[CHRB] Chinese Police Seize Dozens of Activists, Petitioners Prior to G20 Summit in Hangzhou (8/19-9/2, 2016)

September 2, 2016 Comments Off

China Human Rights Briefing

August 19-September 2, 2016

Arbitrary Detention & Enforced Disappearance

CHRD has documented dozens of cases of deprived liberty of activists and petitioners as part of the Chinese government’s “stability maintenance” measures before the G20 Summit opening this Sunday in Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province. The incidents of detention, enforced disappearance, forced travel, and house arrest have violated the human rights of many Chinese citizens. Police in and around Hangzhou and in other cities have taken extraordinary pre-emptive steps in order to try to prevent individuals from expressing views critical of the government during the Summit.

Rights activists and petitioners in locations that neighbor Zhejiang have been particularly affected. At the time of writing, CHRD has documented 42 individuals illegally deprived of their liberty in Jiangsu Province and Shanghai, but there are likely many more cases in these areas that have not been reported. A majority of these individuals have been forcibly disappeared, putting them outside any legal protections and, hence, at greater risk of torture and ill-treatment (see CHRD’s recent statement). The cases of deprived liberty are just one aspect of the suppression tied to the Summit, and CHRD highlighted other violations in an open statement to G20 leaders last month.

Below is a list of 42 cases of individuals reportedly deprived of their liberty in apparent connection to the G20 Summit, mostly occurring since mid-August. They are categorized by type of detention/restricted movement, and in order of the time that police took individuals into custody:

Formal arrest (1 individual)

Shen Aibin (沈爱斌), activist, was formally arrested on September 2 on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” by police from the Wuxi City Public Security Bureau. Shen is being held at Wuxi City No. 2 Detention Center in Jiangsu. Just before he was arrested, Shen had served out a 10-day administrative detention. Shen was initially seized on August 23 in Wuxi, and was also fined 200 RMB (approx. $30).

Chinese authorities have deprived the liberty of dozens of citizens before the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, including activist Shen Aibin, who has been formally arrested.

Criminal detention (9 individuals: no family received written notification from police, and all held on unknown charges)

Xie Yunda (谢云达), Shanghai activist, criminally detained on August 19, held in unknown location;
Shen Qinfang (申琴芳), Shanghai activist, criminally detained on August 19, held in unknown location;
Yao Yae (姚亚娥), Shanghai activist, criminally detained on August 19, held at Hongkou District Detention Center;
Jin Jianming (金建明), Shanghai activist, seized at Hangzhou Train Station on August 22 and returned to Shanghai and criminally detained in unknown location in Huangpu District;
Gao Wennan (高文楠), Shanghai activist, taken from his home on August 24, held in unknown location; and
Xie Jinhua (谢金华), Shanghai activist, seized in Haining City, Zhejiang on August 28 and returned to Shanghai and criminally detained, held in unknown location; and
Three elderly members of the Duanmu (端木) family, reportedly criminally detained at some point in August in Shanghai, held in unknown location.

Administrative detention for 10 days (6 individuals, in addition to Shen Aibin above, who was formally arrested on September 2)

Guo Enping (郭恩平), civil servant from Taizhou City in Zhejiang, detained in July for criticizing government spending on preparations in and around Hangzhou for G20 Summit;
Zhang Huixian (张惠仙), Shanghai activist, detained on August 27 by Pudong District PSB;
Xiang Wenyin (项文寅), Shanghai activist married to Du Qingyan (below), seized in Haining City, Zhejiang on August 28 and returned to Shanghai and administratively detained;
Du Qingyan (杜青艳), Shanghai activist married to Xiang Wenyin (above), seized in Haining City, Zhejiang on August 28 and returned to Shanghai and administratively detained;
Sun Jingfang (孙静芳), activist, administratively detained on unknown date in Wuxi City, Jiangsu; and
Wang Yinghua (王英华), activist, administratively detained on unknown date in Wuxi City, Jiangsu.

