Research Reports | Chinese Human Rights Defenders

“Silencing the Messenger: 2014 Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China”

March 15, 2015 Comments Off

Human rights defenders in China experienced unusually severe reprisal in 2014, says CHRD in its annual report, Silencing the Messenger: 2014 Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China. CHRD asserts that the government’s persecution of human rights defenders in 2014 was as severe as it has (read more…)

CHRD Releases “We can Beat You to Death With Impunity,” a report about secret detention & abuse of women in China’s black jails

October 21, 2014 Comments Off

CHRD has released a new report, “We can Beat You to Death With Impunity:” Secret Detention & Abuse of Women in China’s “Black Jails”. The report examines widespread detention in extralegal facilities known as “black jails,” and particularly abuses against women locked up in the facilities, where roughly 80% of (read more…)

A Nightmarish Year Under Xi Jinping’s “Chinese Dream”: 2013 Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China

March 3, 2014 Comments Off

Human rights defenders in China experienced a tumultuous year of suppression in 2013 while continuing to demonstrate remarkable strength and extraordinary courage, as documented in CHRD’s annual report, A Nightmarish Year Under Xi Jinping’s “Chinese Dream,” released today. In speaking with CHRD, dozens of Chinese activists have described 2013 as (read more…)

CHRD Releases Report on Rights of the Child in China: “‘Flowers of the Country’: Mistreated and Abused”

September 3, 2013 Comments Off

Three weeks before the UN review of China’s record in protecting the rights of the child (set for September 26-27), CHRD has released its own report on the subject, “‘Flowers of the Country’: Mistreated and Abused.” The report documents ongoing violations of children’s rights in China, examines their causes, and (read more…)

In the Name of “Stability”: 2012 Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China

March 15, 2013 Comments Off

With a major change of the guard at the top echelon of China’s one-party power, 2012 was marked by authorities’ intensified attempts to thwart human rights activism but also impressive civil society campaigns that fought for rights protections. As illustrated by CHRD’s newest report, human rights defenders (HRDs) expanded their (read more…)

“The Darkest Corners”: Abuses of Involuntary Psychiatric Commitment in China

August 22, 2012 Comments Off

CHRD’s latest report details the grim conditions and human rights abuses faced by hundreds of thousands of people detained against their will in China’s psychiatric hospitals because they have, or are alleged to have, psychosocial disabilities. Involuntary commitment and forced medical treatment of such persons violates the Convention on the (read more…)

“We can dig a pit and bury you alive” Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China, 2011

March 9, 2012 Comments Off

“We can dig a pit and bury you alive”[1] Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China, 2011 Please click here to read the full report. Introduction The state of human rights in China continued to deteriorate in the year 2011. As documented in this annual report (read more…)

Let there be light, let there be sincerity: the illegal house arrest of Chen Guangcheng and the unprecedented grassroots campaign to end it

November 11, 2011 Comments Off

Let there be light, let there be sincerity: the illegal house arrest of Chen Guangcheng and the unprecedented grassroots campaign to end it Chinese Human Rights Defenders November 11, 2011 Chinese citizens have launched an impressive campaign to challenge the unlawful house arrest of blind human rights activist and (read more…)

Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China 2010

March 2, 2011 Comments Off

The ongoing crackdown on activists following an online call for “Jasmine Revolution” protests is a chilling reminder that defending human rights is a perilous occupation in China. The general environment for China’s human rights defenders (HRDs) deteriorated in 2010. Through reviewing CHRD’s reporting over the past year and surveys conducted (read more…)

“I don’t have control over my own body”

December 20, 2010 Comments Off

The year 2010 marked the 30th anniversary of China’s family planning policy. In recent years, the government has introduced many exceptions to the “one-child” aspect of the policy, leading to widespread speculation about its status and its future: Are people still bound by the policy, or can they pay their (read more…)

Report on Several Issues Raised by the Chinese Government’s Response to the UN Committee Against Torture’s Recommendations for Follow-Up in 2009

August 5, 2010 Comments Off

To download this report in .pdf format, please click here. Report on Several Issues Raised by the Chinese Government’s Response to the UN Committee Against Torture’s Recommendations for Follow-Up in 2009 Introduction This submission by the Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) addresses several issues raised by the Chinese (read more…)

Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in China (2009)

April 25, 2010 Comments Off

Executive Summary During 2009, the environment in China grew increasingly hostile towards human rights defenders. Highlighted by the harassment of a number of well-known, relatively independent nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focusing on human rights, and the closure of one-the Open Constitution Initiative (Gongmeng)-the already limited space for civil society was (read more…)