Reprisals against Human Rights & Democracy Activists During COVID-19, Mainland China, Hong Kong

April 22, 2020 Comments Off

China Human Rights Briefing

April 22, 2020

Contents

Beijing Filmmaker Forcibly Disappeared for “Inciting Subversion” Likely for Making Documentary about Xu Zhiyong
Christian House Church Pastor Arrested on “Inciting Subversion” Charges in Hunan
Hubei Woman Arrested After Neighborhood Protest Against Price Hikes in Lockdown
Released Prisoners of Conscience Forced into “Quarantine”
Rights Activist Sentenced in Fujian, But His Disability Disqualifies Him for Serving in Prison
Consumer Rights Activist’s Appeal Over 14-Year Prison Sentence Rejected

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Police Arrest 15 Democracy Leaders in Connection to 2019 Protests

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Beijing Filmmaker Forcibly Disappeared for “Inciting Subversion” Likely for Making Documentary about Xu Zhiyong

Beijing police detained independent filmmaker and poet Chen Jiaping (陈家坪 aka Chen Yong 陈勇) on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power,” according to a post from his wife on April 12. She said he had been taken away 38 days ago, likely on March 5, and put under “residential surveillance in designated location.” Chen had been making a documentary about the legal scholar, activist Xu Zhiyong, who has been disappeared under RSDL on “inciting subversion” charges since February 15.

Christian House Church Pastor Arrested on “Inciting Subversion” Charges in Hunan

Hunan national security police formally arrested Zhao Huaiguo (赵怀国) on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” on April 2. Zhao, the pastor of Bethel Church, a Christian house church in Cili County, Zhangjiajie City, was initially criminally detained on March 14. His current location is unknown. Zhao established the Bethel Church in 2007 after arriving in Hunan from northeast China. Christian house churches have increasingly come under criminal suppression since China’s Religious Affairs Regulations was amended in 2018. In December 2019, pastor Wang Yi from the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu received a nine-year prison sentence.

Hubei Woman Arrested After Neighborhood Protest Against Price Hikes in Lockdown

Yingcheng City police formally arrested activist Zeng Chunzhi (曾春智) on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” on April 17 for organising local residents to protest against price gouging of essential goods during the coronavirus lockdown. Local residents in Haishan District under lockdown were forced to buy food and staple items from the local property management office, which charged them higher prices on essential goods. Zeng organised a protest with hundreds of residents in the housing compound on March 12, where they shouted slogans like “Haishan property management should get out, disband property management and property committee”. Police administratively detained Zeng on March 27, then criminally detained her on April 9, before formally arresting her on April 17. She is being held at Yingcheng City Detention Center. The residents’ protest came as small business owners in Wuhan reportedly protested outside a shopping mall on April 10 for rent relief on their shops which have been shut down due to coronavirus restrictions.

Released Prisoners of Conscience Forced into “Quarantine”

Chinese authorities forced two prisoners of conscience into quarantine away from their families upon their release from lengthy prison sentences in April. Poet and activist Li Bifeng was released on April 7 after serving a 10-year prison sentence and human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang was released on April 5 following a 4.5-year sentence. Sichuan authorities forced Li Bifeng into “quarantine” in a guesthouse but refused to disclose the exact location to his family. Shandong authorities would not allow Wang to return to his home in Beijing and reunite with his wife and son, but forced him into “quarantine” in Jinan, Shandong, where his hukou is registered. 14 days later, by this date, Wang remains blocked from returning to Beijing from Jinan.

Rights Activist Sentenced in Fujian, But His Disability Disqualifies Him for Serving in Prison

Disabled housing rights defender Lei Zonglin (雷宗林) has been languishing in Fuzhou No. 1 Detention Center since being convicted of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” and sentenced to 46-months in prison on November 26, 2018 by a Fuzhou court. Lei should have been moved to prison to serve his sentence, but the prison in Fuzhou refused to accept Lei because he has a disability (Lei is classified as having a Grade II disability). Lei has been denied his right to family visitation while still being held at Fuzhou No. 1 Detention Center. Lei was initially detained in early 2017 while petitioning in Beijing and brought back to Fuzhou and criminally detained. On November 22, 2017, Fuzhou court put Lei on a trial without his lawyer, and the court verdict was not delivered to his family until November 2018. Lei began to petition after his home was demolished in 1995.

