Zheng Mingfang, Petitioner and Activist, Taken into Police Custody
Comments Off on Zheng Mingfang, Petitioner and Activist, Taken into Police CustodyZheng Mingfang, Petitioner and Activist, Taken into Police Custody
(Chinese Human Rights Defenders, October 21, 2007) – Zheng Mingfang (郑明芳), petitioner turned activist from Ji County, Tianjin, was taken away by the Ji County Public Security Bureau (PSB) on the evening of October 19. Ms. Zheng is now detained at the PSB Detention Center, but her family has not received any formal detention order.
Zheng was reportedly sleeping when policemen from the local PSB asked Zheng‘s husband to step out to have a “talk.” When he returned, Zheng had disappeared from their residence. The next day, with help from friends, the husband was able to locate Zheng – she had been taken into custody by local police.
Before Zheng‘s detention, she had reported to Citizen’s Rights and Livelihood Watch about the psychiatric detention of another petitioner from Tianjin, Li Shuchun ( <!–
D([“mb”,”u003cspan styleu003d”font-family:SimSun” langu003d”ZH-CN”u003e李树春u003c/spanu003e). u003cspanu003e u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ennnnu003cpu003eZheng turned from a petitioner for her own rights to a humannrights activist defending othersu0026#39; rights after she suffered harassment andnabuses because of her efforts to seek social justice.u003cspanu003e u003c/spanu003eLocal authorities became jealous of thencomputer business she started in 1988 and repeatedly demanded illegal u0026quot;feesu0026quot;nfrom her. In 2004, having petitioned in Beijing,nshe joined Ye Guozhu, the Olympics prisoner, in requesting permission tonorganize the u0026quot;Tiananmen 9.18 Ten-Thousand-People March.u0026quot; The request was deniednand she was imprisoned for two years for u0026quot;illegally operatingu0026quot; her business. u003cspanu003e u003c/spanu003eHer shop was demolished and parts of fortyncomputers were confiscated by the authorities. While in prison, Zheng was allegedlynmistreated and tortured. She was released in September 2006 and has continuednher petitioning and human rights defending activities, for which she has beennbeaten and closely monitored by the government.u003cspanu003e u003c/spanu003eu003c/pu003ennnnu003cpu003eu003cbu003eu003cspan styleu003d”font-size:9pt;font-family:SimSun;color:rgb(51, 153, 102)”u003e______________________________u003cWBRu003e______________u003c/spanu003eu003c/bu003eu003c/pu003ennu003cpu003eu003cbu003eu003cspan styleu003d”font-size:10pt;color:rgb(51, 153, 102)”u003eChinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) isna non-political, non-government network of grassroots and internationalnactivists promoting human rights protection and empowering grassroots activism innu003c/spanu003eu003c/bu003eu003cbu003eu003cspan styleu003d”font-size:10pt;color:rgb(51, 153, 102)”u003eChinau003c/spanu003eu003c/bu003eu003cbu003eu003cspan styleu003d”font-size:10pt;color:rgb(51, 153, 102)”u003e.nu003cspanu003e u003c/spanu003eCHRDu0026#39;s objective is to build NGOncapacities, monitor rights development, and assist victims of abuse.u003cspanu003e u003c/spanu003eCHRD advocates non-violent and rule of lawnapproaches. CHRD conducts investigation and research, provides information,norganizes training, supports a program of small grants, and offers legalnassistance.u003c/spanu003eu003c/bu003eu003c/pu003ennnnu003cbu003eu003cspan styleu003d”font-size:9pt;color:blue”u003eTo unsubscribe, please u0026quot;Replyu0026quot; to this mailnwith u0026quot;unsubscribeu0026quot; in the u0026quot;Subjectu0026quot; line.”,1]
);
//–> 李树春).
Zheng turned from a petitioner for her own rights to a human rights activist defending others’ rights after she suffered harassment and abuses because of her efforts to seek social justice. Local authorities became jealous of the computer business she started in 1988 and repeatedly demanded illegal “fees” from her. In 2004, having petitioned in Beijing, she joined Ye Guozhu, the Olympics prisoner, in requesting permission to organize the “Tiananmen 9.18 Ten-Thousand-People March.” The request was denied and she was imprisoned for two years for “illegally operating” her business. Her shop was demolished and parts of forty computers were confiscated by the authorities. While in prison, Zheng was allegedly mistreated and tortured. She was released in September 2006 and has continued her petitioning and human rights defending activities, for which she has been beaten and closely monitored by the government.
