In the Press | Chinese Human Rights Defenders

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of China on the UNHRC

December 1, 2013 Comments Off

China celebrates its membership of the UN Human Rights Council. Elsewhere, reactions are mixed.

China Tries Even Harder to Censor the Internet

September 30, 2013 Comments Off

Originally published by Businessweek on September 12, 2013 Chinese officials probably don’t care much about irony. The latest example came today in Beijing. At the same time China’s Internet censors are intensifying a crackdown on bloggers and other online activity, delegates convened in the capital for a two-day forum on human rights. The official (read more…)

Group Slams China’s ‘Abysmal’ Record on Child Rights

September 30, 2013 Comments Off

Originally published by Radio Free Asias on September 3, 2013 China has failed to uphold the rights of the country’s children, with many left vulnerable to sexual abuse, child labor, and harm through shoddy goods and medicines and poor safety standards, an overseas-based rights group said on Tuesday. “China’s abysmal record in (read more…)

Human rights groups says China has detained another legal activist

September 30, 2013 Comments Off

Originally published by FOX NEWS on August 17, 2013 BEIJING – A Chinese human rights group and a friend say authorities have detained Guo Feixiong, a leader of the country’s loose New Citizens campaign to promote democratic rights. Journalist Xiao Shu said Saturday that a sister of Guo, whose real name is Yang Maodong, (read more…)

Shanghai Lawyer Suspended Over Constitutional Campaigns

September 30, 2013 Comments Off

Originally published by Radio Free Asia on August 29, 2013 Authorities in Shanghai have suspended a prominent legal scholar and rights lawyer from his teaching post after he wrote an article promoting constitutional reforms in June, amid what rights groups say is a continuing crackdown on political activists and anti-graft campaigners. Zhang Xuezhong, (read more…)

Beijing Formally Arrests Lawyer Pu Zhiqiang in Clampdown on Dissent

June 19, 2014 Comments Off

Originally published by The Wall Street Journal on June 13, 2014 BEIJING—Chinese police formally arrested a hard-charging rights lawyer on multiple criminal charges on Friday, making him the latest prominent target in a tightening clampdown on dissent. Pu Zhiqiang faces charges of “picking quarrels and provoking troubles,” as well as (read more…)

Calls Grow for Release of Chinese Student Held Over Tiananmen Tweet

June 16, 2014 Comments Off

Originally published by Radio Free Asia on June 13, 2014 A Beijing college student has written to China’s president calling for the release of her classmate currently under criminal detention for sending out a tweet linked to the 25th anniversary of the military crackdown on student-led protests in Tiananmen Square. (read more…)

Can China Cast Off Despotism?

April 14, 2014 Comments Off

Originally published by New York Times (blog) on April 9, 2014 It’s no longer politically correct to use the word “Oriental” in the West. But nowhere has the word “despotism” fallen out of favor. Put the two together and you get the title of a book by the German-American historian (read more…)

China arrests prominent human rights lawyer

June 16, 2014 Comments Off

Originally published by CNN on June 13, 2014 Beijing (CNN) — Chinese authorities formally arrested prominent lawyer Pu Zhiqiang on Friday for “picking quarrels and creating a disturbance.” His other alleged crime was “illegally obtaining citizens’ personal information,” Beijing police said on their official microblog, adding that the investigation into Pu (read more…)

Two Chinese activists stand trial over peaceful protests

April 14, 2014 Comments Off

Originally published by The Guardian on April 8, 2014 Two activists from the Chinese civil society organisation New Citizens’ Movement appeared in court on Tuesday in what human rights groups have called a protracted crackdown on freedom of assembly and expression. Ding Jiaxi, 46, a Beijing-based lawyer, stood trial (read more…)

China Tries Anti-Graft Activist in Secret on ‘Fraud’ Charge

June 16, 2014 Comments Off

Originally published by Radio Free Asia on June 12, 2014 Authorities in the Chinese capital have tried a member of the New Citizens’ Movement in secret on fraud charges, his lawyer said, in the latest action against the group campaigning for government transparency. Zhang Xiangzhong stood trial at Beijing’s Haidian (read more…)

Lawyers Expose Torture After Attempt to Rescue Falun Gong

April 14, 2014 Comments Off

Originally published by Epoch Times on April 7, 2014 On April 6, after 15 days of detention by security forces in the north of China, three human rights lawyers were released, quickly telling the story of what happened to them while in custody: torture, beatings, and verbal abuse, (read more…)