China Human Rights Briefing May 11-17, 2010
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May 11-17, 2010
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Highlights
- Beijing Writer and Activist Wang Debang Interrogated, Home Searched: Beijing police searched the home of Beijing-based writer and human rights activist Wang Debang (王德邦) on May 11, confiscating a computer. At the same time, Wang was taken in for four hours of questioning. Wang has been harassed by police on numerous occasions for his human rights activism, and had his home raided in January 2009 after police suspected him of being involved in drafting a human rights report.
- Harassment of Petitioners in Shanghai Continues, Woman Sent to Two Years of RTL: Xinjiang petitioner Feng Yongji (冯永记) was sent to two years of RTL for “disrupting work unit order” by officials in Shihezi City on May 13 after she was forcibly returned from Shanghai. Feng was seized on April 30, shortly after arriving via train to visit the Shanghai Expo. Feng began petitioning around 2007 after a court in Xinjiang sentenced her husband to nine years in prison and seized her property.
- Digital Activist Arrested for “Subversion of State Power” in Jiangxi: CHRD learned on May 17 that Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province digital activist Dong Zaihao (董在豪) has been formally arrested for “subversion of state power.” Dong was seized by police in Suzhou City, Jiangxi after taking part in activities to honor the memory of Lin Zhao (林昭) on April 30; he also recently participated in protests outside of the sentencing of Fan Yanqiong (范燕琼), Wu Huaying (吴华英), and You Jingyou (游精佑) in Fuzhou. Dong, who writes under the name “Gentle Breeze and Bright Moon” (清风明月), has authored a number of articles on democracy, which he has circulated online.
Contents
Harassment of Activists
Beijing Police Briefly Detain Activist Wang Debang, Confiscate Computer
Arbitrary Detention
Jiangxi Writer and Activist Arrested for “Subversion of State Power”
Guangxi Village Chief Criminally Detained for Leading Resistance against Forced Eviction
Hubei Officials, Nervous about Teacher Protests, Briefly Detain Activist Yao Lifa
Petitioner-Activist Liu Xueli Released following 21 Months of Re-education through Labor
Hebei Reporter Sent to 1.5 Years of Re-Education through Labor
Shanghai Expo Watch
Freedom of Religion
Police in Sichuan Break up House Church Service, Detain Eight
Forced Eviction and Demolition
Homeowner Injured, Son Briefly Detained During Forced Eviction in Shandong
Freedom of Assembly
Beijing Police Harass Activist Qi Zhiyong, Prevent Him from Holding Birthday Party
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Beijing Municipal Prison Officials Refuse to Move Hu Jia into Better-Maintained Building
Legal Rights
Beijing Lawyers File Criminal Complaint Following Revocation of Licenses
Citizens’ Actions
Organization Issues Report on Discriminatory Hiring Practices in Shenzhen
Harassment of Activists
Beijing Police Briefly Detain Activist Wang Debang, Confiscate Computer
At around 5 pm on May 11, Beijing-based human rights activist Wang Debang (王德邦) was taken from his home by a group of officers from the National Security Unit under the Beijing Public Security Bureau. Police also confiscated a computer from Wang’s home. Wang was taken to the Zhoukoudian Police Station in Beijing’s Fangshan District and questioned for more than four hours before being released. The reason for Wang’s brief detention, and the confiscation of his computer, are currently unknown. Wang, who is originally from Guilin City, Guangxi Province, has been harassed by police on numerous occasions for his human rights activism, and had his home raided in January 2009, after police suspected him of being involved in drafting a human rights report. (CHRD)[i]
Arbitrary Detention
Jiangxi Writer and Activist Arrested for “Subversion of State Power”
CHRD learned on May 17 that Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province activist Dong Zaihao (董在豪) has been formally arrested for “subversion of state power.” On April 30, Dong was seized by police in Suzhou City, Jiangxi after taking part in activities to honor the memory of Lin Zhao (林昭), and forcibly returned to Nanchang. Dong, who writes under the name “Gentle Breeze and Bright Moon” (清风明月), has authored a number of articles on democracy, which he has circulated online. Dong also took part in protests outside of the sentencing of Fan Yanqiong (范燕琼), Wu Huaying (吴华英), and You Jingyou (游精佑) in Fuzhou on April 16; at the time of writing, the official reason behind Dong’s arrest was not known. (CHRD)[ii]
