China Human Rights Briefing August 24-30, 2010
Comments Off on China Human Rights Briefing August 24-30, 2010China Human Rights Briefing Weekly
August 24-30, 2010
To download this week’s CHRB as a .pdf file, please click here
Highlights
- Villagers Detained over Election Protest: Nine residents of Raolefu Village, located on the outskirts of Beijing, have been detained for participating in a protest on July 27 over the alleged disruption of a village election by local officials. According to Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch, some of the villagers have been criminally detained on suspicion of “disturbing social order.”
- Fujian Activist Fan Yanqiong Released: On the morning of August 25, Fujian human rights defender Fan Yanqiong (范燕琼) was released from Fuzhou City Number Two Detention Center on medical parole. Fan suffers from muscular dystrophy and remains seriously ill. Fellow activists have organized donation drives to help Fan with her medical bills.
Contents
Arbitrary Detention
Young AIDS Activist Tian Xi Formally Arrested in Henan
Group of Inner Mongolia Teachers Seized in Beijing, Detained Without Formal Notice
Freedom of Assembly
Police Outside Beijing Detain More Villagers over July Election Protest
Freedom of Expression
Fujian Netizen Fan Yanqiong Released on Medical Parole; Health Remains Extremely
Columns of Prominent Journalist Chang Ping Removed from Southern Media Newspapers
Forced Eviction and Demolition
Hundreds Protest Over Forced Evictions, Alleged Rape in Wuhan
Harassment of Activists
Hunan Writer and Activist Li Jianjun Illegally Interrogated, Held Over 24 Hours
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Family Planning Officials in Anhui Kidnap, Forcibly Sterilize Young Mother
Elderly Jiangsu Petitioner Diagnosed with Thrombosis Following Detention in RTL
Imprisoned Dissident Yang Tianshui Remains Seriously Ill, In Need of Outside Medical Attention
Arbitrary Detention
Young AIDS Activist Tian Xi Formally Arrested in Henan
According to documents obtained by Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch (CRLW), Henan AIDS activist Tian Xi was formally arrested by the Xincai County Public Security Bureau on August 23 on suspicion of “intentional destruction of property.” Tian, a 23 year-old AIDS activist who contracted AIDS as the result of a tainted blood transfusion he received as a child, was detained on August 17. According to his family, he is in poor health and in need of medication. (CRLW)[i]
Group of Inner Mongolia Teachers Seized in Beijing, Detained Without Formal Notice
CHRD learned on August 28 that a group of six female teachers from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have been detained for petitioning in Beijing. The teachers, five of whom are ethnically Mongolian and one of whom is Han, graduated from teachers’ colleges in Inner Mongolia between 1998 and 2001, but were not assigned to teaching positions after graduation. The unemployed teachers have been petitioning for years regarding their situation, but have yet to receive a response from officials either in Inner Mongolia or in Beijing. The six teachers were seized on August 13 in the capital and returned to Baotou City, Inner Mongolia on August 15. They are currently being held in the Guchengwan Detention Center in Baotou. The length of their detention is currently unclear, as officials have reportedly failed to issue formal detention documents. According to other reports, two more teachers from Inner Mongolia were detained for petitioning on August 28. (CHRD)[ii]
Freedom of Assembly
Police Outside Beijing Detain More Villagers over July Election Protest
On August 24, police from the Fangshan District Public Security Bureau burst into the Raolefu Village Committee building and detained four villagers. Raolefu Village, located on the outskirts of Beijing, was the site of a protest on July 27 over an alleged election disruption by local officials, and it is believed that the detention of the four villagers—election committee chief Liu Jinfu, election committee members Zhao Zhenjiang (赵振江) and Wang Jinshan (金山), and resident Chen Fuzhen (陈福振)—came as retaliation for their participation in media coverage of the July protest.
According to Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch, a total of 13 villagers were taken into custody as a result of the protests. Four have since been released, but nine remains in detention, some of whom have been formally detained on suspicion of “disturbing social order.” (CRLW)[iii]
Freedom of Expression
Fujian Netizen Fan Yanqiong Released on Medical Parole; Health Remains Extremely Poor
On the morning of August 25, Fujian human rights defender Fan Yanqiong (范燕琼) was released from Fuzhou City Number Two Detention Center on medical parole. Fan’s family had applied on nine occasions for her release on medical parole. Fan, who suffers from muscular dystrophy and has been confined to a wheelchair, also experienced a number of fainting spells while imprisoned brought on by heart disease. She remains in extremely poor health. At the moment, Fan plans to return to her hometown of Nanping County, Fujian Province to rest before seeking further treatment.
