[CHRB] Activists Across China Detained for Supporting Democracy Protests in Hong Kong (9/19-10/1/2014)

October 1, 2014       Comments Off on [CHRB] Activists Across China Detained for Supporting Democracy Protests in Hong Kong (9/19-10/1/2014)

China Human Rights Briefing

September 19 – October 1, 2014

Contents

Freedom of Expression

• Dozens of Mainland Activists Detained or Intimidated for Expressing Support for Hong Kong Protests

Rights of Ethnic Minorities

• 7^th Tibetan Self-Immolates This Year in Protest Over Chinese Rule

Special Notice

• NGOs in China Launch Cao Shunli Memorial Award

• CHRD Alerts International Olympic Committee to Human Rights Abuses in Connection With Nanjing Youth Olympics

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Freedom of Expression

Dozens of Mainland Activists Detained or Intimidated for Expressing Support for Hong Kong Protests

A number of Chinese citizens have faced reprisals for supporting the protests for universal suffrage in Hong Kong. The occupation of several areas in Hong Kong, including parts of its financial and political center, has inspired many Chinese on the mainland and encouraged them to speak up for democracy, with many photos appearing on social media of activists holding signs in support of Hong Kong and demanding constitutional democracy for the territory. Police in China have harassed and warned activists in many cities, concerned that they may try to travel to Hong Kong or take to streets to protest.

CHRD has documented the following incidents from reports by Rights Defense Network (RDN) and Civil Rights & Livelihood Watch (CRLW):

Detentions:

• Shenzhen police criminally detained activist Wang Long (汪龙) on the charge of “creating a disturbance” on September 29 after he posted messages online about the Hong Kong protests. He is being held in Longgang District Detention Center in Shenzhen.

• Chongqing activist Luo Yaling (罗亚玲) was taken away by police on September 30 after she expressed support online for the protests in Hong Kong. National security officers initially kept Luo under soft detention at her home after she posted the messages and photos about the protests on weibo and in a QQ online group. Later, she was taken to Daxin Village Police Station.

• Shanghai plainclothes police and unknown thugs went to the home of activist Chen Jianfang (陈建芳) on September 30 and tried to take her into custody, but she refused to open the door. Chen believes they came for her because she had called on activists to join a demonstration on October 1 in the Shanghai People’s Park in support of the Hong Kong demonstrators. Lawyer Liu Shihui (刘士辉) went to Chen’s home along with Jiangsu activist Le Senping (乐森萍) to try to stop police from harassing her. Reports indicate that police have since seized both Liu and Le Senping, but it is unclear where they are being held.

• Plainclothes police in Shanghai also took away activist Shen Yanqiu (沈艳秋) on September 30. Shen, who shaved her head on September 28 and posted a photo of herself online to show solidarity with Hong Kong protestors, is being held in an unknown location.

• Guangzhou police seized dozens of activists and citizens who gathered in the Martyr Memorial Gardens to show support for the Hong Kong protestors on September 30. While reportedly up to 20 citizens were seized and taken to unknown locations, Huang Minpeng (黄敏鹏) and Liu Hui (刘辉) are confirmed to have been taken to Datang Police Station in Yuexiu District, where they were denied food before being released in the afternoon.

• Beijing activist Jiang Liuying (姜流勇) reportedly was taken away by police along with his wife, activist Li Dongmei (李冬梅), on September 30, after he had received phone calls from officers looking to question him. He told friends that this may be tied to his expression of support for the Hong Kong protests online.

• Jiangxi Province police seized activists Song Ningsheng (宋宁生), Gong Xinhua (龚新华), and Chen Maosen (陈茂森) on September 30, and searched Song’s house. The three men had posted photos of themselves holding up signs in support of the Hong Kong protests.

Threats & harassment:

On September 30, Chongqing national security officers called activist Xie Dan (谢丹) to say they were coming to his home to question him. Chongqing activist Han Liang (韩良) was questioned by police in the early morning of September 30, but has since returned home. Beijing activists Han Ying (韩颖) and Guo Guijun (郭桂军) were both visited by police at their homes late at night on September 30. Police demanded entry but did not show any proper documentation and threatened to take them into custody, since the activists refused to open their doors. Their fate remains unclear at the time of this report. In addition, national security officers from Changyuan County in Henan Province threatened democracy activist Guo Chunping (郭春平) after he sent a message on WeChat, a Chinese text messaging platform, in support of Hong Kong on September 29. An officer called Guo and said he would be in danger if he didn’t answer her questions.[1]

Rights of Ethnic Minorities

7^th Tibetan Self-Immolates This Year in Protest Over Chinese Rule

Tibetan student Lhamo Tashi (拉莫扎西) died from his injuries after self-immolating on September 17 in Gansu Province, the seventh individual to self-immolate this year in protest over Chinese government rule in Tibetan areas, according to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). The 32-year-old Lhamo Tashi, the first Tibetan to self-immolate since April, is now among at least 131 Tibetans who have committed this act of protest since 2011. According to TCHRD, the family requested his body be returned to them, but police refused and cremated it instead, later handing back his ashes. Lhamo Tashi was from Sangchu County in Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.[2]

