In the Press | Chinese Human Rights Defenders

China’s Rights Activists Face Torture, Detention, ‘Disappearance’: Report

March 4, 2019 Comments Off

Originally published by Radio Free Asia on February 21, 2019 China’s human rights activists continue to speak out on behalf of victims of the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s abuses of power, despite the threat of arbitrary detention, torture, and forced ‘disappearance,’ an overseas rights group said on Thursday. “2018 was (read more…)

Tortured Chinese Dissident Granted Political Asylum by U.S. State Dept

February 18, 2019 Comments Off

Originally published by CNS News on February 1, 2019 After years of imprisonment and struggles to find a place of refuge, Chinese dissident Huang Yan arrived in Los Angeles from Taiwan on January 25 after the United States granted her political asylum. “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks (read more…)

Free from Chinese repression, desperate dissidents in US cling to tradition of petitioning to air grievances

February 16, 2019 Comments Off

Originally published by SCMP on February 15, 2019 Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He came to Washington at the end of January for two days of negotiations and a meeting with US President Donald Trump in search of a trade war breakthrough. But Bai Jiemin, a former businessman from China now living (read more…)

Mothers of Jailed Chinese Rights Defenders Shine Light on Son’s Cases and ‘Injustice’

February 16, 2019 Comments Off

Originally published by Voice Of America on February 4, 2019 In recent weeks, hopes have been dashed for the mothers of two jailed Chinese rights defenders to reunite with their sons – Liu Feiyue and Huang Qi – during this week’s Lunar New Year holidays. Last Tuesday, after a court (read more…)

NGOs urge UN to adopt resolution on China’s human rights abuses

January 30, 2019 Comments Off

Originally published by Nikkei Asian Review on January 30, 2019 TOKYO — Nongovernmental organizations from around the world are urging the United Nations and the international community to take concrete action in response to what they see as increasingly severe human rights abuses in China. In an open letter published (read more…)

Chinese activist Liu Feiyue given five years’ jail for ‘inciting subversion’

January 30, 2019 Comments Off

Originally published by AFP on January 29, 2019 The founder of a prominent Chinese civil and human rights website has been sentenced to five years in prison for inciting state subversion, according to human rights organisations. Liu Feiyue created and ran the Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch website, which covers (read more…)

China thinks it can arbitrarily detain anyone. It is time for change

January 12, 2019 Comments Off

Originally published by The Guardian on January 4, 2019 Canada’s foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, has called China’s detention of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor a “worrying precedent” but for many China watchers it is all too familiar. It reminds us of the detentions of other foreign citizens, such as Canadian (read more…)

China Jails Three Activists For Video ‘Mocking’ President Xi Jinping

January 12, 2019 Comments Off

Originally published by Radio Free Asia on January 8, 2019 Authorities in the Chinese capital have sentenced citizen journalist Ding Lingjie and two petitioners to jail for making a video ‘mocking’ President Xi Jinping during a holiday season crackdown on dissent.Ding was tried alongside petitioners Li Xuehui and Wang Fengxian by the Shijingshan (read more…)

Kanji: The Uighurs remain forgotten in debates over human rights in China

January 12, 2019 Comments Off

Originally published by Ottawa Citizen on January 8, 2019 In detaining Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor as alleged threats to “national security” in apparent retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, China provided an exemplary demonstration of one of the most transparent and hackneyed tricks in the authoritarian repertoire: (read more…)

Beijing furthers campaign to ‘Sinicize’ ethnic Muslims with new law

January 12, 2019 Comments Off

Originally published by AFP on January 6, 2019 In the latest push in an aggressive campaign to “Sinicize” Muslims in China, Beijing on Saturday reportedly passed a law dictating the way Islam can be practised in the country. The Global Times, China’s most popular English paper, reported that following a (read more…)

‘My husband is innocent’: Wife of detained Chinese lawyer barred from trial

January 6, 2019 Comments Off

Originally published by The Guardian on December 26, 2018 Li Wenzu was blocked by police officers from leaving her apartment complex to attend the trial of her husband Wang Quanzhang It was a little after 5am on Boxing Day when Li Wenzu tried to leave her apartment to attend her (read more…)

Prominent Chinese rights lawyer missing for three years goes on trial

January 6, 2019 Comments Off

Originally published by Reuters on December 26, 2018 Chinese police locked down a courthouse on Wednesday for the trial of a prominent rights lawyer who is accused of subversion of state power and whose case has attracted widespread concern in Western countries. Wang Quanzhang, who took on sensitive cases such (read more…)