China Human Rights Briefing   November 2-7, 2011

Contents

    * Arbitrary Detention
          o Victim of Medical Accident Detained for 20 Months in Psychiatric Hospital
    * Freedom of Expression
          o Blog Closed after Posting Article that Advocates for Intra-Party Democracy
    * Harassment of Activists
          o Rights Lawyer Li Renbing Prevented from Traveling to Academic Seminar
          o Beijing Rights Lawyer Liu Xiaoyuan’s Law Firm Faces Eviction
    * Local People’s Congress Elections Watch
          o None of the Independent Candidates Succeeded in Having Their Names onto the Ballot as Beijing Votes Today
          o Guizhou Independent Candidates Taken Away or Subjected to Soft Detention as Election Opens Today
          o Guizhou Activist and Independent Candidate Xing Qingxian Stripped of Electoral Qualifications
    * Special Notice
          o CHRD Has Moved!

Arbitrary Detention

Victim of Medical Accident Detained for 20 Months in Psychiatric Hospital

CHRD learned on November 3 that Hangzhou resident Zhong Yafang (钟亚芳) was detained for nearly 20 months in a psychiatric institution for petitioning the government about a medical accident that happened in 2006. Without Zhong or her family’s consent, Hangzhou No.7 People’s Hospital conducted a forensic evaluation of Zhong while she was held in a black jail by the Tonglu County Public Security Bureau (PSB) between October and December 2009. After obtaining “evidence” from the hospital that Zhong was mentally ill, Tonglu PSB sent her to Hangzhou City PSB Ankang Hospital. According to Zhong, she was held there for 20 months, during which she was not given any medication or treatment because the doctors found her “normal.” Since her release in July 2011, Tonglu policemen have closely monitored and followed her, and twice prevented her from leaving Tonglu County to seek medical attention and to petition higher authorities. (CHRD)[1]

More recent news related to arbitrary detention:

Henan Tobacco Workers Representative Held in a Black Jail for Days (河南许昌烟草维权代表王学旗被软禁宾馆多日), November 7, 2011.

For Posting Evidence of Torture Online, Hunan Man Detained for 10 Days and Threatened with Re-education through Labor (湖南维权人士杨宗才因调查冤案被拘留并拟劳教), November 5, 2011.

Court Hears Lawsuit Filed by Sichuan Residents Representative, Detained for Resisting Forced Eviction in the Name of Building Settlement for Earthquake Victims

(四川上访维权代表罗兴权案开庭（图）), November 5, 2011.

Hubei Petitioner Xu Wanying Paralyzed As a Result of Illegal Detention in Black Jail (湖北访民许万英被政府关押导致瘫痪), November 6, 2011.

 
Freedom of Expression

Blog Closed after Posting Article that Advocates for Intra-Party Democracy

Internet authorities closed a sina blog, Chinese Citizen Election Network (http://blog.sina.com.cn/u/2482097310), on November 3, only 10 days after it went live online. The blog, which documents China’s elections and focuses on independent candidates’ experience in running for local people’s congress elections, was closed soon after it posted an article advocating for members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to follow the example of these independent candidates in the elections of delegates to the 2012 CCP National Representatives Congress, which is reportedly taking place between now and June 2012. (CHRD)[2]

 
Harassment of Activists

Rights Lawyer Li Renbing Prevented from Traveling to Academic Seminar

On November 5, Beijing human rights lawyer Li Renbing (李仁宾) was prevented from leaving for an academic seminar abroad at the Beijing International Airport. At the immigration counter, officials told Li that he could not leave because he might “endanger state safety.” However, the officials refused to issue Li any written document that details the decision. (CHRD)[3]

Beijing Rights Lawyer Liu Xiaoyuan’s Law Firm Faces Eviction

On November 2, Beijing human rights lawyer Liu Xiaoyuan (刘晓原) was notified that his law firm is being evicted because the landlord “cannot withstand the pressure” from the authorities. Liu said the current landlord has been subjected to “enormous pressure” from the authorities ever since the company rented the office space to the firm in July. Although Liu passed the annual evaluation of lawyers on July 25 after an extended delay, Qi Jian Law Firm has not yet passed the annual evaluation. Liu moved his law firm to its current location in July because Beijing Municipal Bureau of Judicial Affairs, which conducts the evaluation, told Liu that the firm’s previous location was “too small” and did not meet the official requirements. However, after the firm was moved, the Bureau continued to delay in passing the firm. (CHRD)[4]

 
Local People’s Congress Elections Watch

None of the Independent Candidates Succeeded in Having Their Names onto the Ballot as Beijing Votes Today

As Beijing residents vote for their representatives to the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress, they will find none of the 60 independent candidates on the ballots. These independent candidates, from all walks of life including professors, community workers and engineers, were obstructed in their campaign every step of the way. For example, they were prevented from obtaining the official forms in filing for candidacy, they and their recommenders were harassed and pressured, and they were prevented from campaigning to local residents. (CHRD)[5]

 
Guizhou Independent Candidates Taken Away or Subjected to Soft Detention as Election Opens Today