Guangxi Village Chief Criminally Detained for Leading Resistance against Forced Eviction
On May 15, Baihutou Village Committee Director Xu Kun (许坤) was criminally detained on suspicion of “running an illegal business” by police in Beihai City, Guangxi Province. According to police, Xu and others were involved in the illegal operation of a parking lot which belonged to the state. However, it is believed that this is a trumped-up charge: Xu, an elected leader in Baihutou, has been leading villagers in their long-running resistance against government efforts to forcibly demolish their homes and seize their land. The villagers claim that between 2006 and 2007, without having consulted the villagers, the then-village committee director made an agreement to sell over 700 mu (about 115 hectares) of village land to the Beihai City Land Reserve. On May 8 of this year, six villagers were detained for resisting demolition. CHRD is yet to independently verify the details of Xu’s detention. (CHRD)[iii]
Hubei Officials, Nervous about Teacher Protests, Briefly Detain Activist Yao Lifa
Qianjiang City, Hubei Province democracy activist Yao Lifa (姚立法) was detained for approximately 30 hours before being released around noon on May 12. According to Yao, he was met at work by officials from the Qianjiang Public Security Bureau (PSB), Bureau of Education, and his work unit on the morning of May 11; that evening, he was taken to an unknown location outside of Qianjiang. Yao believes that PSB officials suspected him of organizing laid-off community-run (minban) school teachers who have been collectively petitioning in Hubei recently, and that they hoped to disrupt these group petitions by pressuring him. The teachers continued their group petitioning in Wuhan City, however, with dozens of representatives gathering for the third straight day. (CHRD)[iv]
Petitioner-Activist Liu Xueli Released following 21 Months of Re-education through Labor
CHRD learned that Liu Xueli (刘学立), a petitioner-turned-activist who was sent to 21 months of Re-education through Labor in late 2008 for applying to demonstrate at one of the two official “Protest Zones” during the Beijing Olympics, was released on April 2. Luo, a village representative from Song County, Luoyang City, Henan Province, has been petitioning for years after the village land was forcibly appropriated by the local government. (CHRD)[v]
Hebei Reporter Sent to 1.5 Years of Re-Education through Labor
CHRD learned on May 14 that Baoding City, Hebei Province reporter Xu Yishun (徐义顺) has been sent to one and a half years of Re-education through Labor (RTL). According to the RTL notice received by Xu’s family, he is being held in the Gaoyang RTL Camp; however, the notice did not state a specific reason for his detention. Xu’s wife believes that the punishment may stem from a trip Xu took on April 26 to visit Yuan Weijing (袁伟静), the wife of imprisoned Shandong human rights defender Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚). Xu, a reporter for Public Opinion (民意) magazine, was intercepted by Baoding City police while en route to meet with Yuan. (CHRD)[vi]
Shanghai Expo Watch:
- Petitioner Sent to Two Years of RTL After Being Detained in Shanghai: On May 13, Xinjiang petitioner Feng Yongji (冯永记) was sent to two years of RTL for “disrupting work unit order” by officials in Shihezi City. Feng was seized in Shanghai on April 30, shortly after arriving via train to visit the Shanghai Expo together with a group of sixteen other Beijing-based petitioners. Feng was then detained in the Shanghai Liaison Office of the Shihezi City Government, where she was violently attacked by ten police officers. On May 3, she was forcibly returned to Shihezi City, where she was placed under 10 days of administrative detention for “disrupting the working order of the Shihezi City Shanghai Liaison Office.” Her family learned that she had been sent to RTL when they arrived at the detention center to retrieve her following the end of her 10 days of administrative detention; they have yet to receive a formal RTL notice. The location where Feng is currently being detained is not known. Feng began petitioning around 2007 after a court in Xinjiang sentenced her husband to nine years in prison and seized her property; while she was eventually able to secure her husband’s early release, when she sought compensation for the loss of their family home and other damages related to the case, she was sent to RTL for one year and three months in early 2008. (CHRD)[vii]
