China Human Rights Briefing June 8-14, 2009
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Reporting human rights development from the grassroots
June 8-14, 2009
Highlights
- While the majority of activists and dissidents who suffered detention or surveillance during the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre are now back to living their lives as normal, some continue to be subjected to residential surveillance or round-the-clock police monitoring. For example, the residence of Beijing human rights lawyer Li Xiongbing (黎雄兵) in Tongzhou District remains guarded by members of the National Security Unit under the Tongzhou PSB . Beijing dissidents and activists Jiang Qisheng (江棋生) and Zhang Zuhua (张祖华), along with Liu Xia (刘霞), the wife of detained dissident intellectual Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波), were put back under residential surveillance on June 10. Police also prevented the three from meeting on June 14. In the past few days, friends have been unable to reach Liu Xia by phone. There is speculation that the continued surveillance during an otherwise non-sensitive period indicates that higher authorities may have decided on a course of action to take regarding Liu Xiaobo- either to free him, release him into residential surveillance, or formally arrest or charge him.
- The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s announcement on June 8 that all computers sold in China must come pre-loaded with “Green Dam Youth Escort” internet filtering software by July 1 has sparked a large outcry among netizens in China concerned about violations of their rights. Some have taken the issue beyond online forums and BBS: On June 11, Beijing human rights lawyer Li Fangping (李方平) sent the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology two applications, one asking for the Ministry to make public information about the controversial “Green Dam” software, and another to hold a public hearing on the software.
Please click here to download the full CHRB June 8-14,2009 in PDF format
Contents
Hong Kong Charter 08 Signatory Barred from Lecturing at Guangdong Universities
Hubei Judge Sues Sina.com over Closed Blog
Zhejiang Charter 08 Signatory Forced to Delete Blog Posting about June 4th and to Return to Hometown
Blog of Beijing Scholar Wu Zuolai Shut Down over June 4th Picture
Works by Hubei Writer Liu Yiming Ordered Blocked by State Council Information Office
Police Confiscate Shirts Supporting Deng Yujiao, Threaten Creators
Gansu Environmentalist Sun Xiaodi Detained
Democratic Activist Liu Shasha Released from Surveillance
Sichuan Activist Wang Chengming Missing, Feared Detained
Activist Chen Yang Detained in Chongqing
Yunnan Activist Zhu Chengzhi Criminally Detained in Beijing
Democracy Activist Chen Yunfei Detained During Tiananmen Anniversary
Hangzhou Democracy Activist Wei Shuishan Harassed by Police
Detained Cyber Activist Zhang Huaiyang Meets with Lawyer for First Time
Shanghai Police Prevent Activist Feng Zhenghu from Entering Country; Return Him to Japan
After June 4, Officials Persist in Harassing Beijing Human Rights Lawyer
Trial Begins for Chongqing Pan-Blue Alliance Member Zhang Qi after Year-long Detention
Beijing Lawyers Ask Judicial Administration Bureau to Explain Refusal to Renew their Licenses
Shanxi Activist Files Administrative Lawsuit over Confiscation of Travel Permit, Passport
Beijing Lawyer Calls for Open Hearing on “Green Dam” Internet Filtering Software
Internet Filtering Software Mandatory for New Computers, Decrees Government Ministry
Freedom of Expression
Hong Kong Charter 08 Signatory Barred from Lecturing at Guangdong Universities
Hong Kong scholar and TV personality Liang Wendao (梁文道), a signatory of Charter 08, was prevented from giving a series of lectures at Jinan University, Sun Yat-sen University, and other institutes of higher learning in Guangdong on June 8 by local Public Security Bureau (PSB) authorities. According to a university administrator, police issued a notice stating that Liang, a host of programs on Hong Kong’s Phoenix TV station, should be barred from speaking on campus because of his involvement with Charter 08 and activities related to June 4th. (CHRD)[i]
Hubei Judge Sues Sina.com over Closed Blog
On June 7, Jianshi County, Hubei Province judge Huang Zhijia (黄志佳) filed a lawsuit against the web portal Sina.com with Beijing’s Haidian District Court. Huang is suing Sina for shutting down his blog in May 2009. According to Huang, Sina acted in violation of their user agreement by closing his blog without first notifying him, and he believes that the material posted on his blog did not justify the action taken by the web portal. (CHRD)[ii]
Zhejiang Charter 08 Signatory Forced to Delete Blog Posting about June 4th and to Return to Hometown
