China Human Rights Briefing Weekly  March 1-8, 2011

Highlights

• Detentions Continue as Police Remain on High Alert over Protest Calls: With anonymous online postings calling for a third round of “Jasmine Revolution” protests this past weekend, police continued to detain and disappear activists and dissidents around the country. CHRD has now confirmed that at least 10 individuals have been criminally detained in relation to the recent crackdown.
• “Two Meetings” Begin, Marked Once Again by Detention of Petitioners: With the beginning of the “Two Meetings” of the National People’s Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Beijing this past weekend, police were busy rounding up petitioners in the capital. CHRD has received reports of hundreds of petitioners being detained in black jails or forcibly returned to their hometowns in recent days.

Contents

• Arbitrary Detention
  • Updates on Detentions and Disappearances Related to “Jasmine Revolution” Protests
  • Updates on Detentions Related to the “Two Meetings” of the NPC and the CPPCC
• Torture or Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
  • Imprisoned Hunan Activist Xie Fulin’s Health Deteriorating, Says Wife
  • Jilin Petitioner Hospitalized Following Beating in Beijing
• Harassment of Activists
  • Police Search Home of Anhui Activist as “Jasmine Revolution” Crackdown Continues
  • Wife of Detained Activist Chen Wei Interrogated by Police

 ArbitraryDetentionUpdates onDetentions and DisappearancesRelated to “Jasmine Revolution” ProtestsWith the third roundof “Jasmine Revolution”protests called for March 6, police around the countrycontinued to harass anddetain activists and dissidents over the weekend. CHRDhas verified thefollowing cases:In Beijing:

• The family of rights activist Wei Qiang (魏强) was notified on March 2 by the Beijing Public Security Bureau that Wei has been criminally detained. He is being held in the Haidian District Detention Center on suspicion of taking part in an "illegal demonstration." Wang, originally from Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, moved to Beijing in 2010. On February 20, he used his Twitter account (@Watchmen725) to report from the scene in front of the Wangfujing McDonald's, one of the locations identified in the call for "Jasmine Revolution" protests. Wang is believed to be the first individual whose attendance at the scene of the gathering has led to criminal detention. (CHRD)[i]
• CHRD has learned that Guangxi petitioner Quan Lianzhao (全连昭) was seized by interceptors in Beijing on February 26 and forcibly returned to Nanning City, Guangxi Province, where she was criminally detained for "subversion of state power." Quan, who is 60 years old, is currently being held in the Nanning City Number One Detention Center. It is believed that Quan's detention is related to her taking part in a "Revolutionary Singing Gathering" in a Beijing park on February 3, where petitioners gathered to sing revolutionary songs and present accounts of their grievances. Quan also gathered with a number of petitioners on February 20 to present their grievances at Beijing's Chaoyang Park; while the gathering drew the attention of police because it was the same date as the proposed "Jasmine Revolution" protests, friends said that Quan does not use the internet and would have not known of the demonstrations called for that date. Quan has been petitioning for four years in response to the forced expropriation of land in her village. (CHRD)[ii]

In Hangzhou City,Zhejiang Province:

• On the morning of March 5, democracy activist Zhu Yufu (朱虞夫) was taken away by police, who also searched his home and confiscated two computers and other items. Zhu was later criminally detained on suspicion of "inciting subversion of state power."
• Also on March 5, democracy activist Wei Shuishan (魏水山) was criminally detained. However, more detailed information about Wei's detention is not currently available.
• Additionally, at least eleven dissidents, including Wang Rongqing (王荣清), Chen Shuqing (陈树庆), and Qi Huimin (戚惠民) reported that they have been placed under soft detention in recent days and barred from leaving their homes. (CHRD)[iii]

In Guangdong Province:

• CHRD has learned that Guangzhou-based author and activist Ye Du (野渡, real name Wu Wei [吴伟]) was placed under residential surveillance (jianshi juzhu) in Panyu County, Guangdong Province for "inciting subversion of state power" on March 1. On March 2, police escorted Ye Du back to his home in Guangzhou, where they confiscated a computer, CD-ROMs, USB drives, books, documents, and other items, then took him away again. Officers did not issue a full list of confiscated goods. Ye Du was originally taken away from his home on by police on February 22. “Residential surveillance” is a form of pre-trial detention.  According to Article 57 of China’s Criminal Procedural Law (CPL), a suspect subjected to residential surveillance must be held either in her/his home or a designated dwelling if s/he has no permanent residence. Detaining Ye Du, who has a home in Guangzhou, in an undisclosed location therefore breaches this legal provision. (CHRD)[iv]

In Guizhou Province:

• CHRD learned on March 6 that dissident Mo Jiangang (莫建刚) has been criminally detained. More detailed information is not currently available. Mo had been missing for many days. (CHRD)[v]
• On March 2, CHRD learned that dissident Wang Chengming (枉成明) was taken by police from his residence in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, and detained in the Jiangyang Detention House in Sichuan Province's Luzhou City, Wang's hometown. When Wang's wife attempted to deliver money and clothing to Wang, she was barred from seeing him by guards. No legal documentation which might authorize Wang's detention has been issued to his wife, and the precise date of his detention, as well as the official reason for his detention, are currently not known. (CHRD)[vi]

