China Human Rights Briefing November 3-9, 2010
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China Human Rights Briefing Weekly
November 3-9, 2010
Highlights
- One Month after Nobel Prize Announcement, Pressure on Activists Continues: The nationwide police mobilization which began on October 8 showed no sign of slowing as CHRD continued to receive reports this week of civil society actors faced with restrictions on their movement and harassment from the authorities. With the government increasingly concerned that Chinese activists may attempt to attend the December 10 Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo, Norway, it blocked a number of prominent lawyers and well-known activists from traveling internationally in recent days.
- “River Crab Grand Banquet” Held at Ai Weiwei’s Studio in Shanghai, Without the Artist: After he announced his part-performance-art, part-protest “banquet” on Twitter, artist and activist Ai Weiwei was placed under “soft detention” by Beijing police and prevented from attending his own event. However, hundreds of his supporters made the trip to his soon-to-be-demolished studio on the afternoon of November 7 to take part in his absence.
Contents
Updates on Post-Nobel Harassment of Activists
- Officials Bar Activists, Lawyers, Scholars From Traveling Abroad
- Beijing-Based Activist Chen Tianshi Ordered by Police to Return to Hometown in Guangxi
Freedom of Assembly
- Hundreds Gather at Ai Weiwei’s Studio in Shanghai as Police Block Ai and Others from Attending
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
- Imprisoned Activist Xie Fulin Beaten, Requires Treatment for High Blood Pressure
- Victim of Forced Sterilization Submits Administrative Litigation Lawsuit to County Court in Anhui
Freedom of Religion
- Shanxi Province Conducts Survey of University Students’ Religious Beliefs; Crackdown on Christians Feared
Forced Eviction and Demolition
- Two More Villagers Seized amid Ongoing Forced Evictions in Baihutou Village, Guangxi Province
Updates on Post-Nobel Harassment of Activists
Officials Bar Activists, Lawyers, Scholars From Traveling Abroad
In the past few days, CHRD has learned of multiple cases in which Chinese activists, lawyers, and scholars have been stopped at airports or border crossings while trying to travel to Hong Kong or international destinations. In most cases, border control officials have told the individuals that they are under orders from higher authorities to stop them from leaving, as they may “pose a threat to state security” if allowed abroad. CHRD believes that these individuals are being prevented from leaving the country because the Chinese government fears they will attempt to attend the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony on December 10 in Oslo, Norway.
- On the morning of November 9, prominent Beijing human rights lawyer Mo Shaoping (莫少平) and Beijing University Law School Professor He Weifang (贺卫方) were prevented from leaving the country by border control officials at Beijing’s Capital Airport. Mo and He were en route to London, where they had been invited to take part in an international law conference.[i]
- On November 7, Beijing Film Academy Professor Hao Jian (郝建) was stopped by border control officials at Beijing’s Capital Airport before boarding his Hong Kong-bound flight. Hao was traveling to the Chinese University of Hong Kong at the university’s invitation to present a series of lectures on documentary films.[ii]
- On November 5 and 6, customs officials barred human rights defenders Fang Cao (芳草), Wang Jinglong (王京龙), Duan Qixian (端启宪), and Yu Fangqiang (于方强) from traveling to Geneva, Switzerland, to attend a training session on the United Nations human rights mechanisms.[iii]
Beijing-Based Activist Chen Tianshi Ordered by Police to Return to Hometown in Guangxi
On November 4, police from Rong County, Guangxi Province again contacted activist Chen Tianshi (陈天石) at his home in Beijing and informed him that before December 10, the day of the Nobel Prize award ceremony, he would be required to return to his hometown in Guangxi. When the Nobel Peace Prize was announced on October 8, Chen was barred from leaving his home by police; however, he has since been able to return to work. It is not clear how long police plan to keep Mr. Chen in Guangxi. (CHRD)[iv]
