China Human Rights Briefing March 1-15, 2009
Comments Off on China Human Rights Briefing March 1-15, 2009China Human Rights Briefing
Reporting human rights development from the grassroots
March 1-15, 2009
HIGHLIGHTS
- All eyes were on Beijing for the first two weeks of March as the annual joint session of the National People’s Congress and the National People’s Political Consultative Conference were held. As officials made speeches about human rights development and the rule of law, tens of thousands of petitioners tried in vain to make their voices heard. They were threatened and blocked by police and interceptors hired to deny them their constitutional right to petition the government. Black jails in Beijing and cities across China were used to hold petitioners caught by the authorities until the conclusion of the meetings, or perhaps longer. In many cases, petitioners never made it to the capital, as they were placed under house arrest at home or prevented from boarding trains or buses leaving their hometowns. Activists who had no intention of petitioning during this period were subject to surveillance and harassment as well.
- Away from media attention, in the place of released political dissidents in the past two weeks, authorities have criminally detained or arrested, “disappeared” other political activists, rights defenders, and labor organizers, mostly outside the nation’s capital. Noteworthy are the criminal detention of Xing Qingxian (幸清贤), a rights activist based in Chengdu who reported on labor protests, the arrest of Democracy Party activist Hu Junxiong (胡俊雄), of Hubei Province, the 4-year prison sentence of rights activist Yuan Xiancheng (袁显臣), of Heilongjiang Province, the “disappearance” of Huang Xiaomin (黄晓敏), a Sichuan-based organizer for the Pan-Blue Alliance of Chinese Nationalists, and the continued “disappearance” of lawyer Gao Zhisheng since early January.
Please click here to download the full CHRB date range in PDF format
Table of Contents
Persecution of Petitioners
1. Abuses against Petitioners Contradict Message of ‘Openness’ at Annual Session of China’s Legislature
Systematic persecution of petitioners has become an annual feature of the joint session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the National People’s Political Consultative Conference (NPPCC). During this year’s sessions, which concluded last week, petitioners were once again intercepted, beaten, held in illegal and secret “black jails”, subjected to residential surveillance, harassed, and otherwise prevented from travelling to Beijing to lodge complaints against local authorities. Some remain in police custody or “missing”, including Feng Zhenghu (冯正虎), the Shanghai-based activist and legal advisor.
CHRD’s reporting and analysis has been condensed into a release entitled “Abuses against Petitioners Contradict Message of ‘Openness’ at Annual Session of China’s Legislature”, available online at: https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class10/200903/20090319100223_14371.html. (CHRD)
2. First National Meeting of the Chinese League of Victims
Beijing was not the only site of interest to petitioners in early March. The Chinese League of Victims (Yuanmin Datongmeng), a group made up of petitioners and others who have suffered injustices in China, held its first meeting in Hong Kong from March 5 to March 7. Local authorities were active in preventing petitioners from leaving their hometowns to travel to this meeting, as well.
– On March 1, a group of six Shanghai petitioners who planned to attend the first national Chinese League of Victims meeting in Hong Kong was stopped at Shanghai’s South Train Station as they tried to leave the city. Two of the petitioners, Wu Dangying (吴党英) and Xi Rendi (奚仁娣), were taken to the Shanghai Municipal Government Letters and Visits Office to be detained. (CHRD) [i]
– On March 2, Shanghai petitioner Fan Shiming (范诗铭) was detained at the Shenzhen border and prevented from entering Hong Kong. Her Hong Kong and Macau travel permit was taken, and she was held for more than two hours. (CHRD)[ii]
– Hundreds of petitioners gathered in Jinan City, Shandong Province’s Quancheng Square on March 5 to express support for and solidarity with the Chinese League of Victims meeting, which began that day in Hong Kong. More than 140 police arrived on the scene, and representative Zhang Jinfeng (张金凤) was detained. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Liu Guijin (刘桂芹), who had planned to attend the rally, was seized by police and was summoned (chuanhan) for questioning which lasted 10 hours. Her home was also searched. After she was released, her home was put under surveillance. (CRLW)[iii]
3. Petitioner and Activist Released after 14 Months in Prison
Petitioner Li Shuchun (李淑春) of Yilan County, Heilongjiang Province, was released on February 27 after 14 months of incarceration. Li was originally detained on January 14, 2008, and found guilty of “gathering crowds to disturb traffic order” on August 20, 2008. Li appealed. In late 2008, Harbin Intermediate People’s Court ruled that Li’s case will be sent back for another trial and Li was released on bail to await trial. Li and 100 other workers from Harbin City’s Hongqi Racecourse were stopped by Yilan county officials on a Heilongjiang Province highway on August 15, 2007, while attempting to travel to petition. The group was seeking government action against corrupt management at the racecourse, and had been unable to persuade the local government to take up the task. (CHRD)[iv]
4. Sichuan Petitioner Detained for Public Protest
On March 2, Zuo Xiaohuan (左晓环), formerly a teacher at Dongshan Normal Academy in Sichuan Province, was picked up by police in Santai County Town, Sichuan Province, where he was publicly protesting the unfair treatment he had received since being sent to RTL from October 3, 2007 to May 29, 2008. Zuo was threatening to travel to Chengdu to petition in hopes of receiving unemployment insurance, which he has not received since losing his job as a result of his RTL term. Wang was taken to a local police station, where he was held briefly before being released. Having lost his job and been denied benefits, Wang is now homeless. (CRLW)[v]
5. Shanghai Petitioner Detained in Psychiatric Hospital since Olympics
More than six months after she was kidnapped on August 7, 2008, Shanghai petitioner Sun Hongzheng (孙红筝) remains detained in a psychiatric institution. Sun was captured by a Mr. Wu (吴) the associate director of the Nanjing Donglu Police Station in Shanghai, along with 8 other officials and taken to Shanghai’s Huangpu District Psychiatric Hospital Center to prevent her from traveling to Beijing to petition during the Olympic Games. During her detention, Sun has been subjected to solitary confinement, beaten and bound with handcuffs, denied proper food and drink, and verbally abused by staff at the hospital.
