Chen Guangcheng’s family and friends face tempest of retribution

05/07/12: The Washington Post reports that as the diplomatic storm around Chen Guangcheng calms, supporters and relatives of the blind activist now fear a tempest of retribution, a frequent feature of Communist Party crisis management known as “settling accounts after the autumn harvest.” At least half a dozen people have already been detained for questioning over their role in Chen’s escape from house arrest in Shandong province on April 22 and his six-day stay at the US Embassy in Beijing. In addition, a Chinese lawyer who tried last week to visit Chen at a Beijing hospital said he was severely beaten by police and is now under constant surveillance. Others have been visited by security agents and ordered to keep quiet and to stay away from Chen's hospital ward.