On June 3, Charter 08 signatory Lu Yang (鲁扬) was “invited” to the Pingyang County, Zhenjiang Province PSB station and questioned by officials from the National Security Unit under the Zhejiang PSB for nearly 10 hours. Before Lu was allowed to leave, officials pressured him to delete a blog posting he had written commemorating June 4. Lu was then forced to depart from Zhejiang, where he had lived for three years, and return to Shandong Province, where he was originally from. (CHRD)[iii]
Blog of Beijing Scholar Wu Zuolai Shut Down over June 4th Picture
The blog of Beijing-based scholar and Charter 08 signatory Wu Zuolai (吴祚来) was closed shortly after June 4. It is believed that the blog, hosted on Sohu.com (http://wubloger.blog.sohu.com/), was closed because of a wordless posting featuring a picture of four candles (see: http://blog.ifeng.com/article/2751744.html) which authorities took to represent a commemoration of the Tiananmen Massacre. (CHRD)[iv]
Works by Hubei Writer Liu Yiming Ordered Blocked by State Council Information Office
In early June, Liu Yiming (刘逸明), a vocal writer from Hubei and member of the Independent Chinese PEN, noticed that major internet media such as Jingchu (荆楚网), Dahe (大河网), Jinyang (金羊网) and other news websites had stopped publishing his articles. Liu said these websites used to publish every article he sent them. According to a Hubei web editor, the State Council Information Office had issued an order to these websites on June 11 forbidding them from publishing Liu’s articles. Liu is a prolific writer who has written many articles critical of social and political problems which have been published by online media and then widely read and distributed by netizens. (CHRD)[v]
Police Confiscate Shirts Supporting Deng Yujiao, Threaten Creators
On May 29, a group of activists in Beijing delivered a design, created by artist Ai Weiwei’s (艾未未) office, for a shirt supporting Deng Yujiao (邓玉娇) to a local print shop. However, as many of the organizers were placed under police surveillance in the days before June 4, they were not able to return to the print shop until June 8. When activists Wang Lihong (王荔蕻) and A Er (阿二) finally went to pick up the shirts, the owner reported that all of the shirts had been confiscated by police, reportedly from the Chongwen Sub-division of the Beijing PSB, and that officers left instructions to report if anyone came to claim them, saying they would return and detain them. (CHRD)[vi]
Persecution of Activists
Gansu Environmentalist Sun Xiaodi Detained
On June 16, the daughter of anti-pollution crusader and environmental activist Sun Xiaodi (孙小弟) was seized by Gansu police in Beijing; her whereabouts are currently unknown. A few hours later, Sun was likewise taken away by police from his home in Diebu County, Gansu. Sun’s wife, Hu Jianhong (胡建红), reported that police informed her by telephone that her husband was being detained for “illegally supplying secret information”, but she has yet to receive any formal written notice. According to CRLW, Sun is being detained for continuing to report on radioactive pollution from the 792 uranium mine in the autonomous Tibetan region of Gansu, as well as efforts by local officials to exaggerate the impact of the May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake on Diebu County in Gansu. Sun has dedicated the past 20 years to environmental protection, and has been awarded international prizes for his work in fighting against radioactive pollution and nuclear waste. However, as a result of his activism, he has been consistently harassed, threatened, and beaten by officials. (CHRD)[vii]
Democratic Activist Liu Shasha Released from Surveillance
On June 9, officials from her work unit told Henan democratic activist Liu Shasha (刘沙沙) that she would no longer be under their surveillance. Liu, who began a hunger strike on May 24 to protest her treatment, was at a Nanyang hospital. She was first detained by police on April 4 for distributing copies of Charter 08, and for the past two months has been kept under surveillance by her work unit, PetroChina. (CHRD)[viii]
Sichuan Activist Wang Chengming Missing, Feared Detained
Wang Chengming (枉成明), a Luzhou City, Sichuan Province activist who has been living and working in Beijing, was seized by police from Beijing’s Fengtai District on June 2 after he expressed a desire to travel to Badong County to support Deng Yujiao (邓玉娇). It is also believed that Wang was detained because of concerns about the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre on June 4. Wang has been detained since that day; though authorities said they were returning him to Luzhou, friends have not been able to contact him, and in an earlier message Wang warned that if he was missing for more than three days, it was likely he was being illegally detained. (CHRD)[ix]
Activist Chen Yang Detained in Chongqing
On June 15, CHRD learned that 23-year-old Chongqing activist and Charter 08 signatory Chen Yang (陈杨), who was detained, beaten and had his home searched by police on June 3, is now being detained on the charge of “impeding the carrying out of duties” in Chongqing’s Jiulongpo District Detention Center. Chen’s parents were notified of their son’s detention by a formal notice delivered on the afternoon of June 10. It is believed that Chen’s detention is related to plans he and fellow activists had made to commemorate June 4. (CHRD)[x]
