2011 crackdown on dissidents in the People's Republic of China
Encyclopedia
The 2011 crackdown on dissidents in the People's Republic of China refers to the arrest of dozens of mainland Chinese rights lawyers, activists and grassroots agitators in a response to the 2011 Chinese pro-democracy protests. Since the protests, at least 54 Chinese activists have been arrested or detained by authorities in the biggest crackdown on dissent since the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
. Since the start of the protests in mid-February 2011, human rights groups
have claimed that more than 54 people have been arrested by authorities, some of whom have been charged with crimes. Among those arrested are bloggers who criticise the government such as Ai Weiwei
, lawyers who pursue cases against the government, and human rights activists.
Renee Xia, the international director of Chinese Human Rights Defenders
, commented on 26 February 2011: "The numbers point to a bad situation that is only getting worse. In the matter of a few days, we have seen more cases of prominent lawyers subjected to prolonged disappearances, more criminal charges that may carry lengthy prison sentences for activists, more home raids, and a heavier reliance on extralegal measures.";
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
. Since the start of the protests in mid-February 2011, human rights groups
Human rights in the People's Republic of China
Human rights in the People's Republic of China are a matter of dispute between the Chinese government, other countries, international NGOs, and dissidents inside the country. Organizations such as the U.S. State Department, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have accused the Chinese...
have claimed that more than 54 people have been arrested by authorities, some of whom have been charged with crimes. Among those arrested are bloggers who criticise the government such as Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist, active in sculpture, installation, architecture, curating, photography, film, and social, political and cultural criticism. Ai collaborated with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron as the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008...
, lawyers who pursue cases against the government, and human rights activists.
Arrests
At least 54 leading activists have been arrested or detained by authorities including:- Ai WeiweiAi WeiweiAi Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist, active in sculpture, installation, architecture, curating, photography, film, and social, political and cultural criticism. Ai collaborated with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron as the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008...
, prominent dissident, had expressed his sympathy with the 2011 Chinese pro-democracy protests: Amid Boxun's online campaign, Ai had posted on his Twitter account on 24 February: "I didn’t care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared by jasmine sent out information about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!" Ai's studio was raided by police, who took away computer equipment; a number of his entourage were also arrested by police. He was arrested on 3 April. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on 7 April that Ai was under investigation for 'economic crimes'. On 20 April Ai was appointed Visiting Professor of the University of the Arts in Berlin. - Chen WeiChen Wei (dissident)Chen Wei , born 21 February 1969 in Sichuan Suining , is a dissident and a leading human rights activist in central Sichuan province in China. Currently he is detained by Chinese police and is held at the Suining City Detention Center.- Biography :...
(陈卫), 42, a leading human rights activist in central Sichuan province on the morning of 20 February was charged with "subversion of state power" and "inciting subversion of state power". - Cheng Li (成力), performing artist.
- Ding MaoDing MaoDing Mao , born 1968 in Sichuan Mianyang , is a Chinese dissident. As a student, he was one of the leaders of the student democracy movement, known through the Tiananmen Square 1989 protest. He became general manager of an investment company, and one of the founders of the unrecognized Social...
(丁矛), an activist, was arrested between March 25 and March 28. - Dong Jiqing, husband of housing rights lawyer Ni YulanNi YulanNi Yulan , a critical lawyer working for victims of land eviction or housing rights cases, was arrested together with her husband. Only a year ago, she had been released from an earlier detention of two years. Due to torture in prison, she needed a wheelchair. After her release a year ago, she had...
- Gu Chuan, critical writer;
- Guo Gai (郭盖), performing artist;
- Guo Weidong (郭卫东), a businessman and blogger, was charged with "inciting subversion".
- Hu Mingfeng, accountant of Ai Weiwei;
- Hua Chunhui (华春辉), sent to Re-education through Labor;
- Huang Xiang (黄香), performing artist;
- Jiang Tianyong (江天勇), a human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist and lawyer, was detained by police on 19 February 2011, when he was grabbed and thrown into a waiting van. On 20 February, police in Beijing went to the home of Jiang Tianyong’s brother, where Jiang was temporarily staying, and confiscated his laptop computer. On 21 February they returned and searched Jiang’s room, confiscating a desktop computer and other items. Jiang was released on 19 April 2011. Jiang earlier was tortured in prison. - Jin Mingri, senior pastor of the free church called Zion ChurchZion ChurchZion Church may refer to:in the United States* Zion Church , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in New York* Zion Church , listed on the NRHP in Tennesseein Germany...
in Beijing was shortly detained to be prevented from attending Lausanne Conference in South Africa. He is a graduate of Beijing University, Nanjing Seminary, and Fuller Theological Seminary. - Jin Tianming, senior pastor of the free church called Shouwang ChurchShouwang ChurchThe Shouwang Church is a Protestant Chinese house church in Beijing, China, and the biggest of about 3,000 of such congregations in the city. The word shouwang means "to keep watch" in Mandarin.-History and membership:...
in Beijing was shortly detained and later released into house arrest. - Lan Jingyuan (兰靖远), arrested and released on bail to await trial;
- Li Hai (李海), critical writer;
- Li Shuangde (李双德), is a citizen lawyer and an activist based in Chengdu. He operates a legal aid center in Chengdu, and provides legal aid to citizens who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. He has been harassed on numerous occasions in the past by local officials. He was detained in March 2011, and sentenced in June 2011 to four months in jail on charges of credit card fraud. He was released on July 22, 2011.