- Eleven Petitioners Criminally Detained for Spontaneous Gathering Outside of Expo Site: CHRD learned on May 13 that 11 Shanghai petitioners have been criminally detained for “assembling a crowd to disrupt social order.” The petitioners, who were seized outside of the Shanghai Expo grounds on April 29, apparently did not know each other before they were detained. Local officials, believing the petitioners had gathered together and were planning to demonstrate outside of the Expo, took them to the Pudong District Public Security Bureau Detention Center and have since kept them in detention. The identity of three of the petitioners — Tong Liya (童莉雅), Cao Yibao (曹义宝), and Zhang Liping (张丽萍) — is currently known, but the names of the others detained and more specific information is not available at the time of writing. (CHRD)[viii]
Freedom of Religion
Police in Sichuan Break up House Church Service, Detain Eight
On the afternoon of May 17, police broke up a house church meeting in Suining City, Sichuan Province, detaining eight worshippers, including a woman and a child. At the time of writing, the eight were being held in the Fuyuan police station in Suining. According to other members of the house church, police did not present any documents which might have authorized their actions when they arrived, and some of the police struck the detainees as they took them away. At the time of writing, dozens of fellow church members had gathered outside of the Fuyuan police station to demand the release of the detained worshippers. (CHRD)[ix]
Forced Eviction and Demolition
Homeowner Injured, Son Briefly Detained During Forced Eviction in Shandong
CHRD learned on May 18 that police, officials from the Bureau of Housing Administration and unidentified individuals in camouflaged clothing injured and detained residents of a Linyi City, Shandong Province neighborhood while carrying out a forced demolition on May 5, 2010. According to reports, the 200-strong demolition team forcibly demolished a building inhabited by Liu Xilan (刘西兰), an elderly woman and her family, confiscating cameras and video camera used by the residents to document the demolition. Liu was struck by one of the demolition workers, and sustained an injury to her foot. Liu’s son, Zhang Jingtao (张敬涛), was seized by police after he attempted to come to the aid of a pregnant woman who had been pushed by one of the demolition workers. Zhang was detained for approximately five hours before being released. (CHRD)[x]
Freedom of Assembly
Beijing Police Harass Activist Qi Zhiyong, Prevent Him from Holding Birthday Party
May 15 was Beijing activist Qi Zhiyong’s (齐志勇) 54th birthday; however, Beijing police prevented Qi’s friends and fellow activists from celebrating the date with him. Beginning on May 13, officers from the National Security Unit of the Beijing Public Security Bureau stood guard outside of Qi’s home to bar him from leaving to meet with anyone and to ensure that no visitors would be able to reach him. Qi, who lost a leg after being shot in the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations of 1989, stated that, since the events of June 1989, he has not been allowed to enjoy his birthday without harassment from the authorities. (CHRD)[xi]
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Beijing Municipal Prison Officials Refuse to Move Hu Jia into Better-Maintained Building
In a May 13 blog posting, Zeng Jinyan (曾金燕), wife of imprisoned human rights defender Hu Jia (胡佳), wrote a blog post asking why prison officials have refused to move her husband into better-maintained prison buildings. Zeng believes Hu is being kept in his current location because the prison building where he is held is not visited by government officials or foreigners when they tour the prison, and it isolates Hu from other inmates. Calling the conditions where Hu is currently detained “the worst,” Zeng added that all other inmates who were originally detained in the same section as Hu have been transferred out, with the exception of two inmates left behind to keep tabs on Hu. Hu’s cell is also equipped with specialized surveillance equipment. Zeng believes that poor living conditions inside the prison have contributed to the worsening of Hu’s health; she reported that, during her latest visit with her husband, on May 13, he looked frail and his skin was inflamed around his eyes and temples. (Zeng Jinyan)[xii]
Legal Rights
Beijing Lawyers File Criminal Complaint Following Revocation of Licenses