Yunnan Activist Zhu Chengzhi Criminally Detained in Beijing
On May 27, the day US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi arrived in Beijing, Yunnan anti-corruption activist Zhu Chengzhi (朱承志) was seized by police for taking photographs outside of the State Council Information Office. He was charged with “disrupting public order” and sent to 10 days of administrative detention. However, on June 7, the day he was set to be released, fellow activists who travelled to the Dongcheng Detention Center to greet him found he was still being detained; Zhu sent two text messages from inside the center, one of which read “still detained” and the other “criminal detention”. Family members and friends have not been able to obtain any further information from authorities about Zhu’s detention. (CHRD)[xi]
Democracy Activist Chen Yunfei Detained During Tiananmen Anniversary
On the evening of May 28, a group of more than 10 policemen and National Security officers arrived at the Chengdu City, Sichuan Province home of democracy activist Chen Yunfei (陈云飞). After searching his home (though they did not remove any of Chen’s property), the officers blindfolded Chen and took him to an unidentified location, where he was held until midnight on June 8. For five of the eleven days he was detained, Chen went on a hunger strike, which he ended on the evening of June 4. On June 8, the officers, once again blindfolding Chen so he could not discover where he had been held, returned him to his home. Chen had been summoned twice by officials in the days leading up to June 4, and in 2007, Chen served six months of residential surveillance at home for placing an advertisement to commemorate those killed in the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown in the Chengdu Evening News. (CHRD)[xii]
Hangzhou Democracy Activist Wei Shuishan Harassed by Police
According to Hangzhou, Zhejiang, democracy activist Wei Shuishan (未水山), on June 9, six officers from the National Security Unit under the local PSB arrived at his home and cut his power and telephone lines, leaving him unable to access the internet. He also states that officers warned his clients not to do business with him, and threatened his landlord with heavy fines if the landlord continued to rent an apartment to Wei. Wei was recently sent to a one-week “education class” during the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre for publishing articles online that were critical of the government and the Tiananmen Massacre, including “China’s Unique Dictatorship”, “The Butchers of 89 Must Be Punished”, “Battle China’s Corrupt Officials”, and others. (CHRD)[xiii]
Detained Cyber Activist Zhang Huaiyang Meets with Lawyer for First Time
On June 16, Zhang Huaiyang (张怀阳), a 27-year-old Charter 08 signatory from Shenyang City, Liaoning Province currently criminally detained on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”, met with lawyer Wang Yong (王勇) for the first time since he was taken into detention on May 28. CHRD also learned that “evidence” against Zhang, according to the authorities, was writing an online posting inquiring if people had gathered on Tiananmen Square to commemorate June 4th, and printing three shirts. It is still unclear how long officials intend to detain Zhang. (CHRD)[xiv]
Shanghai Police Prevent Activist Feng Zhenghu from Entering Country; Return Him to Japan
On the afternoon of June 7, Shanghai human rights activist and Independent Chinese PEN member Feng Zhenghu (冯正虎) arrived at Shanghai’s Pudong airport on a flight from Japan. However, when the plane landed, Shanghai police posing as medical professionals checking for signs of swine flu falsely alleged that Feng had a fever, holding him on the plane while the rest of the passengers disembarked. Once the plane was empty, Feng was led to a room in the interior of the airport, where he and his belongings were carefully searched. After the search was complete, the police announced Feng was “not permitted” to enter China, though they did not provide any explanation. Feng was then placed on a plane by police and returned to Japan; though he initially refused to enter the country, demanding to be returned to China, he later passed through customs and entered Japan, where he currently remains. (CHRD)[xv]
After June 4, Officials Persist in Harassing Beijing Human Rights Lawyer
