[CHRB] Arbitrary Detentions & Restrictions for “Harmonious” APEC & Over 100 Detentions Tied to Hong Kong (11/7-14/2014)

November 14, 2014 Comments Off

China Human Rights Briefing

November 7 – 14, 2014

Contents

Arbitrary Detention

Police Detained Two Activists After Interviews With Washington Post
Beijing Police Restrict Movement of Activists Due to APEC Summit

Reprisals Against Human Rights Lawyers

Authorities Retaliate Against 2 Lawyers for Representing Detained Activists

Freedom of Expression

Over 100 Mainland Supporters of Hong Kong Detained: 8 Formally Arrested, Others Sent to Black Jails

UN Treaty Bodies

UN Committee Calls on China to Improve Protection of Women Rights

Special Notice

IOC Responds to CHRD on Rights Suppression Related to Games

Arbitrary Detention

Police Detained Two Activists After Interviews With Washington Post

Anhui authorities have detained two activists and former law enforcement officials, after the Washington Post interviewed them in Beijing, reportedly about their experiences with China’s petitioning system. Dangshan City public security officers took Mr. Zhuo Cong (卓聪) into custody on October 28. Police later criminally detained Zhuo, a former bailiff at a Dangshan court, on suspicion of “creating a disturbance” and are holding him at Dangshan City Detention Center. Police in Huanan City administratively detained Mr. Liu Ming (刘铭) for 10 days for “illegal petitioning” from October 28. Liu, a former Huanan City public security officer, served her detention at Bengbu City Detention Center and was released on November 7.[1]

Beijing Police Restrict Movement of Activists Due to APEC Summit

Petitioners protest against the APEC Summit in Beijing, holding signs that read: “We Want Human Rights, We Want Food, We Don’t Want APEC!” (image: RDN)

Authorities tightened restrictions on the movement of dissidents, activists, and petitioners in Beijing as a pretext of “maintaining stability” during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum, which was held in the capital on November 5-11. Some in the targeted groups were threatened or physically assaulted by security officers. Disabled activist Ge Zhihui (葛志慧) was held under house arrest in her home in Beijing for 10 days, and police repeatedly threatened to kill her and refused to let her get food and other items. Officials from Heilongjiang Province detained activist Shan Yajuan (单亚娟) on November 10 and held her in a black jail in Beijing’s Dongcheng District, where they subjected her to physical violence. They took Shan, who suffered head injuries, to the hospital the next day, but then forced her to leave before she received any treatment. Two Heilongjiang petitioners, Ms. Lü Shuangli (吕双丽) and Chang Jinmei (常金梅), were taken on November 9 to the Majialou “relief services center”—a government-run black jail—before being forcibly returned to Jiamusi City and administratively detained. During the summit period, hundreds of petitioners were detained in Majialou and then likely sent back to their hometowns. Some petitioners held demonstrations on the outskirts of Beijing and called for the government to protect their human rights and address their grievances.[2]

Reprisals Against Human Rights Lawyers

Authorities Retaliate Against 2 Lawyers for Representing Detained Activists

Lawyers representing two detained activists have faced apparent reprisals for handling “politically sensitive” cases. Mr. Zhang Lei (张磊) was intercepted at Beijing Capital International Airport and blocked from travelling to France on November 10. Zhang, the lawyer for detained activist Guo Feixiong (郭飞雄), was due to attend a meeting between French judicial officials and Chinese lawyers on an invitation from the French Embassy. Beijing authorities reportedly said that Zhang’s travelling overseas would “endanger state security.” Also, lawyer Mr. Xia Lin (夏霖) has reportedly been taken into police custody. Xia is representing Mr. Guo Yushan (郭玉闪), the founder of the Transition Institute, an independent research center, who was detained in Beijing during the suppression of supporters of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests. Mr. Xia is also on the legal team for detained lawyer Pu Zhiqiang (浦志强) and a colleague of Pu from the same law firm. The current status of Xia is unclear at the time of reporting.[3]

Freedom of Expression

Over 100 Mainland Supporters of Hong Kong Detained: 8 Formally Arrested, Others Sent to Black Jails

Eight individuals in Beijing have now been formally arrested for expressing support for the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Those whose arrests have been confirmed after approximately a month in detention include activists Ms. Han Ying (韩颖), Mr. Jiang Liuyong (姜流勇), Ms. Li Dongmei (李冬梅), Ms. Liu Huizhen (刘惠珍), and Mr. Xu Chongyang (徐崇阳), as well as Songzhuang artists Mr. Wang Zang (王藏), Mr. Zhui Hun (追魂), and Mr. Li Lei (李磊). Additionally, CHRD has confirmed that several activists were released from criminal detention in Beijing only to be taken to black jails, extralegal detention facilities that the UN recently called on China to abolish. Mr. Chen Lianhe (陈连和), Ms. Cui Baodi (崔宝弟), and Ms. Wu Xiaoping (吴小平) were all sent to a “legal education center” in Hebei Province, while Ms. Hou Minling (侯敏玲) was held in black jail set up in the Xinlu Guesthouse in Daxing District before being forcibly returned to Gansu Province. (See CHRD’s recent report for more information on black jails.)