Fan was the last of three netizens to be released from prison after being convicted of “slander” in a widely-followed case in April 2010. Fan and her two co-defendants, Wu Huaying (吴华英) and You Jingyou (游精佑), were detained in the summer of 2009 after posting articles and video online urging government officials to investigate the alleged rape and murder of a young woman in Fujian Province. Their case became a cause célèbre among Chinese netizens and activists, and a crowd of over a thousand gathered to protest outside of the courthouse on the day their verdict was announced. (CHRD)[iv]
Columns of Prominent Journalist Chang Ping Removed from Southern Media Newspapers
On August 25, CHRD learned that prominent columnist and former deputy editor-in-chief of Southern Metropolis Weekly Chang Ping (长平) has had his columns cancelled by Southern Weekend and Southern Metropolis Daily newspapers. Chang, based in Guangzhou, confirmed the news in a Twitter posting, while another source reported that Chang’s desk in the Southern Media Group offices had been removed. While the precise reason behind the move is not known, Chang Ping has written for years on social problems and “sensitive” issues, which has earned him the ire of government officials; a few days earlier, he had been called in for “tea” by National Security officers in Guangzhou. He was removed from his previous position as deputy editor-in-chief of Southern Metropolis Weekly in 2008 after writing an opinion piece on unrest in Tibet which was published on the Financial Times‘ Chinese website. (CHRD)[v]
Forced Eviction and Demolition
Hundreds Protest Over Forced Evictions, Alleged Rape in Wuhan
According to a report by Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch, hundreds of Wuhan City, Hubei Province citizens took to the streets on the morning of August 30 to protest the forced demolition of their homes as well as the alleged rape of a young girl by demolition workers. Two protestors were seized by police, and remain in detention at the time of writing. According to the demonstrators, a young girl whose family lived in an area marked for redevelopment was raped on August 23 by a group of laborers employed by the demolition company; while police detained one suspect, the residents facing eviction who learned about the crime believed this to be an insufficient response. Local officials promised to meet with the concerned residents on August 26, but then failed to show up at the meeting. On August 30, when the officials finally met with the residents, the residents felt that the authorities were not taking the matter seriously enough, and staged a demonstration in response. (CRLW)[vi]
Harassment of Activists
Hunan Writer and Activist Li Jianjun Illegally Interrogated, Held Over 24 Hours
CHRD learned on August 26 that Huaihua City, Hunan Province activist and freelance writer Li Jianjun (黎建军) was illegally held by local National Security officials for 26 hours between August 24 and 25. Li was seized shortly after leaving his apartment on the evening of August 24 and taken to a detention house in Zhijiang County, 30 kilometers from Huaihua. After being questioned there for a few hours, Li was transferred to a hotel by police, who continued to interrogate him. According to Li, the officers primarily questioned him about his involvement with “Hunan Citizens’ Net Forum,” an online discussion forum; his relationship with CHRD; his support for imprisoned activists, including Liu Xianbin (刘贤斌); and articles he had posted online, among other issues. Police did not produce any legal documents during the interrogation which might have justified their actions. (CHRD)[vii]
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Family Planning Officials in Anhui Kidnap, Forcibly Sterilize Young Mother
On August 25, CHRD learned of the case of 23 year-old Li Hongmei (李红梅), a new mother who was kidnapped and subjected to forced sterilization by officials in Changfeng County, Anhui Province. Li, who gave birth to her first baby daughter on June 21, was kidnapped along with her child by family planning officials on July 15. When her family members contacted local officials regarding her disappearance, a quarrel broke out and Li’s mother, Yang Yonglian (杨永连) was seized by local police. She was later administratively detained 10 days for “obstructing the carrying out of official duties.” The family later learned that Li, who gave birth less than a month ago, had been taken to Shuangfeng Hospital, where family planning officials had held Li’s baby to coerce her into signing an agreement consenting to the sterilization procedure. Li fell ill after the procedure, suffering from dizziness and chest pains, and remains hospitalized at the time of writing. (CHRD)[viii]