Freedom of Assembly
Hundreds Gather at Ai Weiwei’s Studio in Shanghai as Police Block Ai and Others from Attending
On the afternoon of November 7, artist and activist Ai Weiwei’s (艾未未) “River Crab Grand Banquet” was held at Ai’s soon-to-be-demolished studio in Shanghai. According to one participant, approximately 1,000 people made their way to the studio over the course of the afternoon. The name and theme of the event, which is part performance art and part collective protest, was chosen to mock the authorities’ suppression of criticism and dissent in the name of maintaining “social harmony” (the Chinese word for river crab, he xie, is similar to that for harmony). However, along with the organizer himself, local activists including Feng Zhenghu (冯正虎), Jin Yuehua (金月花), Ding Juying (丁菊英), and Wei Yuhua (卫玉华) were prevented from attending by police, who placed them under “soft detention.” Shanghai writer and activist Jiang Danwen (蒋亶文), who said in a statement he had no intention of attending the gathering, was also detained for 10 hours by local police. (CHRD)[v]
On the morning of November 5, National Security officers arrived at the Beijing home of artist and activist Ai Weiwei (艾未未) and announced they were placing him under soft detention and forbidding him to leave his home until midnight on Sunday, November 7. The move, which the officers said was requested by “higher authorities,” comes in response to Ai’s announcement earlier in the week that he would host a “River Crab Grand Banquet” on Sunday at his soon-to-be-demolished studio in Shanghai. Many netizens reported on Twitter that they have been contacted by police or, in the case of students, school officials, and urged not to attend. (CHRD)[vi]
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Imprisoned Activist Xie Fulin Beaten, Requires Treatment for High Blood Pressure
On November 5, imprisoned human rights activist Xie Fulin (谢福林) told visiting family members that he had been violently attacked and beaten by a “jail bully” the previous week. Xie suffered an episode of high blood pressure and chest pains after the attack, and spent four days receiving treatment in the prison hospital as a result. His health has since improved. Xie reports that prison authorities have taken no action against the “jail bully” who attacked him. “Jail bullies,” detainees who attack other inmates with the explicit permission or tacit consent of prison officials, are a pervasive problem in Chinese detention centers and prisons and have been blamed for the majority of violence which takes place in these facilities. The Chinese government, despite issuing notices on the problem as far back as 1988, has so far taken no effective measures to root out and eliminate jail bullies. (CHRD)[vii]
Victim of Forced Sterilization Submits Administrative Litigation Lawsuit to County Court in Anhui
CHRD learned on November 2 that the Changfeng County People’s Court in Anhui Province may accept a lawsuit filed by 23 year-old Gangji Town, Changfeng County mother Li Hongmei (李红梅), who was kidnapped by government officials and subjected to forced a sterilization procedure in July 2010. Anhui Province activist Ma Lianggang (马粮钢), acting as a citizen representative, filed an administrative litigation lawsuit on behalf of Li on October 18; at that time, it was rejected by the Changfeng County People’s Court on the grounds that it was “unclear.” However, after a conversation with the presiding judge of the court on October 29, Ma was invited to resubmit the lawsuit on November 2. The court has seven days to decide whether or not to accept the case. The defendant in the lawsuit is listed as the Gangji Town government; for the full text of the lawsuit (in Chinese), please see: http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011030914.shtml. (CHRD)[viii]
Freedom of Religion
Shanxi Province Conducts Survey of University Students’ Religious Beliefs; Crackdown on Christians Feared