After the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre passed last week, most individuals detained or placed under police surveillance have been allowed to return to their normal lives, with a few exceptions. One is Beijing human rights lawyer and Charter 08 signatory Li Xiongbing (黎雄兵), whose Tongzhou District home remains guarded by at least two members of the National Security Unit under the Tongzhou PSB as of June 9. The guards restrict Li’s activities to his home and office, following him when he goes out and preventing him from traveling elsewhere. This is the latest episode in a long history of official harassment of Li, who has been forced to move in the past after authorities have pressured his landlords and the operators of his child’s kindergarten. Li was also one of the Beijing lawyers whose licenses were not renewed following their annual review earlier this year. (CHRD)[xvi]
Trial Begins for Chongqing Pan-Blue Alliance Member Zhang Qi after Year-long Detention
Chongqing resident Zhang Qi (张起), a member of the China Pan-Blue Alliance of Nationalists, was tried on the afternoon of June 15 for “inciting subversion of state power” in a closed trial at Chongqing Number One Intermediate Court. Zhang disappeared in May 2008 after helping to organize Pan-Blue Alliance members to provide disaster relief in areas affected by the May 12 Wenchuan Earthquake. He was formally arrested on June 20, 2008, for “possession of state secrets”. Though it is unclear why he was tried on a different charge, the court declared that because his case “involved state secrets” it was not open to the public. Zhang’s lawyers Zheng Jianwei (郑建伟) and Ma Xiaopeng (马小鹏) entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of Zhang and argued that the prosecution’s case suffered from serious flaws; however, Zheng was not able to provide more detailed information. The court did not announce a verdict. (CHRD)[xvii]
Citizens’ Actions
Beijing Lawyers Ask Judicial Administration Bureau to Explain Refusal to Renew their Licenses
On the morning of June 9, a group of Beijing lawyers, including Zhang Jianguo (张建国), Li Jinglin (李静林), Liu Wei (刘巍), Tang Jitian (唐吉田) and others travelled to the Beijing Municipal Judicial Administration Bureau to protest the recent events which led to the loss of their licenses. The lawyers are among the more than 20 who lost their licenses following last month’s annual review because of their handling of “sensitive” cases and their support for direct elections for the leadership of the Lawyers’ Association. Staff members at the secretariat of the Judicial Administration Bureau pledged to transmit their complaints to “higher-level” officials. (CHRD)[xviii]
Shanxi Activist Files Administrative Lawsuit over Confiscation of Travel Permit, Passport
On June 9, Shanxi Province activist and Charter 08 signatory Deng Taiqing (邓太清) sent the paperwork required to file an administrative lawsuit by express mail to the Taiyuan City Intermediate People’s Court. Deng is bringing a lawsuit against the Taiyuan City PSB for denying him the right to travel to Hong Kong to visit friends. On June 5, ahead of a scheduled trip to Hong Kong, Deng was summoned by the Taiyuan PSB, who confiscated his passport and Hong Kong and Macau travel permit while threatening him not to leave the country before October 1. (CHRD)[xix]
Beijing Lawyer Calls for Open Hearing on “Green Dam” Internet Filtering Software
On June 11, Beijing human rights lawyer Li Fangping (李方平) sent the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology two applications, one asking for the Ministry to make public information about the controversial “Green Dam” software, and another to hold a public hearing on the software. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had previously announced that, beginning July 1, all computers sold in China must come pre-loaded with “Green Dam Youth Escort”, software designed to filter internet content. Li, who believes that the regulation violates citizens’ freedom of choice, states that he is following the guidelines of the General Office of the State Council, which has previously stated that matters closely related to “the interests of the people and the common good” should be subjected a public hearing as part of the examination and approval process. (CHRD)[xx]
Law and Policy Watch
Internet Filtering Software Mandatory for New Computers, Decrees Government Ministry
On June 8, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced that all computers sold in China must include internet-filtering software known as “Green Dam Youth Escort” by July 1. The software, designed to filter pornographic images and other “harmful” content, also limits the amount of time users can spend online, records a users’ web history, and performs other such functions. The government has spent nearly 42 million RMB to provide the software free of charge to citizens for the first year, a deal which has led some to suspect corrupt dealings between the officials and software developers. While the authorities claim that the purpose of the software is to protect minors from inappropriate content online, netizens, media, and computer users across China have been discussing the software heatedly in recent days, concerned that it not only limits a user’s freedoms online but also has the potential to facilitate government surveillance and further control of an individuals’ activities. (Legal Daily)[xxi]