Also, Tianjin activist Mr. Xu Nailai (许乃来)’s 8-year old daughter, Xu Yanzhi (许严之), has been missing since Fengtai District police forcibly seized her and her father on October 12. Xu Nailai is being held at Fengtai District Detention Center, but his daughter’s whereabouts are unknown, and he is believed to have been criminally detained on suspicion of “creating a disturbance.”

CHRD has confirmed that 101 individuals were detained at some point in the crackdown since late September. Besides the eight who have been arrested, 32 have been held under criminal detention (18 remain in custody), and 37 others are currently being held in some form of police custody. Four were given administrative detentions and released. In total, 38 have been released.

UN Treaty Bodies

UN Committee Calls on China to Improve Protection of Women Rights

Following its review of China’s record on women’s rights on October 23, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has published a list of recommendations to the Chinese government. The Committee has recommended that China investigate reports and ensure legal accountability in several areas of concern, including reprisals against female human rights defenders, violence against female independent candidates in local elections, and censorship and restrictions of non-governmental organizations. CEDAW further calls on the government to immediately abolish black jails and punish those responsible for operating them. The Committee also is urging China to guarantee health care for female detainees, an increasingly visible issue following the death of Ms. Cao Shunli (曹顺利) in March 2014 after she received inadequate medical treatment in detention.

Special Notice

IOC Responds to CHRD on Rights Suppression Related to Games

Following CHRD’s letter to the International Olympic Committee on the suppression of Chinese citizens’ rights around the Nanjing Youth Olympics held in August, IOC’s recent reply states that it takes its “obligation to defend human rights in Games-related cases quite seriously.” Beijing, which is bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, will now be required to comply with a new clause on non-discrimination added to the Host City Contract, which is a binding agreement between the IOC and the Host City, according to the IOC letter. However, the IOC also stated that, as “first and foremost a sports organisation,” it must rely on information provided by NGOs and government authorities in the host country in order to assess the situation of human rights on the ground. This leaves the 2022 Winter Games bidding process vulnerable to misinformation from the Chinese government on both the impact of the Games and the rights situation in China, especially as domestic NGOs and members of civil society face an increasingly suppressive environment.

Contacts:

Renee Xia, International Director (Mandarin, English), +1 240 374 8937, reneexia@chrdnet.com, Follow on Twitter: @ReneeXiaCHRD

Victor Clemens, Research Coordinator (English), +1 209 643 0539, victorclemens@chrdnet.com

Frances Eve, Research Assistant (English), + 1 646 801 9479, franceseve@chrdnet.com, Follow on Twitter: @FrancesEveCHRD

Follow CHRD on Twitter: @CHRDnet

[1] “Wronged Former Police Officers Liu Ming, Zhuo Cong Detained Possibly for Accepting Interview With Washington Post” (蒙冤警察刘铭、卓聪被拘留或因接受华盛顿邮报采访), November 8, 2014, Rights Defense Network (RDN).

[2] “Beijing Petitioner Ge Zhihui Held in House Arrest for 10 Days Because of APEC Summit” (北京访民葛志慧因APEC召开已被软禁家中10天), November 12, 2014, RDN; “Life or Death Speed, Continue to Pay Attention to Fate of Heilongjiang Activist Petitioner Shan Yajuan and Others” (生死时速，继续关注黑龙江维权访民单亚娟等人命运), November 12, 2014, RDN. “Activist Petitioner Shan Yajuan Beaten by Jixi Authorities in Beijing” (维权访民单亚娟在京被鸡西当局截访人员殴打受伤), November 11, 2014, RDN; “APEC Stability Maintenance: Heilongjiang Petitioners Lü Shuangli & Chang Jinmei Forcibly Returned from Beijing and Administratively Detained” (APEC维稳黑龙江二访民吕双丽、常金梅北京遭强截后被行政拘留), November 10, 2014, RDN; “APEC Opens in Beijing, Petitioners Occupying Tiananmen Seized” (北京APEC开会，天安门忙着抓访民), November 10, 2014, RDN.

[3] “Lawyer Zhang Lei Illegally Restricted From Leaving Country for Representing Guo Feixiong” (律师张磊疑因代理郭飞雄案被非法限制出境), November 11, 2014, RDN.