“I made a commitment, I promised I would use all the capital I gained by helping save China’s access to the US market to press for the release of political prisoners. I promised that, and I’ve done my best to fulfill it.”

– Dui Hua Founder and Executive Director John Kamm

In 1999, the year of the Rabbit on the Chinese Lunar Calendar, Dui Hua transitioned from a one-man crusade for human rights in China into an NGO that advocates for Chinese political and religious prisoners. US-China relations have changed greatly over the last 25 years, and Dui Hua has advocated for thousands of political and religious prisoners, contributed to the release of hundreds of prisoners, helped hundreds more receive better treatment, and participated in dialogues that have changed laws affecting children and women in prison.

Despite these growing tensions, Dui Hua has never shied from its mission. Learn about our work over the last two decades with the page below. You can learn about our achievements, click through key moments in our history, watch a video about how we began, hear testimonials from former prisoners and officials working on the US-China relationship, and find out how to get involved. Your support has never been more vital to keeping the dialogue going.

DUI HUA PRISONER LISTS

Juvenile Justice Expert Exchanges

As relations with China got more difficult over the years, engaging on human rights also became more challenging. That’s why Dui Hua decided to expand its mission beyond advocating for political prisoners to advocating for other groups of prisoners at risk and one group in particular caught John’s attention: juvenile offenders. Focusing on juvenile justice in our expert exchanges reflects not just the mission expansion, but Dui Hua’s continued commitment to push for meaningful change and reform in human rights areas of shared concern between China and the United States.

“We hope this exchange is only a beginning, as child welfare is complex, challenging, and best practices are being developed on a regular basis. We hope we can learn from you, and we hope we can give you some suggestions that might be of use.”
– Judge Leonard Edwards (ret.) (US side moderator)

New Avenues of Support

“John’s reputation and connections through The Dui Hua Foundation played a key role in facilitating my son’s journey home. His was the first voice I heard with knowledge and empathy for what I was going through. It felt like he threw me a life preserver after being thrown overboard in a sea of chaos, panic and grief.”

– Mother of a recently released American prisoner 

In addition to finding prisoner names and seeking clemency, an important part of Dui Hua’s work is providing consultations to family members of detainees including foreign nationals and American permanent residents who are undergoing coercive measures in China which include detention, imprisonment, residential surveillance at a designated location, and exit bans. Dui Hua provided nearly 100 consultations to 38 detainees in China, their families, or supporters. Detainees include foreign nationals held in China under coercive measures, the number of which has been on the rise in recent years.

Dui Hua is committed to doing all it can to support families going through this difficult experience.