Consumer Rights Activist’s Appeal Over 14-Year Prison Sentence Rejected

Nanyang Intermediate Court rejected the appeal of activist Wang Qing on April 10. Wang had been convicted of “extortion and blackmail” by Wolong District Court on September 6, 2019 alongside Chen Qiang (陈强), Wang Jucai (王聚才) and Han Meng (韩猛), who received sentences ranging from 8-12 years and various fines. Authorities had accused the men of “extortion and blackmail” over their efforts to file complaints against companies for producing counterfeit products, claiming they had “threatened” merchants when filing complaints. Wang Qing had previously been named one of the “Top Ten Citizens” for his well-documented efforts to fight counterfeit products and use of the Open Government Information system to hold officials to account.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Police Arrest 15 Democracy Leaders in Connection to 2019 Protests

Hong Kong police arrested 15 pro-democracy and civil society leaders on April 18, including lawyers Martin Lee and Albert Ho, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, and activist Figo Chan. Police announced that it had seized 15 individuals on suspicion of “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” or “announcing unauthorised marches” held on August 18, October 1, and October 20, 2019, during the mass demonstrations that began against now-scrapped amendments to the extradition bills. All were released on bail pending trial.

The arrests came after the Liaison Office, the Central Chinese Government’s representative office in Hong Kong, declared it was not bound by restrictions under Article 22 of the Basic Law, which prohibits Beijing’s interference in Hong Kong affairs.

The full list with more details of 15 arrested:

Au Nok-hin (區諾軒), 32, former LegCo Member (March 2018-Dec 2019), former convenor of Civil Human Rights Front, charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on August 18, 2019;
Figo Chan (陳皓桓), 23, vice-convenor of Civil Human Rights Front, charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” and “announcing unauthorised marches” on October 1 and October 20, 2019;
Albert Ho (何俊仁), 68, lawyer, vice-chairman of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, former chairman of Democratic Party and former LegCo Member (1995-1997; 1998-2016), charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on August 18 and October 1, 2019, and “announcing unauthorised marches” on October 1 and October 20, 2019;
Cyd Ho (何秀蘭), 65, former LegCo Member (1998-2004, 2008-2016), charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on August 18, October 1 and October 20, 2019, and “announcing unauthorised marches” on October 20, 2019;
Jimmy Lai (黎智英), 71, founder of Next Media Limited (壹傳媒有限公司), parent company of Apple Daily newspaper, charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on August 18 and October 1, 2019;
Lee Cheuk-yan (李卓人), 63, General Secretary of Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, former LegCo Member (1995; 1996-1997; 1998-2016), chairman of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on August 18 and October 1, 2019 and “announcing unauthorised marches” on October 1, 2019;
Martin Lee (李柱銘), 81, lawyer, former LegCo Member (1985-1997; 1998-2008), charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on August 18 and October 20, 2019;
Leung Kwok-hung (梁國雄), 64, aka “Long Hair,” former LegCo Member (2004-2016), charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on August 18, October 1, and October 20, 2019, and “announcing unauthorised marches” on October 1 and October 20, 2019;
Leung Yiu-chung (梁耀忠), 66, current LegCo Member and executive committee member of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on August 18, 2019;
Avery Ng (吳文遠), 43, activist, secretary general of League of Social Democrats, charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on October 1 and October 20, 2019
Margaret Ng (吳靄儀), 72, lawyer, former LegCo Member (1995-2012), former deputy editor-in-chief at Ming Pao newspaper, charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on August 18, 2019;
Sin Chung-kai (單仲偕), 59, chairman of Kwai Tsing District Council, former LegCo member (1995-2008; 2012-2016), charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on October 1, 2019;
Raphael Wong (黃浩銘), 31, activist, chairman of League of Social Democrats, charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on October 20, 2019;
Richard Tsoi (蔡耀昌), 52, secretary of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China and former district councillor, charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on October 1, 2019;
Yeung Sum (楊森), 72, an academic and former LegCo member (1991-2008), charged with “assisting in organising and taking part in unauthorised assembly” on October 1, 2019.

Contacts

Renee Xia, Director (Mandarin, English), +1 863 866 1012, reneexia[at]nchrd.org

Frances Eve, Deputy Director of Research (English), +1 661 240 9177, franceseve[at]nchrd.org

Leo Lan, Research & Advocacy Consultant (Mandarin, Cantonese, English), +852 9623 3023, leolan[at]nchrd.org