CHRD learned on November 3 that university students in Shanxi Province have been receiving surveys with questions about religious beliefs in recent weeks, leading some to fear that officials may be moving to crack down on Christian students in the province. The surveys, which have been distributed by provincial education officials to the administrations at universities in the province, are reportedly being handed out only to students known to be practicing Christians. The last 12 questions out of a total of 44 questions are only for Christians. Though they do not require students to give their names or other identifying information, there is concern that individuals will be identified by their class teachers, who hand out and collect the questionnaires, and reports have surfaced that classes will be rewarded or punished based on the beliefs of students. (CHRD)[ix]
Forced Eviction and Demolition
Two More Villagers Seized amid Ongoing Forced Evictions in Baihutou Village, Guangxi Province
On the morning of November 8, Baihutou Village resident He Xianfu (何显福) was taken away from his home by local police. CHRD has since learned that He, a village representative, has been criminally detained. While the precise charges are not known, fellow villagers suspect he is being held on suspicion of “obstructing official business.” He is currently being held in Beihai City’s Number Two Detention Center. His daughter-in-law, Yi Shiying (易氏英), was seized by police at the same time; her current whereabouts are unknown. He and Yi are the latest Baihutou villagers to be detained by police for standing up to developers and local officials carrying out forced evictions and demolitions in the town, which sits on the South China Sea in Guangxi Province. (CHRD)[x]
CHRD learned on November 9 that Baihutou village director Xu Kuyn (许坤) was denied release on bail to await trial. Xu and fellow villager Gao Shifu (高世福), who was also denied release on bail to await trial, have been detained without trial since May 2010 for “operating an illegal business.” In June, two other villagers were sentenced to two years in prison for “obstructing official business,” while one was given one and a half years for the same charge. (CHRD)[xi]
Editors: David Smalls and Lin Sang
Follow us on Twitter: @CHRDnet
[i] “Mo Shaoping and He Weifang Blocked from Leaving the Country to Attend IBA Conference” (莫少平和贺卫方被阻止出境参加IBA研讨会), November 9, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011091420.shtml
[ii] “Beijing Film Academy Professor Hao Jian Prevented from Traveling to Hong Kong” (北京电影学院教授郝建欲前往香港被阻止出境(图)), November 7, 2010, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011070832.shtml
[iii] “Many Chinese Activists Prevented from Leaving the Country” (中国多名维权人士在海关被阻止出境), November 8, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011082227.shtml
[iv] “Planned Forced Return Set for Democracy Activist Chen Tianshi” (民主维权人士陈天石初定遣返时间), November 4, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011041051.shtml
[v] “Jiang Danwen and Many Others Detained by Shanghai Police, ‘River Crab Grand Banquet’ Held as Scheduled” (蒋亶文等多人被上海警方扣押，“河蟹盛宴”如期举行(图)), November 7, 2010, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011071929.shtml
[vi] “Ai Weiwei Placed under Soft Detention by Beijing National Security Police; Many ‘Caonima’s” Called for Tea” (艾未未被北京国保软禁 众多草泥马被喝茶), November 5, 2010, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011052023.shtml
[vii] “Hunan Activist Xie Fulin Beaten in Prison” (湖南维权人士谢福林狱中遭殴打), November 5, 2010, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011051932.shtml
[viii] “New Developments in Case of Kidnapped Anhui Mother Li Hongmei and Baby” (安徽李红梅母婴被绑架案有新进展), November 3, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011030910.shtml
[ix] “Threats Accompany Shanxi Province Survey and Investigation of Christian University Students’ Beliefs” (山西省对基督徒大学生进行信仰调查并伴有威胁), November 3, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011031929.shtml
[x] “Yet Another Baihutou, Beihai Villager Taken Away by Police; Xu Kun, Gao Shifu May be Released on Bail Pending Trial” (北海白虎头又一村民被警方带走，许坤、高世福可能会被取保候审), November 8, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011081527.shtml and “Baihutou, Beihai Rights-Defending Representative He Xianfu Criminally Detained” (北海白虎头村维权代表何显福被刑事拘留), November 8, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011082051.shtml.
[xi] “Beihai Rights-Defending Village Director Xu Kun Denied Release on Bail Awaiting Trial” (北海维权村主任许坤取保候审被拒绝), November 9, 2010, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/11/201011092343.shtml