Sun began petitioning in 1999, when the floors above her home were converted into a factory by the Shanghai Bureau of Justice and, as a result, sewage began leaking into her apartment. Her detention is seen as retaliation by local authorities for her petitioning. (CHRD)[vi]
Persecution of Political, Labor, and Human Rights Activists
1. Hubei Authorities Place Democratic Activist under Surveillance
On the evening of March 2, democratic activist Yao Lifa (姚立法) of Qianjiang City, Hubei Province, reported that he had been approached by school officials upon arrival at the school where he works and informed that, on the order of higher authorities, he was being placed under surveillance, during which time he was not allowed to travel anywhere or have any contact with the outside world. Yao reports that, between the hours of 7 am and 7 pm, he is followed by followed by 6 teachers, and when he returns home in the evenings, his apartment is under surveillance by a group of police officers who have rented an apartment nearby. (CHRD)[vii]
2. Shenzhen Authorities Place Consumer Rights Advocate under Surveillance
CHRD learned on March 5 that Chen Shuwei (陈书伟), a Shenzhen consumer rights advocate, had been put under house arrest. The cause behind this harassment of Chen is unknown, though those with knowledge of the situation suspect it is related to the annual sessions of the NPC and the CPPCC in Beijing. Chen, who has written on illegal practices in the telecommunications industry and organized citizens to file lawsuits against telecommunications companies, was detained for nearly three months in a black jail during the early fall of 2008 for his work as an advocate. (CHRD)[viii]
3. Guizhou Police Prevent Meeting between Activist and Japanese Journalist
On March 7, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province police placed activist Chen Xi (陈西) under house arrest, preventing him from leaving his home or contacting the outside world for one day and one night. Chen had been scheduled to meet with Zhu Nei (竹内), a Hong Kong-based reporter for the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, on March 8 in Guiyang, and it is believed the police restricted his movement to prevent him from attending this meeting. Zhu had planned to interview Chen about Charter 08, of which he is a signatory, as well as the Guizhou Human Rights Forum. Chen was released after Zhu returned to Hong Kong. (CHRD)[ix]
4. Beijing Housing Rights Activist Placed Under House Arrest during NPC Session
Beijing housing rights activist Wang Ling (王玲) reports that she was placed under strict surveillance by three police officers at the start of the “Two Meetings”, including by one officer, Zhang Chengwen (张成文), who stayed inside her home. On the evening of March 3, Wang planned to leave her home as agreed upon with Zhang; however, an officer surnamed Li had arrived to take Zhang’s place, and refused to allow Wang to leave her home. When Wang argued with the officer, Li pushed Wang to the ground and forcibly dragged her back inside her home. (CRLW)[x]
5. Family of Dongguan Activist Harassed
Liu Dejun (刘德军) reported that two security guards had been stationed outside of his Dongguan home since the morning of March 5. The guards, who wore safety helmets, did not seem to be restricting his freedom of movement. However, members of the National Security Unit of the Dongguan PSB were harassing his parents. Liu believes the guards and the officers were sent to watch him and his family during the “Two Meetings.” Liu, a former police officer, retired in 2000 to become a democratic activist. (CHRD)[xi]
6. Buddhist Nun and AIDS Activist Expelled from Guangdong Temple by Local Authorities
On March 6, AIDS activist Miaojue Cizhi (妙觉慈智), a Buddhist nun, was driven out of Liuzu Temple in Sihui City, Guangdong by local officials. Miaojue, who travels frequently to areas of Henan Province hardest-hit by AIDS, was delivering money and gifts to AIDS widows and orphans during Spring Festival and had returned to Guangdong at the end of February. Officials came twice to demand that she leave the temple, where she lives, claiming that, since she had spent such a long period of time with AIDS patients, she was exposing the inhabitants of the temple to infection with the disease. (WQZXD)[xii]
7. China Pan-Blue Alliance Organizer Missing
Huang Xiaomin (黄晓敏), a Sichuan-based organizer for the Pan-Blue Alliance of Chinese Nationalists, has been missing since March 1. In late February, officials from the National Security Unit under the Chengdu PSB were searching for Huang to question him about possible connections to a series of recent human rights-related cases in Chengdu. Huang traveled to Xinjiang in early March to help his brother Huang Yunmin (黄云敏), a retired judge in Xinjiang who has advocated for the health-related rights of veterans and was detained on suspicion of “possession of guns” on February 10. Family and friends became worried on March 3, after having been unable to reach Huang for the previous three days, which they say is highly unusual. Huang told his family that if such a situation occurred, it likely meant that he had been detained by National Security officers. (WQZXD)[xiii]
8. Sichuan Activist Detained for Reporting on Protests and Clashes
Xing Qingxian (幸清贤), a rights activist based in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, was criminally detained on March 3 on suspicion of “disturbing social order” by the National Security police under Chengdu Municipal PSB. At around 10 p.m. on February 28, when Xing and fellow activist Li Yu (李宇) returned to Xing’s home after an event at a local book club, they found about twenty policemen waiting. The two were taken to Yunmenkou Police Station under Chengdu PSB. The police also confiscated Xing’s computer and some documents. After being held for four hours by Chengdu PSB, Li was forcibly sent back to Deyang City, where he was released.