As residents in two districts in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, vote for their representatives to the city’s people’s congress on November 8, a number of independent candidates and their supporters have been taken away from their homes and “forced to travel” or subjected to soft detention at home:

    * National security officers from Guiyang City took independent candidate Chen Xi (陈西) away to Guiding County on November 6. He was later brought home and warned against leaving home the next day, or else he would be taken on a forced tour again. Another independent candidate, Li Renke (李任科) was also taken to Guiding County on November 6 and his whereabouts are currently unknown.
    * Candidates Wu Yuqin (吴玉琴) and Liao Shuangyuan (廖双元) have been subjected to soft detention at home since November 6, guarded by national security officers from Guiyang City PSB. Their friends have not been able to contact them since.
    * Independent candidates Xu Guoqing (徐国庆) and supporters Qian Linzhi (钱林志), Mi Chongbiao (糜崇标), Mi’s wife and a Mr. Song were taken away on November 6 while distributing leaflets for Wu Yuqin. They were sent home and detained.
    * Activist Tian Zuxiang (田祖湘) was taken to a police station on November 5 and since then his whereabouts have been unknown.
    * Activist Lü Yongxiang (卢永祥) was taken to a local hostel and his friends have not been able to contact him since. (CHRD)[6]

Guizhou Activist and Independent Candidate Xing Qingxian Stripped of Electoral Qualifications

On November 1, when the list of preliminary candidates for the People’s Congress election in Electoral District No. 92 in Nanming District, Guiyang City, was announced, independent candidate Xing Qingxian (幸清贤) did not find his name on it, even though he met all the requirements to run in the election. Voters in the district told him while he was out canvassing that the preliminary candidates had already been chosen at a meeting organized by the district authorities. During the meeting, selected voters whose attendance was paid for by various neighborhood committees “voted” for three government officials—the Chinese Communist Party secretary of a subdistrict office and two local police chiefs. Xing was neither informed of, nor asked to participate in, this meeting. During his election campaign, Xing and his supporters were harassed. For example, on October 31, Xing was stopped while distributing leaflets on the grounds of the Guiyang City Forestry Research Institute by a police officer because, according to the officer, Xing “affected work order” even though it was already past work hours. (CHRD)[7]

More recent news related to local people’s congresses elections:

“Beijing Independent Candidate Liu Hong Complained to Beijing Authorities that the Election was Unfair,”(北京独立参选人柳红与选举组织者的争议), November 2, 2011.

“Jiangxi Authorities Refused to Issue Written Replies to Independent Candidate Li Sihua’s Complaint” (江西独立参选人李思华向人大要书面答复遭拒), November 2, 2011.

“Beijing Independent Candidate Han Ying Harassed and Threatened by Beijing Police” (北京独立参选人韩颖受到骚扰威胁), November 1, 2011.

“Cadres at Beijing’s Changping District Tried to Convince Independent Candidate Li Kunpeng to Pull Out from Race” (独立参选人李昆鹏拒绝“领导”劝退 申请预选石沉大海), November 3, 2011.

 
Special Notice
CHRD Has Moved!

CHRD has moved to a new website (www.chrdnet.com), please visit us there. The current website, www.chrdnet.org, will stop functioning on November 6.

Editor: Songlian Wang
 
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News updates from CHRD

[1] CHRD, “Hangzhou Petitioner Zhong Yafang Subjected to Soft Detention After Release from Forced Committal in Psychiatric Hospital (杭州访民钟亚芳“被精神病”出来后再遭软禁), November 3, 2011

[2] CHRD, “Chinese Citizen Election Network Closed for Calling for Intra-Party Democracy Within the Chinese Communist Party and Urging Party Members to Run as Independent Candidates in Election of Party Representatives (呼吁中共党内民主 倡议党员自荐参选党代表 —— “中国公民选举网”遭封杀), November 3, 2011.

[3] CHRD, “Human Rights Lawyer Barred from Leaving the Country” (人权律师李仁宾出境被拦截), November 5, 2011

[4] “Qi Jian Law Firm, Directed by Liu Xiaoyuan, Is Being Evicted by the Landlords” (刘晓原担任主任的旗鉴律师事务所遭租赁方驱逐), November 3, 2011

[5] CHRD, “None of the Independent Candidates Made it to the List of Official List of Candidates in Beijing” (北京独立参选人无一成为正式候选人), November 6, 2011

[6] CHRD, “As Guiyang Election Day Nears, Various Independent Candidates and their Supporters Have been Forced to Travel or Disappeared” (贵阳选举日临近，各独立候选人和支持者被失踪旅游), November 6, 2011; CHRD, “Guiyang Independent Candidates Wu Yuqin and Many Others Subjected to Restriction of Freedom” (贵阳独立参选人吴玉琴等多人被限制自由), June 6, 2011

[7] “Independent Candidate Xing Qingxian was Eliminated, Believes that the Election was Unfair” 独立参选人幸清贤被淘汰，认为选举不公), November 2, 2011.