Elderly Jiangsu Petitioner Diagnosed with Thrombosis Following Detention in RTL
CHRD learned on August 26 that 65 year-old Nantong City, Jiangsu Province petitioner Ji Guiying (吉桂英) has developed a serious medical condition as a result of heavy labor and inadequate medical treatment in the Nantong City Re-education through Labor (RTL) camp. Ji, a victim of forced eviction, was sent to RTL on April 9 of this year after she was detained during the annual meetings of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference allegedly for carrying a board filled with nails while petitioning (individuals who have suffered injustices have, in the past, used such boards to injure themselves as a means of protesting their fate). While in the camp, Ji developed edema in her legs and feet from long periods of performing manual labor while seated, and was repeatedly denied medical attention. When she was finally sent to a doctor, she was diagnosed with thrombosis, a potentially life-threatening condition. The RTL camp then released Ji on medical parole, reportedly because it feared being held responsible for Ji’s medical expense or for her dying in the camp. Her family has already spent more than 30,000 RMB in medical fees, and she remains in poor health. (CHRD)[ix]
Imprisoned Dissident Yang Tianshui Remains Seriously Ill, In Need of Outside Medical Attention
On August 26, CHRD obtained a copy of a letter written by imprisoned Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province democracy activist Yang Tianshui (杨天水) indicating he remains in poor health and in need of outside medical attention. According to the letter, which was dated June 8, 2010, Yang continues to suffer from tuberculosis, diabetes, rheumatism, and high blood pressure. He has been given some basic treatment by prison doctors but has not been allowed to seek specialized treatment as his condition has worsened. CHRD also learned that Yang has retained Beijing lawyers Li Baiguang (李柏光) and Liu Peifu (刘培福) to file an appeal on his behalf. Yang, a longtime dissident and author of numerous political essays, is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence handed down in 2006 for “inciting subversion of state power.” (CHRD)[x]
Editors: David Smalls and Lin Sang
News updates from CHRD
Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China (2009)
[i] “AIDS Activist Tian Xi Formally Arrested” (河南艾滋病维权人士田喜被执行逮捕(图)), August 24, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/08/201008241728.shtml
[ii] “Students from Inner Mongolia Teachers’ Colleges 内蒙古师范生因工作问题上访被拘，待业生发出紧急信), August 28, 2010, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/08/201008282120.shtml
[iii] “Four More Detained in Raolefu Village, on the Outskirts of Beijing; Elected Village Chief Among 13 Now in Detention” (京郊饶乐府选举门再抓四人 选委会主任等十三人被抓), August 24, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/08/201008242019.shtml
[iv] “Fujian Activist Fan Yanqiong Obtains Release on Medical Parole” (福建维权人士范燕琼获保外就医), August 25, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/08/201008251221.shtml
[v] “Famous Media Figure Chang Ping Once Against Silenced” (著名媒体人士长平再次被封杀(图)), August 25, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/08/201008251012.shtml
[vi] “Rape of Young Girl in Whuan by Demolition Workers Leads to Mass Protest” (武汉少女遭拆迁人员轮奸引发民众大规模堵路), August 30, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/08/201008302141.shtml
[vii] “Hunan Activist Li Jianjun Illegally Summoned” (湖南维权人士黎建军被非法传唤), August 26, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/08/201008262332.shtml
[viii] “Anhui Family Planning Cadres Kidnap Mother and Daughter, Force Sterilization, and Detain Relative” (安徽计划生育干部绑架妇婴做绝育手术并拘留家属(图)), August 25, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/08/201008251347.shtml
[ix] “Ji Guiying, of Nantong, Falls Ill after Suffering Mistreatment in Re-education through Labor” (南通吉桂英因上访被劳教受虐患重病(图)), August 26, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/08/201008261320.shtml
[x] “Nanjing Democracy Activist Yang Tianshui Enlists Beijing Lawyer Li Baiguang to File Appeal” (南京民运人士杨天水委托北京律师李柏光提起申诉), August 27, 2010, http://www.newcenturynews.com/Article/china/201008/20100827220217.html