It is believed that the authorities detained Xing for having released information to “hostile” foreign media. According to Xing’s sister, the family has not received a formal detention notice from the authorities. (CHRD)[xiv]
9. Beijing Lawyer Struck by Motorcyclist, Harassed by Police
On the evening of February 28, Li Baiguang (李柏光), Beijing lawyer and constitutional expert, was struck by a motorcyclist shortly after leaving the West Gate of Beijing University. The man, who bystanders reported as having an accent identifying him as being from somewhere in Yunnan or Guizhou, stopped briefly as a crowd gathered and acted concerned, then slipped off in the ensuing confusion. Li, who was injured in the fall, remained on the ground for several minutes before he was able to get up and continue towards home.
Li, who is acting as a lawyer for villagers resisting forced land appropriation by a mining company in Yunnan Province, was visited that evening by police from Beijing and Yunnan Province, who questioned him for more than one hour and warned him against involving himself with any “Yunnan affairs” in the future. (CHRD)[xv]
10. Surveillance and Detention of Yuan Weijing Continues: Journalist Beaten, Barred from Meeting
Yuan Weijing (袁伟静), the wife of imprisoned rights activist Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚), remains confined to her home and surrounded by guards hired by the local government. On the afternoon of March 8, Wang Keqin (王克勤), journalist for Economy Daily (经济时报), his student Zhou Fuzhi (周福志), along with a driver and a local friend, travelled to Yuan’s home in Dongshigu Village, Yinan County, Shandong Province, to speak with her and bring her, Chen’s mother, and Yuan’s two children some food and gifts. They left quickly, however, after being threatened, attacked and followed by a group of more than 10 guards outside of her home. (CHRD)[xvi]
11. Months before Tiananmen Anniversary, China Refuses Entry to Exiled Student Leader
Yi Danxuan (易丹轩), a former student leader in Guangzhou during the 1989 pro-democracy movement, was denied entry into China on March 7. Yi, now an American citizen, was barred from entering China three months before the 20th anniversary of the authorities’ bloody crackdown of the movement.
On the morning of March 7, Yi, holding a valid US passport and a multiple-entry visa to China, was stopped at Luohu, an immigration point between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Yi was returning to China to visit his parents. According to the team leader of the border police, Yi was being prevented from entering the country on the basis of Article 12 of the Law of the PRC on the Control of the Exit and Entry of Aliens, which states that “aliens who are considered a possible threat to China’s state security and public order shall not be permitted to enter China.” Yi’s multiple-entry visa, valid until December 2009, was cancelled. (CHRD)[xvii]
12. Yuan Xianchen Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for “Inciting Subversion of State Power”
Human rights activist and “barefoot lawyer” Yuan Xianchen (袁显臣), of Jixi City, Heilongjiang Province, was found guilty on March 4 of “inciting subversion of state power” and sentenced to four years in prison and five years’ deprivation of political rights. This verdict comes nearly two months after Yuan was tried by the Jixi City Intermediate People’s Court on January 12.
Yuan protested the verdict and vowed to appeal the decision. Yuan’s wife, Ms. Zhang, received a written verdict from the Jixi City Intermediate People’s Court on March 5. (CHRD)[xviii]
13. Homes of Shandong Teacher Representatives Searched, One Detained
On March 6, the houses of Wang Diangang (王殿刚) and Kong Lingxi (孔令喜), Qufu City, Shandong Province laid-off community-run (minban) school teachers’ representatives, were searched by police. Afterwards, Wang was criminally detained in the Qufu City PSB detention facility on suspicion of “illegal possession of state secrets.” The “state secrets” police allegedly found in Wang’s house were articles about the status of community-run school teachers. While the searches were being carried out, other teachers’ representatives, including Chen Ming (陈明), found themselves held by police in their homes with their cell phones confiscated. (CRLW)[xix]
14. Man Apprehended for Organizing Democracy Party a Decade Years Ago
On March 14, Hu Junxiong (胡俊雄), from Huanggang City, Hubei Province, was apprehended by policemen from the Ministry of State Security and staff from his former work unit, Huanggang City Science Association. Hu was reportedly sent back to Huanggang but his whereabouts are unclear. Huang, an internet engineer, was involved in the founding of the banned China Democracy Party in 1998. Although Hu has ceased his political involvement since then, he has been subject to continued harassment from the PSB and the Ministry of State Security, and as a result, forced to move and change jobs frequently to avoid the police. (CHRD)[xx]
16. Two Members of the New Youth Society Released
On March 12, Zhang Honghai (张宏海) and Yang Zili (杨子立), members of the New Youth Group (新青年学会), were released after eight years of imprisonment for “inciting subversion of state power”. At least two of Yang’s friends, Jia Jianying (贾建英) and Xu Yonghai (徐永海), were prevented by Beijing police from meeting Yang for his release.