Special Notice

NGOs in China Launch Cao Shunli Memorial Award

Three rights groups in China have launched an annual award to support human rights work in honor of activist Cao Shunli (曹顺利), who died on March 14, 2014, after being denied medical treatment for five months in detention. Human Rights Campaign in China (权利运动), Civil Rights & Livelihood Watch (民生观察), and Rights Defense Network (维权网) will bestow an award to a Chinese human rights defender on March 14 each year, which has been designated by some Chinese activists as “Human Rights Defenders Day” to mark the day Cao Shunli passed away. The recipient will be awarded funding to conduct human rights initiatives, especially “to push for civil society participation in international human rights activities” and to monitor the Chinese government’s implementation of its human rights obligations. In a joint announcement, the three NGOs said that the award will “commemorate Ms. Cao Shunli, so her life’s story will inspire generations to come.”[3]

CHRD Alerts International Olympic Committee to Human Rights Abuses in Connection With Nanjing Youth Olympics

CHRD sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to draw attention to reports of violations of Chinese citizens’ human rights in the lead up to, and surrounding, the Nanjing Youth Olympics held on August 16-28. CHRD partially documented cases of at least 300 activists and petitioners who were subjected to restricted movements, including being locked up in “black jails” and forced to “travel,” or were interrogated by police in Nanjing and nearby cities in Jiangsu Province. As the letter states, Chinese authorities did not uphold the Fundamental Principles of the Olympic Charter, which call for the games to “promote a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.” CHRD further called on the IOC to ensure that Beijing’s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics is assessed against the government’s efforts to respect the rules of fairness and justice in providing fundamental human rights protections to all its citizens.

 

Contacts:

Renee Xia, International Director (Mandarin, English), +1 240 374 8937, reneexia@chrdnet.com, Follow on Twitter: @ReneeXiaCHRD

Victor Clemens, Research Coordinator (English), +1 209 643 0539, victorclemens@chrdnet.com

Frances Eve, Research Assistant (English), + 1 646 801 9479, franceseve@chrdnet.com, Follow on Twitter: @_FrancesEve

Follow CHRD on Twitter: @CHRDnet

 

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[1] “Urgent Alert: Activists All Over China Taken Away for Supporting Hong Kong” (紧急关注：全国各地多名维权人士被警方带走 或与声援香港有关), September 30, 2014, RDN; “Dozens of Guangzhou Citizens Taken Away for Supporting Hong Kong; Left Hungry” (广州市民声援香港多人被抓捕、被饿饭), September 30, 2014, RDN; “Ningdu County, Jiangxi Province 6 or 7 Police Seized Song Ningsheng and Other Activists” (江西宁都出动六七十警察 抓走宋宁生等多名维权人), September 30, 2014, CRLW; “Shenzhen Activist Wang Long Criminally Detained Yesterday for ‘Creating a Disturbance” (深圳维权人士汪龙昨被以“寻衅滋事罪”刑事拘留), September 30, 2014, RND; “Chongqing Activist Luo Yaling Taken Away by Police After Disseminating Photos of Hong Kong ‘Occupy Central’ Protests” (重庆维权人士罗亚玲因宣传香港“占中”行动被警察带走), September 30, 2014, RDN; “Shanghai Authorities Try to Seize Chen Jianfang; Chen Tried to Organise a Demonstration in Support of the Hong Kong ‘Occupy Central” (上海当局试图带走陈建芳 欲阻其声援香港占中), September 30, 2014, Civil Rights & Livelihood Watch (CRLW); “Urgent Alert: Shanghai Activist Chen Jianfang Harrassed; Lawyer Liu Shihui Seized After Trying to Go Meet Her” (紧急关注：上海维权人士陈建芳被骚扰 律师刘士辉前往探望被带走), September 30, 2014, RDN; “Shanghai Activist Ms. Shen Yanqiu Taken Away by Plainclothes Police For Supporting Hong Kong Universal Suffrage” (上海维权人士沈艳秋女士或因支持香港真普选被上海便衣抓走), September 30, 2014, RDN; “Democracy Activist Guo Chunping Threatened by Police for Sending WeChat Message in Support Hong Kong” (民主维权人士郭春平转发声援香港微信遭当局威胁), September 29, 2014, RDN; “Urgent Alert: Police Outside the Homes of Beijing Activists Shi Hanying, Guo Guijun Trying to Seize Them” (紧急关注：北京维权人士韩颖、郭桂军遭警察敲门欲带走), September 30, 2014, RDN;

[2] “Tibetan Student Dies from Self-Immolation Protest,” September 23, 2014, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.

[3] “Announcement: Cao Shunli Memorial Award For Human Rights Defenders Established To Honor Her Memory” (曹顺利人权捍卫者纪念奖”成立公告), September 26, 2014, Human Rights Campaign in China (HRCC); Civil Rights & Livelihood Watch (CRLW); Rights Defense Network (RDN).