作者：阳帆 (本刊记者)
2020年是全世界民众深陷新冠病毒的痛苦的一年。更为痛苦的是：以习近平为首的中共极权政府还利用疫情，加紧了对中国和香港等地的民主人士的迫害。监於这一现状，劳改研究基金会在过去的一年里，加紧和加强了对大陆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名政治犯及其家属。
2020年的人道援助的重点，是在当前还在中国监狱服刑的、或刚出狱不久的政治犯及他们的家人。和独立中文笔会（Independent Chinese PEN Center）的狱中作家和写作自由委员（Programs of the Writers in Prison and Freedom to Write Committee）会合作，他们每年都会援助40位左右的维权律师、政治犯和人权活动家。这些被援助对像大多数是被中共新近判刑的，或刚刚出狱的人士。去年一年内，41位大陆政治犯得到了援助。
随着中国政府对公民社会的镇压以及对言论管控的收紧，中国出现了越来越多的政治犯，其中很多人及其家庭陷入经济困境。由於世界局势的变化以及受新冠疫情的影响，世界上关注中国人权的人道救助资金也难以覆盖需要经济援助的中国政治犯。
爲此，劳改研究基金会理事会在维持原来的救助渠道的同时，在2020年10月1日成立了一个新的小型人道资助项目，对中国政治犯及家属进行直接救助。至今为止，已经有6现有的中国政治犯、良心犯的得到了救助。
对历史上受迫害的大陆政治犯及其家属，劳改研究基金会也和一些有很高信誉的人权组织合作进行了援助。它们中有澳洲大陆受害者後援会（Support Network for the Persecuted in China）、美国加州民主教育基金会（Chinese Democracy Education Foundation）和美国明尼苏达州中国民主基金会（Minnesota Chinese Democracy Foundation）。通过它们，劳改研究基金会在过去的一年内援助了12个六四受难者家庭和6个“天安门母亲”成员。
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.