On May 4, Beijing human rights lawyers Tang Jitian (唐吉田) and Liu Wei (刘巍) filed a criminal complaint against Xiao Lizhu (萧骊珠), head of the Beijing Bureau of Justice Lawyers’ Management Department, accusing Xiao of abusing her power and retaliating against the pair. The Beijing Bureau of Justice permanently revoked Tang and Liu’s lawyers’ licenses earlier this month, ostensibly for “disrupting court order and interfering with the normal conduct of litigation activities.” According to the criminal complaint, Tang and Liu believe that this is a trumped-up charge and that Xiao was seeking to punish them for advocating direct elections for the leadership of the Beijing Lawyers’ Association as well as for filing a criminal complaint against Xiao and other Bureau officials in early 2009, accusing them of extorting lawyers’ license renewal fees. The complaint has been sent to the Xicheng District Procuratorate in Beijing. (Tang Jitian)[xiii]
Citizens’ Actions
Organization Issues Report on Discriminatory Hiring Practices in Shenzhen
Shenzhen’s Hengping Organization, a non-governmental anti-discrimination group, released a report on hiring practices in Shenzhen on May 12. Researchers analyzed 1560 businesses in 103 different fields over the course of the past five months, and concluded that discriminatory hiring practices are widespread among Shenzhen’s business. According to the report, businesses commonly included strict requirements for applicants which bore no relationship to the work they would perform, and close to 60% of businesses studied discriminated against job seekers, usually on the basis of health, gender, age, birthplace, or appearance. The report found that discrimination was most prevalent in the service industry and that women were affected by discrimination more frequently than men. (Yirenping)[xiv]
Editors: David Smalls and Lin Sang
*** CHRD’s Human Rights Yearbook 2009 is now available. For a free copy, please contact us with your mailing address at crdnetwork@gmail.com. ***
Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China (2009)
[i] “Human Rights Activist Wang Debang Taken to Zhoukoudian Police Station by Beijing National Security Officers” (维权人士王德邦被北京市国保带往周口店派出所), May 11, 2010, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/201005/20100511195648_21170.html
[ii] “Jiangxi Activist Dong Zaihao Arrested for ‘Subversion of State Power'” (江西维权人士董在豪因“涉嫌颠覆国家政权罪”被逮捕), May 17, 2010, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/201005/20100517223439_21261.html
[iii] “Breaking News: Beihai Rights-Defending Village Official Xu Kun Criminally Detained” (快讯:北海维权村官许坤被刑事拘留), May 16, 2010, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/201005/20100516010048_21235.html
[iv] “Hubei Elections Expert Yao Lifa Regains Freedom” (湖北选举专家姚立法先生恢复自由), May 12, 2010, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class18/Yaolifa/201005/20100512202834_21186.html
[v] “Henan Farmer-Activist Liu Xueli Continues to Seek Justice following Release from Re-education through Labor Camp” (河南维权农民刘学立劳教获释后继续讨公道), May 11, 2010, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class18/liuxueli/201005/20100511231527_21174.html
[vi] “‘Popular Opinion’ Magazine Reporter Xu Yishun Sent to 1.5 Years of RTL” (《民意》杂志社记者徐义顺被劳教一年半), May 14, 2010, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/201005/20100514235117_21214.html
[vii] “Xinjiang Petitioner Feng Yongji Again Sent to RTL After Being Beaten” (新疆访民冯永记再次被毒打后劳教两年), May 13, 2010, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/201005/20100513215809_21194.html
[viii] “Eleven Shanghai Petitioners Criminally Detained” (上海11位访民同时被刑事拘留), May 13, 2010, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/201005/20100513104313_21190.html
[ix] “Urgent Alert: Eight Detained at Suining House Church Meeting” (特别关注:遂宁家庭教会聚会8人被抓), May 17, 2010, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/201005/20100517231101_21262.html
[x] “Violent Eviction in Linyi City: Pregnant Woman Pushed, Victims Detained” (临沂市暴力拆迁:推搡孕妇,关押受害人), May 18, 2010, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/Class53/201005/20100518000610_21265.html
[xi] “Qi Zhiyong Prevented from Holding Birthday Party by Police” (齐志勇欲办生日聚会被警察上岗监控), May 15, 2010, https://www.nchrd.org/Article/liusi/201005/20100515104851_21221.html
[xii] “Why is Hu Jia Unable to Change Prison Buildings?” (胡佳为什么不能换监舍), May 13, 2010, http://zengjinyan.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!A90AAE8909DEE107!3988.entry
[xiii] “Accusing Xiao Lizhu of the Crimes of Abuse of Power, Pressing False Charges in Retaliation” (控告萧骊珠滥用职权、报复陷害罪), May 12, 2010, http://www.tangjitian.com/2010/05/12.htm
[xiv] “NGO Releases Report: Five Major Types of Discrimination Exist in Shenzhen, Sixty Percent of Business Hiring Practices Unfair” (民间组织发布报告:深圳存五大类就业歧视,六成企业就业不平等), May 12, 2010, http://www.yirenping.org/article.asp?id=368