Zhang, from Zhejiang Province, and Yang, from Hebei Province, were arrested and then imprisoned for founding and participating in the New Youth Group, a forum founded in May 2000 by a small group of recent university graduates that discussed China’s political reforms. Two other members of the Group, Xu Wei (徐伟) and Jin Haike (靳海科), are still serving ten-year sentences for “inciting subversion of state power”. (CHRD)[xxi]
17. Labor Camp Term of Rights Defender Liu Jie Extended Two Days
CHRD learned on March 11 that petitioner and activist Liu Jie’s (刘杰) RTL term at the Harbin Women’s RTL camp has been extended for two days. Liu was scheduled to be released on April 12. The Harbin Women’s RTL camp did not explain the reasons for the extension but it is believed that the extension of might be punishment for her work to expose and lead fellow detainees to protest against the poor conditions in RTL camps and for appealing the decision to send her to RTL. (CHRD)[xxii]
18. Fujian Farmers’ Representative Detained for Applying to Protest
On February 21, Huang Weizhong (黄维忠), representative of 3000 farmers from Putian County, Fujian, and his brother were forcibly taken from their homes and detained at a villa in the outskirts of Putian County by members of the local police and government. Huang’s brother, Huang Weide (黄维德), was released on March 3 and Huang was released on March 15. The brothers were detained to prevent Huang from travelling to Beijing to petition and to apply to protest to expose rights violations by local authorities, which Huang had vowed to do. Huang has been repeatedly harassed and detained for defending the rights of farmers who have lost their land. (CHRD)[xxiii]
Freedom of Expression
1. Sohu Blog of Activist Pu Zhiqiang Blocked
A blog written by activist Pu Zhiqiang (浦志强) and hosted by sohu.com was blocked on the evening of March 5. The blocking, which took place without any notice from the site, marks the seventh time a blog written by Pu has become inaccessible. Pu believes his blog was closed because he reprinted an article by Qin Hui (秦晖), originally posted without issue on the website “Tianyi”, which authorities misinterpreted as being related to Charter 08. (CHRD)[xxiv]
Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment
1. Incarcerated Activist Wang Guilan’s Condition Continues to Worsen
According to a March 4 interview with the mother of incarcerated activist Wang Guilan (王桂兰), Wang’s condition continues to worsen as she is denied access to proper treatment for infections to serious burn wounds on her face. Wang’s mother reports that Wang is not being given effective medicine, and that she must personally bring in drugs to give to her daughter, which she is often prevented from doing by guards. Wang was also forced to work cleaning lavatories at the detention facility where she is housed, despite an earlier finding by RTL officials that, due to her disability, she is not fit to perform manual labor. When Wang’s mother protested about the work, Wang was placed under 24-hour lockdown, and is not being allowed outside for fresh air or exercise. (CHRD)[xxv]
Housing Rights
1. Forced Demolition in Beijing Ends in Violence
According to CRLW, the forced demolition of a restaurant in Beijing’s Fengtai District turned bloody on March 9 as the owner suffered life-threatening injuries at the hands of police and his sister broke her leg in two places after being pushed off the roof of the building. Jiang Yingjie (蒋英杰), who owned the Fucheng restaurant in Beijing’s Fengtai District, reportedly signed a 20-year land lease with the Fengtai District, Yuege Village government in 1998. However, without any legal procedures or formal demolition notice, the local government decided to forcibly evict Jiang and demolish the restaurant.
According to Jiang’s wife, Xu Shengjun (许生俊), more than 100 officials from local a local police station, Public Security units, and Urban Inspection officers (chengguan), began attacking and restraining restaurant employees as soon as they arrived on the scene. Jiang Qingxia (蒋青夏), the owner’s sister, was pursued upstairs by a police officer and fell from the roof, reportedly pushed by the officer chasing her. Jiang Yingjie was beaten unconscious and taken to Huashan hospital, where doctors diagnosed a ruptured carotid artery and serious injuries to his head. His sister, who was taken to Fengtai hospital, suffered a broken leg in her fall. According to Xu, the official responsible for her husband’s life-threatening injuries was a police officer from the Yuege Village PSB substation, officer number 041110. Though Xu called the police after the violence had ended, those that arrived said they could not handle the case, telling Xu that she would have to speak to their superiors. (CRLW)[xxvi]
2. Appeal for Housing Rights Activist to Be Held in Closed Courtroom
On March 11, CHRD learned that lawyers of Ni Yulan (倪玉兰), a Beijing-based housing rights activist and former lawyer imprisoned for “obstructing official business”, were informed by the Beijing No.1 Intermediate People’s Court that Ni’s appeal will not be heard in an open trial. The Court also rejected the lawyers request to view a CD which, according to the police, contained footage of Ni beating the police. The footage was not shown during Ni’s first trial. Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice also had a “chat” with one of Ni’s lawyers, Li Fangping (李方平), applying pressure on Li regarding the case. (CHRD)[xxvii]
Freedom of Association
1. Candidates in Beijing Lawyers’ Association Elections Removed from Ballots
On March 4, members of the Beijing Lawyers’ Association participated in the second round of voting for the leadership of their organization. However, four lawyers who finished in the top thirteen during the first round of voting, and should have been eligible during this second round, were surprised to discover that their names did not appear on the ballot. The four, Cheng Hai (程海), Yang Huiwen (杨慧文), Tang Jitian (唐吉田), and Tong Chaoping (童朝平), had all been among the group of lawyers who called for direct elections for the Beijing Lawyers’ Association in an open letter in the fall of 2008. According to Yang, the lawyers’ qualifications to serve as candidates were cancelled by officials in charge of the election, and police officers were on hand to observe the voting. (CHRD)[xxviii]
2. Hearing on Reform of Yitong Law Firm Convened
On the morning of March 3, Li Jingsong (李劲松), director of Beijing’s Yitong Law Firm, attended a hearing at the Haidian District People’s Government offices on the topic of “reform” of his firm, closed on February 17, 2009 by the Beijing Haidian District Bureau of Justice. Li and administrators from the Haidian District Bureau of Justice offered statements to an audience made up of officials. According to regulations, the Bureau of Justice will have to make a decision regarding the firm in the next few days. Lawyers at the firm told CHRD that they believe the firm was closed in retaliation for the advocacy of Yitong Law Firm lawyers for direct elections of the leadership of the Beijing Lawyers’ Association in 2008. (CHRD)[xxix]
3. One More Detained for Organizing Factory Sit-in in Chongqing
On March 6, Ye Chuntao (叶春桃), a worker representative of about 800 dismissed workers who have been seeking pensions and medical insurance following the closure of the silk factory at which they worked, was administratively detained for ten days for “disturbing social order”. Ye is currently being held at Tongliang County PSB. Five other worker representatives, Tang Aimin (唐爱民), Hu Weimin (胡卫民), Li Taiyuan (李太元), Ou Hongyong (欧红勇) and Wang Yu (汪宇), were detained on February 15. Li, Ou and Wang were released on February 27. Police have not yet notified Tang and Hu’s family of the two’s charges or the location of their detention. (CRLW)[xxx]
Voting Rights
1. Hebei Farmers Protest Official Interference in Village Election
On the morning of March 9, nearly 300 farmers from Dongchangyuan Village, Wuan Town, Wuan City, Hebei Province travelled to the offices of the Municipal Party Committee in Wuan City to protest the illegal negation of the village committee election held on January 21.
