Terminal Man

Like something out of The Terminal (which was also based on a true story), Feng Zhenghu is a man stuck in Tokyo’s Narita International Airport, likely because of a book he authored that criticized Chinese regulations against foreign company investment. In 2000, the author was sentenced to three years in a Chinese prison. He was also critical of the government's handling of the Tiananmen Square demonstration.

According to the Boston Globe, Feng sits on a bench in front of the Japanese customs booth, refusing to pass through customs because that would mean entering Japan. He has been turned away by Chinese officals eight times. Four of the eight times, he made it as far as Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport before being sent back to Tokyo.

Feng has had no access to food courts or hot showers but lately, with the help of Global Voices Online which publishes selected updates of the situation, he has been able to communicate with the global community through his phone and says that he has obtained enough food for the next month.

Some people say that I am battling for citizen's right to return back to China by myself, but I know that many Chinese people are behind me. When I was hungry and desperate, many Chinese from mainland China, Hong Kong and overseas delivered food to me. When I was cut from internet connection, some Internet experts from mainland China gave me technical support and help me to build a twitter account. Now I can use my mobile phone to update my status and let people from mainland China to know what's going on here.

A Music Video entitled Let Feng Zhenghu Return Home has been posted on YouTube.