Enforced disappearance (22 individuals)

Ye Hongxia (叶洪霞), Beijing activist, seized from home and taken to “black jail” by Haidian District police on August 11;
Shao Shuolan (邵铄兰), Shanghai petitioner, seized from work on August 19 and held in “black jail” in Qingpu District;
Wang Lanying (王兰英), Shanghai petitioner, seized from home on August 19 and held in “black jail” in Qingpu District, reportedly escaped from black jail on August 21 and now missing;
Yin Huimin (尹慧敏), Shanghai activist, missing after being forcibly returned from Hangzhou on August 20;
Sun Hongzheng (孙红筝), Shanghai activist, missing after being forcibly returned from Hangzhou on August 20;
Wang Meihua (王美华), Shanghai activist, forcibly disappeared since August 22;
Wang Kouma (王扣玛), Shanghai activist, forcibly disappeared on August 22 and released the next day, then taken to “black jail” on August 26 on Chongming Island in Shanghai;
Fan Guijuan (范桂娟), Shanghai activist, missing since being called in for questioning on August 23 in Pudong District;
Cao Yibao (曹义宝), Shanghai activist, seized by police while in Hangzhou on August 25 and forcibly returned and held in “black jail” in Fengxian District;
Yang Li (杨立), Shanghai activist, seized at Hongqiao station on August 25 and taken to ‘black jail” in Qingpu District.
Huang Haiyan (黄海燕), Shanghai activist, seized from home on August 25 and taken to “black jail” in Shanghai;
Tian Dalei (田大雷), Shanghai petitioner, forcibly disappeared on August 26;
Chen Zhenli (陈真理), Shanghai activist, forcibly disappeared with three others on August 28 while in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang;
Xie Suihao (谢穗好), missing since forcibly returned to Shanghai on August 28;
Huang Yuehua (黄月华), Shanghai activist, forcibly disappeared on August 28;
Zhou Xuezhen (周雪珍), sent to “black jail” on Chongming Island, Shanghai on August 29;
Zhu Jin’an (朱金安), Shanghai activist, missing since seized by police in Huzhou City, Zhejiang on August 30;
Nie Lianying (聶莲英), Shanghai activist, missing since seized at Hongqiao Train Station while preparing to travel to Zhejiang on August 30;
Chen Yaqin (陈雅琴), Shanghai activist, missing since seized at Hongqiao Train Station while preparing to travel to Zhejiang on August 30;
Jin Wei (金伟), Shanghai activist, missing since being picked up on August 30 while attempting to travel to Shaoxing City, Zhejiang;
Liu Feiyue (刘飞跃), activist who runs the human rights website Civil Rights & Livelihood Watch, taken away by police on August 30 in Hubei Province; and
Xia Lanying (夏兰英), activist, missing since unknown date in Wuxi City, Jiangsu.

House arrest (3 individuals)

Liu Guofang (刘国芳), Shanghai activist, put under house arrest on August 26, current whereabouts unknown and might be held in “black jail”;
Han Sufang (韩素芳), Shanghai activist, put under house arrest on August 26, current whereabouts unknown and might be held in “black jail”; and
You Guifeng (尤桂凤), activist, put under house arrest in Wuxi City, Jiangsu on unknown date.

Forced travel (1 individual)

Fan Yiyang (范益阳), Shanghai activist, taken to Yandang Mountains in Zhejiang Province by four police officers on August 23.

Contacts:

Renee Xia, International Director (Mandarin, English), +1 863 866 1012, reneexia[at]nchrd.org, Follow on Twitter: @ReneeXiaCHRD

Victor Clemens, Research Coordinator (English), +1 209 643 0539, victorclemens[at]nchrd.org, Follow on Twitter: @VictorClemens

Frances Eve, Researcher (English), +852 6695 4083, franceseve[at]nchrd.org, Follow on Twitter:@FrancesEveCHRD