Village party official Jia Qi (贾齐), wanting to prevent the victory of Lu Zhanhai (吕占海), declared the election nullified because of slight irregularities with voting procedures. Now, nearly two months later, the village has still not had another election. According to elections expert Yao Lifa (姚立法), there is no legal basis for Jia’s actions, and no valid excuse for negating the results.
According to farmers, they did not receive a response to their protest, but were told that the matter would be resolved in the coming days. (CHRD)[xxxi]
Citizens’ Actions
1. Laid-off Schoolteachers Present Petition in Beijing
Dozens of members of a laid-off community-run school (minban) teachers’ group from Shaoyang County, Hunan Province, gathered in Beijing the morning of March 9 to present a petition to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The teachers managed to travel to Beijing despite serious interference from authorities in Hunan Province, and are under close surveillance while in the capital. These Shaoyang county teachers, who lost their jobs in the 1980s and 1990s for having more than one child as dictated by the state, number more than 800 and have been active in recent years, traveling to Beijing to petition on numerous occasions. Some members of the group, including Zhou Guanghong (周光宏), were detained while petitioning in October, 2008, and remain incarcerated to this day. (CRLW)[xxxii]
2. Over 2000 Citizens Sign Letter Asking for End to Hepatitis B Discrimination in Schools
On March 12, 2009, a letter signed by 2040 citizens was sent to Premier Wen Jiabao protesting the bias and discrimination faced by Hepatitis B sufferers in schools across the country. The letter calls for an end to mandatory Hepatitis B testing in schools, and a guarantee that the right to education will not be denied for those who carry the disease. Schools often refuse admission to students infected with the disease, beginning at kindergarten and continuing at each level through post-graduate education, despite the fact that no such action is mandated or even encouraged by law. This letter, which was published on the internet, was deemed an “illegal message” and ordered removed by internet police, and has since been moved to an overseas site so that citizens who support it may continue to sign. (Yirenping)[xxxiii]
3. Liu Xiaobo and Charter 08 Signatories Receive Human Rights Award from Czech Group
On March 11, Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波) and all the signatories of Charter 08 were awarded the Homo Homini award in a ceremony in Prague, Czech Republic. A number of signatories were on hand to accept the award from former Czech President Vaclav Havel on Liu’s behalf, as he remains under residential surveillance in an undisclosed location. The award, given annually by the organization People in Need, recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding contribution in the field of human rights. Liu and other signatories were recognized for seeking “dialogue and non-violent solutions to conflicts despite unabated persecution by the state power.” (CHRD)[xxxiv]
Law and Policy Watch
1. Criminal Law Amended; Scope of Corruption Regulations Expanded
On February 28, members of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress approved an amendment to the Criminal Law of the PRC. The newly-amended law features 10 key changes, designed to target corruption, pyramid schemes, kidnapping, the illegal divulgence of personal information, and other such areas of concern. Particularly notable is the inclusion of a new clause which sets a maximum of three years of detention for close relatives or others involved with government officials who use that official’s (or another official’s) power, duties, or position to seek benefit from someone looking to gain favor with that official. This marks the first time that the Criminal Law of the PRC has decreed punishment for individuals suspected of corruption who are not government employees; while it has the potential to serve as a deterrent to those who may be considering such acts, it also provides corrupt officials with a way in which to protect themselves by offering up a relative or someone with a relationship to them in their place. (Legal Daily)[xxxv]
2. Liu Binjie: This Year We Will Strike Hard Against Those Posing as Journalists and Their False News
In remarks made during the second session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on March 3, the General Administration of Press and Publication chief Liu Binjie (柳斌杰) said that “one important task of the government this year… is to firmly attack ‘fake journalists’ and their concocted stories.” Noting the negative effects of what he termed “fake” journalists on both the profession of journalism and society at large, Liu outlined plans for a reorganization of the media and the creation of new national media group. (Liaoning Province Bureau of Press and Publication)[xxxvi]