- Li Tiantian, human rights lawyer;
- Liang Haiyi, from Harbin, was arrested after posting information on the 2011 protests on a chat room.
- Liu Huiping (刘慧萍), human rights activist;
- Liu Shihui, human rights lawyer;
- Liu XianbinLiu XianbinLiu Xianbin , from Suining, Sichuan province, People's Republic of China, is a human rights activist, China Democracy Party organizer, writer and signer of Charter 08.- Biography :...
on 25 March was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "slandering the Communist Party" and subversion. - Liu Xiaoyuan, an activist lawyer, on 15 April was taken away by officers who identified themselves as being from Beijing's public security bureau. They questioned him about cases he had worked on before and which had to do with his friend Ai WeiweiAi WeiweiAi Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist, active in sculpture, installation, architecture, curating, photography, film, and social, political and cultural criticism. Ai collaborated with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron as the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008...
. Ai had asked Liu to represent him in case he would be taken away. He was released in the evening of 19 April. - Liu Zhengang, works for design and architecture company of Ai Weiwei's wife;
- Liu Zhenqing, critical writer;
- Mao HengfengMao HengfengMao Hengfeng is a women's rights and human rights activist in the People's Republic of China. She refused to abort her third child after already having twins and was detained in an ankang and then dismissed from her job...
from Shanghai, who campaigned against a strict one-child policy was taken from her home to a labour camp. - Ni YulanNi YulanNi Yulan , a critical lawyer working for victims of land eviction or housing rights cases, was arrested together with her husband. Only a year ago, she had been released from an earlier detention of two years. Due to torture in prison, she needed a wheelchair. After her release a year ago, she had...
(倪玉兰), a critical lawyer working for victims of land eviction cases, was arrested together with her husband. Only a year prior, she had been released from an earlier detention of two years. Due to torture in prison, she needed a wheelchair. After her release a year ago, she had to live in a tent, since she was a victim of land eviction herself. - Quan Lianzhao (全连昭), activist;
- Ran YunfeiRan YunfeiRan Yunfei is a famous Chinese writer and a high-profile democracy activist and blogger. He was arrested in late March 2011, shortly after the start of the 2011 Chinese pro-democracy protests, on charges of inciting subversion of state power....
(冉云飞), a former leader of the student movement 1989, who has served years in prison, today a well-known blogger and writer from Sichuan, was arrested on charges of "inciting subversion of state power". - Sun Desheng (孙德胜), activist;
- Tang Jingling (唐荆陵), Guangzhou-based human rights lawyer.
- Tang Jitian, human rights lawyer;
- Teng BiaoTeng BiaoTeng Biao is a human rights activist and lawyer in China. Teng is a lecturer at the University of Politics and Law in Beijing. He has been a vocal supporter of human rights activists such as Chen Guangcheng and Hu Jia...
(滕彪), of the Open Constitution Initiative, was reported missing / incommunicado. - Wei Qiang (魏强}}) a former art student who has worked at Ai Weiwei's studio, has been sentenced to two years of re-education through labour for attending a pro-democracy protest.
- Wen Tao, journalist of Global Times, friend of Ai Weiwei;
- Yang Qiuyu (杨秋雨), campaigner for the rights of petitioners, took pictures of a site mentioned in connection with the 'Jasmine Revolution', was seized by police at Xidan in Beijing and without trial was sent to a Labour Camp.
- Ye Du, a critical writer, was arrested;
- Zhang Jinsong, cousin and driver of Ai Weiei;
- Zhu YufuZhu YufuZhu Yufu , born 13 February 1953 in Hangzhou 杭州, Zhejiang 浙江, China, is a prominent dissident in China. In 1998, he was one of the founders of the unrecognized "China Democratic Party" . He also founded the "Opposition Party" magazine, carrying articles about the CDP. He is currently under arrest...
(朱虞夫), a longtime activist and a founder of the China Democracy Party, was arrested and accused of "inciting subversion of state power." - Zhui Hun (追魂), performing artist.
Renee Xia, the international director of Chinese Human Rights Defenders
Chinese Human Rights Defenders
China Human Rights Defenders is a network of domestic and overseas Chinese human rights activists and groups.The group issues statements on human rights issues and its website provides news and background information....
, commented on 26 February 2011: "The numbers point to a bad situation that is only getting worse. In the matter of a few days, we have seen more cases of prominent lawyers subjected to prolonged disappearances, more criminal charges that may carry lengthy prison sentences for activists, more home raids, and a heavier reliance on extralegal measures.";
Supervision and summoning
- Up to 200 people are subject to reinforced supervision or house arrest.
- Since mid February, more than a hundred people have been summoned or questioned by police.
- On the morning of 19 February, National Security officers in Yichang City, Hubei Province arrived at the home of activist Shi Yulin 石玉林, summoning him for questioning. While Shi was being interrogated, officers searched his home, confiscating a computer. Shi recently had taken efforts to support Shandong human rights defender Chen Guangcheng 陈关诚.
Commentary
- The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances expressed "serious concern at the recent wave of enforced disappearances".
- According to Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
more than 100 activists, lawyers and writers have been detained or have simply disappeared -- some of them just for using the words "Jasmine Revolution" in a Twitter feed.
- According to Chinese Human Rights DefendersChinese Human Rights DefendersChina Human Rights Defenders is a network of domestic and overseas Chinese human rights activists and groups.The group issues statements on human rights issues and its website provides news and background information....
, "this is the harshest crackdown [...] in the past 15 years. Every day, someone is disappeared, taken away, detained or charged."
See also
- Political repression in the People's Republic of China
- List of Chinese dissidents