Soft detention
Encyclopedia
Soft detention is a form of house arrest
used in the People's Republic of China
to control political dissidents. It has its roots in the practices of the Chinese Empire which employed it as early as the Northern Song Dynasty when those such as Su Shi
who criticized the emperor
were subjected to it. Traditionally, and in modern practice, there are three levels of restriction; the loosest, "juzhuk," restricts the detainee to their home district. This restriction was employed on the history teacher Yuan Tengfei
who included information about banned aspects of modern Chinese history in his lectures. The second level, “anzhi,” employed anciently on Su Shi, restricts the prisoner to their home, but they may be allowed to go for a walk or go to work. The severest form, “bianguan,” which was imposed on the human rights activist Chen Guangcheng
involves limited movement of the prisoner to their home, constant surveillance, restriction of contract with others, and, sometimes, harassment,
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
used in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
to control political dissidents. It has its roots in the practices of the Chinese Empire which employed it as early as the Northern Song Dynasty when those such as Su Shi
Su Shi
Su Shi , was a writer, poet, artist, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and statesman of the Song Dynasty, and one of the major poets of the Song era. His courtesy name was Zizhan and his pseudonym was Dongpo Jushi , and he is often referred to as Su Dongpo...
who criticized the emperor
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
were subjected to it. Traditionally, and in modern practice, there are three levels of restriction; the loosest, "juzhuk," restricts the detainee to their home district. This restriction was employed on the history teacher Yuan Tengfei
Yuan Tengfei
Yuan Tengfei , is a history teacher in the People's Republic of China. His fans gave him the nickname "the most awesome history teacher in history" for his entertaining and comedic lectures. He had been also a popular guest in Lecture Room of CCTV...
who included information about banned aspects of modern Chinese history in his lectures. The second level, “anzhi,” employed anciently on Su Shi, restricts the prisoner to their home, but they may be allowed to go for a walk or go to work. The severest form, “bianguan,” which was imposed on the human rights activist Chen Guangcheng
Chen Guangcheng
Chen Guangcheng is a blind civil rights activist in the People's Republic of China who drew international attention to human rights issues in rural areas. He was placed under house arrest from September 2005 to March 2006 after talking to Time magazine about the forced abortion cases he...
involves limited movement of the prisoner to their home, constant surveillance, restriction of contract with others, and, sometimes, harassment,