CHRD is concerned that these remarks presage a further tightening of official restrictions on the media and the stifling of independent voices, such as citizen journalists, beginning to make themselves heard within China. For more information, please see CHRD’s 2008 report, “Follow the Principles of the Party”: State Control of the Media (and What the Media is Doing to Fight Back):
https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class11/200812/20081209223905_12273.html (part I) https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class11/200812/20081209224005_12274.html (part II)
Notable CHRD Publications
On March 13, CHRD released its latest study of internet control in China, “Tug of War over China’s Cyberspace.” This report is a sequel to Journey to the heart of Internet censorship, an October 2007 CHRD-RSF joint report. Since then, CHRD has found that the cat-and-mouse game between the government and Chinese internet users has intensified. To read the full report, please visit: https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class11/200903/20090318235654_14369.html (Part I) https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class11/200903/20090319000543_14370.html (Part II)
Editors: Wang Songlian and David Smalls
[i]“Shanghai Petitioners Detained en route to Hong Kong for Chinese League of Victims Meeting
(上海抓捕前往香港参加全国冤民大同盟会访民),” March 1, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090301193415_13992.html. and “Shanghai Letters and Visits Office Illegally Restricts Citizens’ Freedom of Person (上海信访办公然非法限制公民人身自由),” March 1, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/fmzj/200903/20090301155657_13990.html
[ii] “Shanghai Petitioner Fan Shiming Stopped at Shenzhen Border; Travel Documents Confiscated (上海访民范诗铭在深圳被阻止出关港澳通行证被收缴),” March 2, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090302012136_14004.html
[iii] “Group of Wuhan Petitioners Intercepted; Shandong Petitioners Caught (武汉大批访民遭截 山东访民被抓),” March 6, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/fmzj/200903/20090306165121_14112.html and https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090313172511_14268.html
[iv]“Heilongjiang Activist Li Shuchun Released after 14 Months to Await Retrial (黑龙江维权人士李淑春被判刑一年半 关押14个月后取保候审),” March 1, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090301123300_13988.html
[v] “Wuhan Petitioner Cheng Xue and Husband Detained; Sichuan’s Zuo Xiaohuan Seized For Speech (武汉访民程雪夫妇被抓 四川左晓环演讲被带到派出所),” March 2, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/fmzj/200903/20090302224003_14024.html
[vi]“An Urgent Appeal to International Media and People of Conscience to Help Sun Hongzheng (泣请世界媒体和良知人士关注救助孙红筝),” March 8, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/fmzj/200903/20090308191646_14158.html
[vii] “Authorities in Qianjiang, Hubei Heighten Surveillance of Yao Lifa (湖北潜江当局对姚立法的监控升级),” March 2, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090302200556_14021.html
[viii]“Chen Shuwei Placed Under Surveillance (通讯维权人士陈书伟被软禁),” March 5, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090305131104_14088.html
[ix]“Charter 08′ Signatory Chen Xi Prevented from Meeting Japanese Reporter (《零八宪章》签署者陈西 被阻止会见日本记者),” March 10, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090310232244_14205.html
[x]“Beijing Activist Wang Ling Beaten and Placed Under House Arrest During ‘Two Meetings’ (北京维权人士王玲”两会”期间遭到严厉监控和殴打),” March 3, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090303215538_14047.html
[xi]“Liu Dejun Under Watch as Two Meetings Open (两会开幕 刘德军遭受保安站岗),” March 5, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090305205554_14091.html
[xii] “Compassionate Nun Driven out of Temple (爱心尼姑被赶出寺院),”March 6, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090306210235_14118.html
[xiii]“Huang Xiaomin Missing; Family Suspects ‘Two Meetings’ Connection (黄晓敏失踪 家人疑为保”两会”),” March 6, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090306191806_14114.html
[xiv] “Sichuan Activist Detained for Reporting on Protests and Clashes”, March 3, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class10/200903/20090303165728_14040.html and https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090307002514_14127.html
[xv] See also Boxun, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2009/03/200903052212.shtml. For information on the Yunnan forced land appropriation case, see https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class15/200804/20080422164200_8461.html.