Editors: Wang Songlian and David Smalls
[i] “‘Charter 08’ Signatory Liang Wendao Prevented from Lecturing on Mainland《零八宪章》签署人梁文道被阻止在大陆演讲)”, June 8, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/liusi/200906/20090608011102_15763.html
[ii] “Hubei Rights-Defending Judge Huang Zhijia Sues Sina.com (湖北维权法官黄志佳状告新浪网)”, June 8, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class71/200906/20090608103939_15766.html
[iii] “‘Charter 08 Signatory Lu Yuang Threatened Against Leaving Zhejiang by Police (《零八宪章》签署人鲁扬遭警方威胁不离开浙江就抓起来)”, June 8, 2009,
https://www.nchrd.org/Article/lingbaxianzhang/200906/20090608104559_15769.html
[iv] “‘Charter 08 Signatory and Celebrated Scholar Wu Zuolai’s Sohu Blog Closed (《零八宪章》签署人著名学者吴祚来搜狐博客被封)”, June 8, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/liusi/200906/20090608114959_15772.html
[v] “News Management Bureau Orders Online Media to Block Liu Yiming (新闻主管部门下令网络媒体封杀刘逸明)”, June 11, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200906/20090611171810_15815.html
[vi] “Deng Yujiao Support Group Shirts Confiscated, Police Threaten to Detain Individuals (邓玉娇后援会文化衫被没收，公安威胁说要抓人)”, June 9, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class18/dengyujiao/200906/20090609004218_15782.html
[vii] “Anti-Nuclear Warrior Sun Xiaodi Detained; Family’s Home Telephone Cut Off (反核污染斗士孙小弟被拘留 家中电话无法接通)”, June 17, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class2/200906/20090617152014_15884.html and “Anti-pollution Warrior Sun Xiaodi Arrested for ‘Illegally Supplying Secret Information'(反核污染斗士孙小弟被控”非法提供秘密情报”遭拘捕)”, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200906/20090616235849_15883.html
[viii] “‘Charter 08’ Signatory Liu Shasha Regains Freedom (《零八宪章》签署人刘沙沙恢复自由)”, June 11, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/liusi/200906/20090611093801_15805.html
[ix] “‘Charter 08’ Signatories Liu Shasha, Wang Chengming Have Lost Contact with the Outside World For Four Days《零八宪章》刘沙沙、枉成明与外界失去联系已经四天)”, June 8, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/liusi/200906/20090608103556_15764.html
[x] “Activist Chen Yang Criminally Detained (维权人士陈杨被刑事拘留)”, June 8, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200906/20090608183727_15776.html and “Activist Chen Yang Still Detained; A Call for All to Support His Release (维权人士陈杨仍被拘押 呼吁各界声援放人)”, June 15, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200906/20090615144728_15854.html
[xi] “Yunnan Anti-Corruption Crusader Zhu Chengzhi Transferred to Criminal Detention (云南反腐志士朱承志被转为刑拘)”, June 8, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200906/20090608222229_15780.html
[xii] “Chen Yunfei Imprisoned, Goes on 5-Day Hunger Strike; Demands Political Asylum in Taiwan (陈云飞被囚绝食五天 要求到台湾政治避难)”, June 9, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/liusi/200906/20090609224342_15792.html
[xiii] “Zhejiang Democracy Activist Wei Shuishan Again Persecuted by National Security Officers (浙江民主人士未水山再遭国保迫害)”, June 9, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200906/20090609004840_15783.html
[xiv] “Zhang Huaiyang Met With Lawyer This Morning (张怀阳今天上午会见律师)”, June 16, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class2/200906/20090616175737_15875.html
[xv] “‘Charter 08’ Signatory, Shanghai Activist Feng Zhenghu Barred from Entering Country《零八宪章》签署人、上海维权人士冯正虎被禁止入境)”, June 9, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/lingbaxianzhang/200906/20090609120946_15785.html
[xvi] “Tongzhou National Security Officials Persist in Controlling, Harassing ‘Charter 08’ Signatory Lawyer Li Xiongbing (通州国保持续监控骚扰《零八宪章》签署人黎雄兵律师)”, June 9, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/liusi/200906/20090609153024_15787.html
[xvii] “Pan-Blue Alliance Member Zhang Qi’s Case Heard in Secret (泛蓝联盟成员张起案件已秘密审理)”, June 16, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/200906/20090616171822_15874.html
[xviii] “Beijing Lawyers Proceed to Judicial Administration Bureau and Lawyers’ Association Seeking to Defend Rights(北京部分律师前往司法局与律协维权)”, June 9, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class71/200906/20090609140818_15786.html
[xix] “Shanxi Dissident Activist Deng Taiqing Raises Administrative Lawsuit, Defenders Right to Leave the Country (山西异议维权人士邓太清提起行政诉讼，捍卫自己的出境权)”, June 11, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class71/200906/20090611003720_15802.html
[xx] “Beijing Lawyer Sends Application for Public Information, Public Hearing on ‘Green Dam’ Software to Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (北京律师就”绿坝”软件向工信部提出信息公开申请和听证申请)”, June 11, 2009, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class3/200906/20090611135544_15810.html
[xxi] “China’s Call for ‘Internet Filtering Software’ Draws Interest; Government Claims Not Designed to Inspect and Control Netizens (我国推行”上网过滤软件”引发关注 官方称不监控网民 )”, June 10, 2009, http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/0801/2009-06/10/content_1103161.htm