In Hebei Province:

• Fujian-based activists Wu Huaying (吴华英) and Zhuo Yougui (卓友桂) were seized by police in Xianghe County, Hebei while en route to Beijing on March 5 to visit with friends. They were both given 10 days of administrative detention for "using a fake ID" and are currently being detained in the Xianghe Detention House. (CHRD)[vii]

In Hubei Province:

• On the afternoon of March 4, Hubei-based human rights defender Yao Lifa (姚立法) was seized by a group of teachers at the school where he is employed and taken away. His current whereabouts are unknown. As a result of his human rights and pro-democracy work, Yao has been similarly disappeared on a number of occasions; this is the third such episode already this year. (CHRD)[viii]

Altogether, CHRD hasdocumented the cases of tenindividuals who have been criminally detained inrelation to the online callfor “Jasmine Revolution.” They are Liang Haiyi (梁海怡),Chen Wei (陈卫), Hua Chunhui (华春辉),Ding Mao (丁茅), Ran Yunfei (冉云飞),Zheng Chuangtian (郑创添), Wei Qiang (魏强), Quan Lianzhao (全连昭), Zhu Yufu (朱虞夫)and Wei Shuishan (魏水山).Updates onDetentions Related to the“Two Meetings” of the NPC and the CPPCCCHRD continues toreceive reports of petitionersbeing rounded up en masse in Beijing during the “TwoMeetings” of the NationalPeople’s Congress and the National Committee of theChinese People’s PoliticalConsultative Conference, which opened this pastweekend. On the evening ofMarch 5, approximately 300 petitioners from Shanghaiwere forcibly returnedfrom Beijing. When they arrived in Shanghai thefollowing morning, they were detainedin a number of "relief stations" around the city.(CHRD)[ix]CHRD learned on March8 that a car driven byinterceptors from Changsha City, Hunan Province, wasinvolved in an accident ona Hubei Province highway while returning from Beijingwith a group ofpetitioners being forcibly returned. A total of 13petitioners were in thevehicle when it crashed, and eight were rushed toChibi City People's Hospital.Their current conditions are unknown. (CHRD)[x]CHRD also learned onMarch 8 that Heilongjiang-basedhuman rights defender Liu Jie (刘杰) and her husband FuJingjiang (付井江) were seized inBeijing on March 5 and forciblyreturned to a guesthouse in Xunke  Farm (part of amilitary agriculturalbrigade, in Heilongjiang Province), where they arecurrently being held undersoft detention.  (CHRD)[xi]Petitioner Liu Xianzhi(刘先枝),from Henan Province, was seized on the street inBeijing and forcibly returnedto her hometown by interceptors on the morning ofMarch 3. (CHRD)[xii]A group of fourteenfemale petitioners from GuangxiProvince were seized by staff at the National Lettersand Visits Office onMarch 3. They were later turned over to interceptorsfrom the Beijing LiaisonOffice of the Guangxi provincial government; theircurrent whereabouts areunknown. (CHRD)[xiii]Torture or OtherCruel, Inhuman, orDegrading Treatment or PunishmentImprisoned HunanActivist Xie Fulin’sHealth Deteriorating, Says Wife On March 4, Jin Yan (金焰),wife of imprisoned human rights activist Xie Fulin (谢福林),visited her husband at Changsha City Prison in HunanProvince. According toJin, Xie's health has continued to decline while hehas been detained: he hasnot been able to obtain effective treatment for hisheart disease or high bloodpressure, and has frequently experienced sharp chestpains. Jin reported thatXie looks green and his body is swollen. She addedthat staff at the Changshaprison have requested guidance from higher officials,and that they alsoindicated to her that the decision to grant Xierelease on medical parole wouldhave to come from these officials. (CHRD)[xiv]JilinPetitioner Hospitalized Following Beating inBeijingOn March 6, petitionerGao Liping (高丽苹)was attacked and beaten by a group of interceptors inBeijing. She sustained afractured coccyx and is currently receiving treatmentat Beijing's You'anmenHospital. According to Gao, she was seized and forcedinto a car outside of theBeijing Railway Station along with her husband and thecouple's one year-oldchild. The family had just arrived in the capital topetition regarding anunjust court decision. The family was driven aroundthe city for hours beforebeing taken to an out-of-the way part of FengtaiDistrict, where Gao wasdragged from the car and beaten. (CHRD)[xv]Harassment ofActivistsPolice Search