Crowds have gathered in front of Zhao Ziyang’s residence in an attempt to see him recently, a human rights non-governmental organization has reported.

Zhao is a former general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and has been under house arrest for the past 15 years. Oct. 17 was his 85th birthday and it was reported that he is seriously ill. The NGO called for the end of Zhao’s house arrest.

Human Rights in China, which is headquartered in New York, stated on Friday that crowds have gathered for the past three days in front of former Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang’s residence in an attempt to see him. The crowds were mainly Zhao’s former subordinates, relatives and friends and the numbers ranged from a few dozen to over a hundred.

Human Rights in China said that Zhao has been placed under house arrest since 1989 because he opposed the suppression of the June 4 Tiananmen demonstration. He is the highest-ranking official ever placed under house arrest in China. He has been under very strict surveillance.

CNN reported recently that Zhao is seriously ill, that large portions of his lungs have deteriorated. Chinese Human Rights said people expected the new Chinese leaders Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao to relax the strict policy toward Zhao.

The chairman of Human Rights in China, Liu Qing, said there has always been a large number of police stationed around Zhao’s residence in Beijing. However, they did not attempt to disperse the gathering crowds. Some were allowed to enter Zhao’s residence after registration and signing their names.

Liu Qing said, “Some of Zhao’s overseas relatives phoned him after learning the situation. Zhao told them it was only the outside livening up; it was as quiet as usual inside the house. Some sensitive individuals who were closely related to Zhao were not allowed to see him.”

Human Rights in China indicated that several appeals calling for the lifting of Zhao’s house arrest came out recently from overseas as well as from Mainland Chinese. They included Zhao’s former close associates Pao Tan and Pao Tsenxin, former Chinese Communist Party high-ranking officials and renowned intellectuals inside China. From overseas, they included exiled intellectuals who have written articles congratulating Zhao on his 85th birthday, and discussing his accomplishments.

A seminar was held at Columbia University on Oct. 16 discussing Zhao’s role in the processes of Chinese reform. Meanwhile, a group of China experts in the United States, including the renowned scholars Li Anyou and Lin Peirui, were planning to make a joint appeal to the Chinese government for Zhao’s release. A Web site was planned to collect signatures calling for the lifting of Zhao’s house arrest.

Human Rights in China expressed support and issued an appeal to the Chinese authorities to lift the house arrest. Liu Qing said that the Chinese government has no legal grounds to keep Zhao under house arrest. “It is a serious violation of international human rights,” Liu said. “The Chinese government should heed the appeals from both abroad and within China, and leave a sick old man to enjoy the rights every Chinese should have.”

Liu Qing said, “Disregarding the politics and ignoring who is right or wrong, the whole matter is simply inhumane.”

Human Rights in China prepared an electronic birthday card to send a birthday message to Zhao Ziyang.