We just sent following e-mail to Chengdu asking them to investigate fraud in their own organization:

Fm:
"Jerry Fletcher"

To:
ChengduFPM@state.gov
Cc:
fraudnet@gao.gov

Consulate Chengdu Website - - under Visa Interview Procedure: "The Consulate General treats allegations of fraud or malfeasance in visa processing very seriously." If you have specific information about an incidence of fraud or malfeasance, please contact our Fraud Information Unit by email. (Details have been forwarded to various officials. They will be made avail to you by us should you need/desire)

Fraud is generally defined in the law as an intentional misrepresentation of material existing fact made by one person to another with knowledge of its falsity and for the purpose of inducing the other person to act, and upon which the other person relies with resulting injury or damage. Fraud may also be made by an omission or purposeful failure to state material facts, which nondisclosure makes other statements misleading.

Interviewing officers committed fraud in cases cited in accompanying correspondence. Collecting a fee for a Visa Interview - - and then not successfully conducting that interview, to wit - - not examining documents listed in Visa Interview procedures as pertinent to proving applicant does not intend to immigrate to US.

Charging a fee and then not complying falls in the definition of fraud. Since you view fraud "very seriously" - - please investigate this matter.

Following is letter to Ambassador Huntsman re: this case:
We then copied orig ltr to Ambassador of 21 July.

To All - - it appears that the "unwritten policy" of visa rejection goes way beyond the Chengdu Consulate. We are looking for a "whistle-blower" who will/can confirm this "unwritten policy" Anyone??

Cheers - - JJ

Thanks all for comments/info. All I asked originally was that my government treat me (one who spent a career in service to the Country) in an honest straight-forward manner.

I have contacted an Immigration Attorney (thru my attorney) and am exploring various avenues. We have already contacted some officials in State Dept, some politicians, some media, etc.

I will keep all informed - - and I'll try to keep it short!!

Cheers - - JJ

FYI - - here's the letter I sent to the Ambassador. I did not include attachment with details as it is 7 pages (Webmaster - - if this is too long, feel free to delete - - JJ)

21 July 2010

The Honorable Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.
Ambassador of the United States
American Embassy
Beijing
Peoples Republic of China

Via E-mail: CIUBeijing@state.gov (hard copy to follow)

Dear Mister Ambassador,

I was dismayed, disappointed and ashamed about the treatment received by/from Consular officials at Chengdu. At best, the treatment was incompetent - - and - - at worst, was totally dishonest.

Details: First, I am a US citizen - - retired - - a Disabled Veteran living in Kunming. I spent a career as a US Navy officer (Navy SEAL). Some folks add "highly decorated" to the description. I was naïve enough to then expect decent treatment from my government.

My wife of 39 years was born in China - - raised in Taiwan - - and is a naturalized US citizen. We both tutor English to select students as our way to be involved in the community and do our small bit for Sino-American relations.

NOTE: Our first trip to China was in 1978 under the auspices of US-China Peoples Friendship Association. My trip report at the time was classified - - but has been declassified and is available should anyone be interested. Again, we had a small part in the "normalization" of relations between the two countries.

I have been under treatment by a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the past two years. I believe that treatment actually saved my life! In the process, we developed a strong relationship with the doctor's family. We promised the daughter (who is now 16) that if she worked hard and earned her way into the best high school, that we would take her on a holiday with us to the U.S. We even scheduled our trip in August (who would go to Arizona in August??) because that is the only time students had available. The initial application was made 11 April.

I made a personal trip to Chengdu in early June to just make sure we did everything correct. I discussed entire situation with Vice-Consul and was told in these words, "Should be no problem." Plus we followed every single instruction on the webpage. We made all travel arrangements and pre-paid travel (round-trip) tickets and hotel accommodations. After the young lady was denied in early July (details of interview in attachment), we were told she could immediately re-apply - - which we did. The available interview dates were later than our scheduled travel date - - so we requested an expedited interview - - which was granted after I asked it to be done as a "favor" to me. But - - why oh why schedule an expedited interview knowing she is going to be denied again!! Certainly we all believed that the Consulate would never have approved an expedited interview unless she was going to be approved - - and that the Interviewer might actually look at supporting documents this time!! Again - - denied - - after three cursory questions and not even looking at all the supporting documents we had put together in compliance with instructions. And now she has two denials on her record. The second girl (a classmate who was asked to go along as a traveling companion and is also an honor student) was also denied in a perfunctory manner.

The father of one of the girls is a police official. He contacted the Chinese Foreign Affairs Police in Chengdu. After checking details, we were informed that the "unwritten policy" of the Chengdu Consulate is to not issue visas to students unless they were traveling in an "approved" group. Had we been told that from the outset, especially in my face-to-face interview with the Vice-Consul, then we could have arranged group travel and done so before we ran out of time with multiple denials. THE CONSULATE OFFICIALS WERE NOT HONEST WITH US!

In a Press Release entitled, "Why the U.S.-China relationship is the most important in the world," you said, "The US-China relationship is the most complex and vital relationship in the world today." (Press Release 02/11/10)

Secretary Clinton said on 01/12/10 in talking about China that the US should "...reach beyond governments to engage directly with people ..."

Roger Dow, President of US Travel Association said on 06/18/10, that "...China will become the Number One tourist provider to the US with several million visits..."

Actions of the Chengdu Consulate belied every one of those comments.

Four parents - - a doctor - - a Walmart District Manager (Three Provinces) - - a police official - - a business woman - - now all have very, very negative thoughts about the dishonesty of the Consulate personnel and that feeling will be multiplied a thousand and more times over as their story is told and retold.

In a separate attachment, I am detailing the day by day communication and action should you desire to investigate the personnel involved.

So, Mister Ambassador, we are not asking for intervention in visa approval - - as we could not get everything accomplished in time for the girls to be back to start school at the necessary time. What we are asking is an investigation of the personnel and policies involved. If there is to be the transparency promised throughout the government, then the Chengdu Consulate needs to be cleaned out (there are other disturbing questions about some of the personnel).

Very respectfully,

Jerry Jon Fletcher

CC:

AmcitBeijing@state.gove

Governmentrelations@ustravel.org

Our recent dealings with US Consulate in Chengdu have found them incompetent at best - - or dishonest at worst.

I have been treated by a Chinese doctor the past two years (successfully) and developed a good relationship with the family. We promised the daughter (now 16) that if she got into the "best" high school and got good grades that we would take her on a holiday to the US.

I even took a special trip to Chengdu and visited with the Vice-Consul - - went over details to make sure we did everything right - - and was assured "no problem." We recruited another 16-year-old honor student (we tutor English) to go as a traveling companion.

We did everything suggested in person - - on the phone - - and on their webpage - - and even more. Interviewers didn't even look at all supporting documents we had assembled including pre-paid roundtrip tickets, pre-paid hotel reservations, and so on.

DENIED!!

Father of second girl is a police official in Yunnan. He went to Foreign Affairs Police in Chengdu. After checking our details, the police said the "unwritten rule" at the Chengdu Consulate was to only approve visas for students who were traveling in "approved" groups.

HAD THEY BEEN HONEST ENOUGH TO TELL US THIS IN THE BEGINNING, WE COULD HAVE SIGNED UP THE GIRLS IN A GROUP AND THEN JOINED THEM ON OUR OWN.

Consular personnel only answered our "WHY?" question with - - "you didn't prove they weren't going to stay in US." How could we if they wouldn't even look at documents.

Although I am a proud American - - disabled veteran - - I am dismayed - - disappointed - - and ashamed of treatment by Consulate Chengdu.

JJ Fletcher