HomeofAnhui Activist as “Jasmine Revolution” CrackdownContinuesAround noon on March4, a group of more than 10National Security officers carried out a search of theMa'anshan City, AnhuiProvince home of activist Wang Yixiang (王翼翔,also known as Gu He [姑鹤]), confiscating threecomputers. Wang has been under strict surveillance bylocal police sinceFebruary 25. Police have searched the homes of atleast 14 activists sinceFebruary 19 in connection with the preemptivecrackdown on "JasmineRevolution" protests, some multiple times. (CHRD)[xvi]Wife of DetainedActivist Chen Wei Interrogated by PoliceOn the morning ofMarch 4, National Securityofficers in Suining City, Sichuan Province, summonedWang Xiaoyan (王晓燕),wife of activist Chen Wei (陈卫), for questioning.Wang was interrogated for approximately an hour and ahalf about documents and contactinformation police found while searching hercomputers, which policeconfiscated after searching the couple’s home lastweek. Officers returned onenetbook and a USB drive to Wang following thequestioning. Chen Wei wascriminally detained for “inciting subversion of statepower” on February 21.(CHRD)[xvii]Editors: David Smalls and Lin Sang Follow us on Twitter:  @CHRDnetNewsupdates from CHRD [i]"Rights Activist Wei Qiang Criminally Detained" (维权人士魏强被刑事拘留), March 2, 2011, http://newcenturynews.com/Article/china/201103/20110302203735.html[ii]"Guangxi Petitioner Criminally Detained for'Subversion of StatePower'" (广西访民被以“颠覆国家 政权罪”刑拘),March 2, 2011, http://newcenturynews.com/Article/china/201103/20110302203957.html[iii]"Many Placed under Soft Detention in Hangzhou; ZhuYufu, Wei ShuishanCriminally Detained" (杭州多人被软禁，朱虞夫、魏水山被刑拘),March 6, 2011, http://boxun.com/news/gb/china/2011/03/201103062156.shtml[iv]"Ye Du Placed under Residential Surveillance for'Inciting Subversion ofState Power,' Home Searched" (野渡以“煽动颠覆国 家政权”被监视居住并抄家),March 3, 2011, http://www.newcenturynews.com/Article/china/201103/20110303144943.html[v]"News Flash: Guizhou Dissident Mo JiangangCriminally Detained" (快讯：贵州异议人士莫建刚被刑事拘留),March 6, 2011, http://groups.google.com/group/weiquanwang_CHRD/browse_thread/thread/3b3e1bbbde186f78[vi]"Wang Chengming Detained in Detention House, LiRenke Under SoftDetention, Begins Hunger Strike" (枉成明被关拘留所，李任 科在软禁中绝食),March 2, 2011, http://www.newcenturynews.com/Article/china/201103/20110302130420.html[vii]"Fujian Activist Wu Huaying, Zhuo Yougui Detained" (福建维权人士吴华英、卓友桂被治安拘留), March 7, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/03/blog-post_3813.html[viii]"News Flash: Elections Expert Yao Lifa Again Seized,Missing" (快讯：选举专家姚立法再次被绑架后失踪), March 4,2011, http://www.newcenturynews.com/Article/china/201103/20110304223616.html[ix]"Around 300 Innocent Shanghai Petitioners ForciblyReturned andDetained" (300余无辜上海访民被遣返关押), March 6, 2011,http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2011/03/201103062158.shtml[x]"Interceptors' Car Involved in Major TrafficAccident, Many PetitionersHospitalized for Emergency Treatment" (截访车发生重大交通事故，多位访民入医院抢救),March 8, 2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/03/blog-post_08.html[xi]"Rights Activist Liu Jie Seized, Return to SoftDetention in Xunke FarmGuesthouse" (维权人士刘杰被抓回软禁于逊克农场招待所中), March8,2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/03/blog-post_2207.html   [xii]"Henan Petitioner Liu Xianzhi Kidnapped in Beijing"(河南访民刘先枝在京 遭绑架),March 3, 2011, http://www.newcenturynews.com/Article/china/201103/20110303223046.html[xiii]"Fourteen Guangxi Petitioners Seized at NationalLetters and VisitsOffice" (广西14名访民在国家信访局 被抓捕), March 3, 2011,http://www.newcenturynews.com/Article/china/201103/20110303232556.html[xiv]"Hunan Rights Activist Xie Fulin's Health Worsens,Urgently Needs Releaseon Medical Parole" (湖南维权人士谢福林病情加重急需保外就医),March 5,2011, http://boxun.com/news/gb/china/2011/03/201103052121.shtml[xv]"Jilin Petitioner Gao Liping Hospitalized afterBeating byInterceptor" (吉林访民高丽苹被截访者打伤住院), March 6,2011, http://wqw2010.blogspot.com/2011/03/blog-post_4995.html[xvi]"Home of Anhui Rights Activist Gu He Searched" (安徽维权人士姑鹤 被抄家), March 4, 2011,http://www.newcenturynews.com/Article/china/201103/20110304223719.html[xvii]"Chen Wei's Wife Once Again Summoned for Questioningby Suining NationalSecurity Officers" (陈卫太太再次被遂宁国保传唤), March4, 2011, http://www.newcenturynews.com/Article/china/201103/20110304223828.html