[xvi]“‘Soft Detention’ of Yuan Weijing Continues: Journalist Beaten, Barred from Meeting”, March 11, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class10/200903/20090311022622_14209.html
[xvii] “Months before Tiananmen Anniversary, China Refuses Entry to Exiled Student Leader”, March 10, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class10/200903/20090310095653_14188.html
[xviii] “Yuan Xianchen Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for ‘Inciting Subversion of State Power'”, March 6, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class10/200903/20090306133405_14109.html
[xix] (湖南邵阳民师集体请愿 山东民师王殿冈遭刑事拘留), March 9, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090309211931_14179.html
[xx] “Hubei Democrat Hu Junxiong Taken away by Ministry of State Security Police (湖北民主人士胡俊雄再次被国安警察带走)”, March 15, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090315221039_14302.html
[xxi] “Zan Aizong: Zhang Honghai, a Friend of a Decade and One of the Four Gentlemen of the New Youth Group (昝爱宗：新青年四君子之一：十年老友张宏海)”, March 13, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class18/Class29/200903/20090313112259_14260.html; CHRD, “Beijing Four Gentlemen Yang Zili Has Been Released <北京四君子”杨子立先生已经出狱>”, March 12, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class18/Class28/200903/20090312182922_14242.html
[xxii] “Petitioner-Activist Liu Jie’s RTL Term Extended for Two Days (上访维权代表刘杰劳教被加期两天)”, March 12, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090312165059_14241.html
[xxiii] “Fujian Putian Huang Weizhong Illegally Detained (福建莆田黄维忠已被非法拘禁)”, March 11, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class18/Class45/200903/20090311212621_14221.html
[xxiv]“Pu Zhiqiang Announces Opening of 8th Blog (浦志强：我也要反三俗了–第八个博客启用启事),” March 6, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090306195625_14115.html
[xxv] “Incarcerated Activist Wang Guilan’s Condition Worsens (被恩施关押的维权人士王桂兰烧伤感染进一步恶化),” March 4, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/fmzj/200903/20090304160403_14064.html
[xxvi] “Forced Demolition of Beijing’s Fucheng Restaurant Turns Bloody; One Injured in Fall, One Suffers Carotid Rupture (北京福成酒楼强拆酿血案 一人坠楼一个被打断颈动脉)”, March 9, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090309211833_14178.html
[xxvii] “A Statement by CHRD on the Decision by Beijing Municipal No.1 Intermediate People’s Court to Hold a Closed Trial for Ni Yulan’s Appeal Trial (“维权网”就北京市第一中级法院欲不开庭审理倪玉兰案的声明)”, March 11, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class4/200903/20090311184620_14220.html
[xxviii] “Crackdown on Lawyers Who Advocated Direct Elections; Names Removed From Ballots (推动北京律协直选的律师遭打压 名字不见选票中),” March 5, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class55/200903/20090305215211_14095.html
[xxix] “Hearing Convened to Discuss ‘Reform’ of Yitong Law Firm (北京忆通律师事务所停业整顿听证会召开),” March 3, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090303140628_14032.html
[xxx] “Chongqing Tongliang Continues to Apprehend Silk Factory Workers (重庆铜梁继续抓捕丝厂工人)”, March 11, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090311161402_14219.html
[xxxi] “More than 300 Hebei Farmers Protest, Demand Voting Rights (河北300多位农民集体抗议 要求选举权),” March 10, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class55/200903/20090310101305_14191.html
[xxxii] “Shaoyang, Hunan Teachers Present Petition; Shandong Teacher Criminally Detained (湖南邵阳民师集体请愿 山东民师王殿冈遭刑事拘留),” March 9, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090309211931_14179.html
[xxxiii] “2040 Sign Letter to Wen Jiabao Calling for Education Rights for Hepatitis B Carriers (2040人联名致信温家宝呼吁勿剥夺一亿乙肝人群受教育权利),” March 13, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class71/200903/20090313111403_14259.html
[xxxiv] “Liu Xiaobo and ‘Charter 08’ Signatories Receive Homo Homini Prize from Czech Group (刘晓波及《零八宪章》签署人获颁捷克人权Homo Homini奖),” March 13, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/lingbaxianzhang/200903/20090313113033_14244.html
[xxxv] “Criminal Law Amended; 10 New Items Include Corruption Clause (点击新的刑法修正案十个关键词 “身边人”首当其冲),” March 1, 2009. http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/0801/2009-03/01/content_1044749.htm
[xxxvi]“Liu Binjie: This Year We Will Strike Hard Against Those Posing as Journalists and Their False News (柳斌杰署长：今年将坚决打击假冒记者以及他们所炮制的假新闻),” March 4, 2009. http://www.lnppb.gov.cn/cn/zxyw/2009-03-04/20090304100152.html
“Shanghai Petitioners Detained en route to Hong Kong for Chinese League of Victims Meeting
(上海抓捕前往香港参加全国冤民大同盟会访民),” March 1, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090301193415_13992.html. and “Shanghai Letters and Visits Office Illegally Restricts Citizens’ Freedom of Person (上海信访办公然非法限制公民人身自由),” March 1, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/fmzj/200903/20090301155657_13990.html
“Shanghai Petitioner Fan Shiming Stopped at Shenzhen Border; Travel Documents Confiscated (上海访民范诗铭在深圳被阻止出关港澳通行证被收缴),” March 2, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090302012136_14004.html
“Group of Wuhan Petitioners Intercepted; Shandong Petitioners Caught (武汉大批访民遭截 山东访民被抓),” March 6, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/fmzj/200903/20090306165121_14112.html and https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090313172511_14268.html
“Heilongjiang Activist Li Shuchun Released after 14 Months to Await Retrial (黑龙江维权人士李淑春被判刑一年半 关押14个月后取保候审),” March 1, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090301123300_13988.html
“Wuhan Petitioner Cheng Xue and Husband Detained; Sichuan’s Zuo Xiaohuan Seized For Speech (武汉访民程雪夫妇被抓 四川左晓环演讲被带到派出所),” March 2, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/fmzj/200903/20090302224003_14024.html
“An Urgent Appeal to International Media and People of Conscience to Help Sun Hongzheng (泣请世界媒体和良知人士关注救助孙红筝),” March 8, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/fmzj/200903/20090308191646_14158.html
“Authorities in Qianjiang, Hubei Heighten Surveillance of Yao Lifa (湖北潜江当局对姚立法的监控升级),” March 2, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090302200556_14021.html
“Chen Shuwei Placed Under Surveillance (通讯维权人士陈书伟被软禁),” March 5, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090305131104_14088.html
“Charter 08′ Signatory Chen Xi Prevented from Meeting Japanese Reporter (《零八宪章》签署者陈西 被阻止会见日本记者),” March 10, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090310232244_14205.html
“Beijing Activist Wang Ling Beaten and Placed Under House Arrest During ‘Two Meetings’ (北京维权人士王玲”两会”期间遭到严厉监控和殴打),” March 3, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090303215538_14047.html
“Liu Dejun Under Watch as Two Meetings Open (两会开幕 刘德军遭受保安站岗),” March 5, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090305205554_14091.html
“Compassionate Nun Driven out of Temple (爱心尼姑被赶出寺院),”March 6, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090306210235_14118.html
“Huang Xiaomin Missing; Family Suspects ‘Two Meetings’ Connection (黄晓敏失踪 家人疑为保”两会”),” March 6, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090306191806_14114.html
“Sichuan Activist Detained for Reporting on Protests and Clashes”, March 3, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class10/200903/20090303165728_14040.html and https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090307002514_14127.html
See also Boxun, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2009/03/200903052212.shtml. For information on the Yunnan forced land appropriation case, see https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class15/200804/20080422164200_8461.html.
