effectively assisting 59 political prisoners and their families in 2020.

The focus of humanitarian assistance in 2020 is on political prisoners and their families who are currently serving sentences in Chinese prisons or have just been released from jail. Cooperate with the Programs of the Writers in Prison and Freedom to Write Committee of the Independent Chinese PEN Center （ICPC）. They assist about 40 human rights lawyers, political prisoners, and human rights activities every year in China. In the past year, 41 mainland political prisoners received assistance.

With the Chinese government's repression of civil society and tightening of speech control, more and more political prisoners have emerged in China, many of whom and their families face financial difficulties. Due to changes in the world situation and the new crown epidemic's impact, the world's humanitarian aid funds concerned about China's human rights cannot cover Chinese political prisoners who need economic assistance.

To this end, while maintaining the original relief channels, the Council of the Laogai Research Foundation established a new small humanitarian funding project on October 1, 2020, to provide direct relief to Chinese political prisoners and their families. So far, 6 existing Chinese political prisoners and prisoners of conscience have been aided.

For the historically persecuted mainland political prisoners and their families, the Laogai Research Foundation has also cooperated with some highly reputable human rights organizations to assist. They include the Support Network for the Persecuted in China (SNP), the California Democracy Education Foundation (CDEF), and the Minnesota Chinese Democracy Foundation (MCDF). The Laogai Research Foundation has assisted 12 families of June 4th victims and 6 members of “Tiananmen Mothers Group” in the past year.