“‘Soft Detention’ of Yuan Weijing Continues: Journalist Beaten, Barred from Meeting”, March 11, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class10/200903/20090311022622_14209.html
“Months before Tiananmen Anniversary, China Refuses Entry to Exiled Student Leader”, March 10, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class10/200903/20090310095653_14188.html
“Yuan Xianchen Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for ‘Inciting Subversion of State Power'”, March 6, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class9/Class10/200903/20090306133405_14109.html
(湖南邵阳民师集体请愿 山东民师王殿冈遭刑事拘留), March 9, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090309211931_14179.html
“Hubei Democrat Hu Junxiong Taken away by Ministry of State Security Police (湖北民主人士胡俊雄再次被国安警察带走)”, March 15, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090315221039_14302.html
“Zan Aizong: Zhang Honghai, a Friend of a Decade and One of the Four Gentlemen of the New Youth Group (昝爱宗：新青年四君子之一：十年老友张宏海)”, March 13, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class18/Class29/200903/20090313112259_14260.html; CHRD, “Beijing Four Gentlemen Yang Zili Has Been Released <北京四君子”杨子立先生已经出狱>”, March 12, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class18/Class28/200903/20090312182922_14242.html
“Petitioner-Activist Liu Jie’s RTL Term Extended for Two Days (上访维权代表刘杰劳教被加期两天)”, March 12, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090312165059_14241.html
“Fujian Putian Huang Weizhong Illegally Detained (福建莆田黄维忠已被非法拘禁)”, March 11, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class18/Class45/200903/20090311212621_14221.html
“Pu Zhiqiang Announces Opening of 8th Blog (浦志强：我也要反三俗了–第八个博客启用启事),” March 6, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090306195625_14115.html
“Incarcerated Activist Wang Guilan’s Condition Worsens (被恩施关押的维权人士王桂兰烧伤感染进一步恶化),” March 4, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/fmzj/200903/20090304160403_14064.html
“Forced Demolition of Beijing’s Fucheng Restaurant Turns Bloody; One Injured in Fall, One Suffers Carotid Rupture (北京福成酒楼强拆酿血案 一人坠楼一个被打断颈动脉)”, March 9, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090309211833_14178.html
“A Statement by CHRD on the Decision by Beijing Municipal No.1 Intermediate People’s Court to Hold a Closed Trial for Ni Yulan’s Appeal Trial (“维权网”就北京市第一中级法院欲不开庭审理倪玉兰案的声明)”, March 11, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class4/200903/20090311184620_14220.html
“Crackdown on Lawyers Who Advocated Direct Elections; Names Removed From Ballots (推动北京律协直选的律师遭打压 名字不见选票中),” March 5, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class55/200903/20090305215211_14095.html
“Hearing Convened to Discuss ‘Reform’ of Yitong Law Firm (北京忆通律师事务所停业整顿听证会召开),” March 3, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090303140628_14032.html
“Chongqing Tongliang Continues to Apprehend Silk Factory Workers (重庆铜梁继续抓捕丝厂工人)”, March 11, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090311161402_14219.html
“More than 300 Hebei Farmers Protest, Demand Voting Rights (河北300多位农民集体抗议 要求选举权),” March 10, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class55/200903/20090310101305_14191.html
“Shaoyang, Hunan Teachers Present Petition; Shandong Teacher Criminally Detained (湖南邵阳民师集体请愿 山东民师王殿冈遭刑事拘留),” March 9, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200903/20090309211931_14179.html
“2040 Sign Letter to Wen Jiabao Calling for Education Rights for Hepatitis B Carriers (2040人联名致信温家宝呼吁勿剥夺一亿乙肝人群受教育权利),” March 13, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class71/200903/20090313111403_14259.html
“Liu Xiaobo and ‘Charter 08’ Signatories Receive Homo Homini Prize from Czech Group (刘晓波及《零八宪章》签署人获颁捷克人权Homo Homini奖),” March 13, 2009. https://www.nchrd.org/Article/lingbaxianzhang/200903/20090313113033_14244.html
“Criminal Law Amended; 10 New Items Include Corruption Clause (点击新的刑法修正案十个关键词 “身边人”首当其冲),” March 1, 2009. http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/0801/2009-03/01/content_1044749.htm
“Liu Binjie: This Year We Will Strike Hard Against Those Posing as Journalists and Their False News (柳斌杰署长：今年将坚决打击假冒记者以及他们所炮制的假新闻),” March 4, 2009. http://www.lnppb.gov.cn/cn/zxyw/2009-03-04/20090304100152.html