China Human Rights Briefing Weekly  October 13-18, 2010

Highlights

• Police Crack Down on Activists Following Nobel Prize Announcement: In addition to the stories included in the week’s China Human Rights Briefing, CHRD has created a page on our English-language website dedicated to compiling reports regarding the crackdown on activists following the announcement that Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波) had been awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. The address is: http://chrdnet.org/2010/10/14/chinese-reactions-to-liu-xiaobo%E2%80%99s-nobel-peace-prize-from-both-sides/.
• Activist Prevented from Entering Chen Guangcheng’s Village, Reports on Heavy Security Measures: On October 17, a Shandong activist traveled to Dongshigu Village in Linyi City, Shandong Province, in hopes of obtaining some information regarding human rights activist Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚). The activist was unable to enter the village due to the overwhelming number of plainclothes police officers and hired thugs, who a local farmer warned had been intimidating and attacking visitors.
• Authorities Bar Chinese Evangelicals from Leaving Country: Close to 200 members of Chinese house churches were prevented from leaving the country this week by police across China. The evangelicals had planned to attend the Lausanne Congress, an international evangelical gathering taking place from October 17 to 25 in Cape Town, South Africa. Several individuals were detained, and others had their passports confiscated.

Table of Contents

• Updates on Post-Nobel Harassment of Activists
• Arbitrary Detention
  • Update on Prison Conditions Faced by Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo
  • Activist Travels to Chen Guangcheng’s Village in Shandong, Finds it “Cloaked in Terror”
  • Guangdong Labor Activist Xiao Qingshan Believed to Be Sent to Re-education through Labor
  • Shanxi Democracy Activist Released Following 15 Days of Detention for Reporting on Clash
• Freedom of Religion
  • Hundreds of Chinese Church Members Prevented from Leaving Country for International Gathering

Updateson Post-Nobel Harassment of Activists

Over the past week, CHRD learned of thefollowing stories of individuals harassed by police because of theirsupportfor 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo:

• Liu Xia (刘霞), wife of 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波), has been under soft detention since the prize was awarded to her husband last Friday. Her cell phone, and a replacement cell phone, have both been blocked by the authorities, and she has been unable to place or receive phone calls or text messages. When she leaves the house to buy groceries, she is followed closely by at least four police officers. On October 13, she was prevented from meeting with Liu Xiaobo's lawyer Shang Baojun (尚宝军), with whom she planned to discuss Liu's appeal and other issues related to his imprisonment. Reportedly, Shang and his co-counsel Ding Xikui (丁锡奎) have been pressured by the Beijing Lawyers' Association not to accept media interviews following the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu.[i]
• On October 12, Chengdu Charter 08 signatory Huang Yaling (黄雅玲) visited the Norway pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo, where he laid flowers in appreciation of the Nobel Committee's decision to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo. Huang was called for "tea" by National Security officers later that evening, and was questioned for approximately two hours.[ii]
• On the morning of October 16, police in Jinan City, Shandong Province, separately summoned retired Shandong University professor Sun Wenguang (孙文广) and activists Ni Wenhua (倪文华), Li Hongwei (李红卫), and Qin Zhigang (秦志刚) for questioning. Ni was then summoned again the following day, along with activist Xie Jinyu (谢金玉).  The five had all taken part in celebrations in honor of Liu Xiaobo in recent days.[iii]
• Imprisoned human rights activist Xie Fulin (谢福林) told his wife in a meeting on October 15 that prison guards had confiscated his personal radio and barred him from watching television programs or reading the newspaper after he was able to learn about Liu Xiaobo's Nobel Prize via a radio broadcast. Xie is currently serving a six-year prison term in Changsha City, Hunan Province.[iv]
• On the morning of October 17, netizens Tiantian (天天) and Liu Qiangben (刘强本) were seized by police outside of the Beijing residence of activist Wang Lihong (王荔蕻) and separately taken away. The two were later released. Tiantian and Liu Qiangben had gone to visit Wang following her release from eight days of detention (see below).[v]
• CHRD learned on October 17 that National Security officers in Nanning City, Guangxi Province have been summoning netizens who took part in activities to celebrate Liu Xiaobo's Nobel Peace Prize. University student Yang Anliang (杨安亮), teenager Wang Zhengwei (王峥威) and human rights activists Li Chun (李春) and Zhang Wei (张维) have all been summoned in recent days.[vi]
• CHRD has learned that Zhang Zuhua (张祖桦), an activist and co-author of Charter 08, continues to live under tight residential surveillance. Over the weekend, the number of policemen who were deployed outside his apartment around the clock was increased.  Mr. Zhang could not go out without their permission, and when he was allowed to leave his home, he was surrounded by policemen wherever he went. 
• On the evening of October 16, human rights activist Wu Gan (吴淦, known online as Butcher [屠夫]) was forcibly returned from Beijing to his hometown of Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. Wu was released earlier that afternoon following eight days of detention for joining in celebrations on the evening of October 8 to commemorate the awarding of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波). At the time of writing, Wu's precise whereabouts remain unknown; however, he is a prolific user of Twitter, and has not posted anything to his account since October 8, which suggests he is still in police custody or under tight surveillance.[vii] On October 17, Shaanxi democracy activist Zhao Changqing (赵常青) was similarly forcibly returned to his hometown of Shanyang County, Shaanxi Province. He was prevented from meeting with family and is currently staying in a local guesthouse.[viii]  A third activist, Wang Lihong (王荔红) detained at the same time as Wu and Zhao, was also released after eight days of detention but then put under police surveillance.
• In the early morning hours of October 15, rights activist Liu Shasha (刘沙沙) was seized in Beijing by four men believed to be National Security officers and forcibly returned to Nanyang City, Henan Province. Liu reports that she was roughly handled by the men en route. After being briefly held at her work unit, she was released and returned to her parents' home. Liu believes her kidnapping was related to her support for activists detained in relation to Liu Xiaobo's Nobel Peace Prize; in the days before she was forcibly removed from Beijing, she had visited three different police stations in the capital to demonstrate on behalf of these activists. (CHRD)[ix]  
• On October 12 and 13, Sichuan democracy activist Wang Sen (王森) was twice summoned by National Security officers in Dazhou City. Wang, a leader of the China Democracy Party in Sichuan Province, was released from prison in July 2010 after more than nine years of incarceration for "subversion of state power." Police, noting that he is still deprived of his political rights, again warned him not to participate in any activities in honor of Liu Xiaobo.[x]
• CHRD learned on October 13 that Professor Sun Wenguang (孙文广), who was summoned on the evening of October 8 for expressing his congratulations to Liu Xiaobo, has been placed under "soft detention" by police in Jinan City, Shandong Province. (CHRD)[xi]

ArbitraryDetentionUpdateon Prison Conditions Faced by Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo

CHRD has obtained updated information regardingthe conditions under which 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波) iscurrently incarcerated in Liaoning Province’s Jinzhou Prison. Liushares a cellwith five prisoners, all of whom are serving long sentences.  These others are allowed weekly family visitsand allowed to pay the prison to order specially prepared, better food.  Liu is allowed only monthly family visits andnot allowed to pay for better food.  Heis only allowed to buy snacks from the prison shop.  Thefood in the prison generally has little nutritionalvalue and is of bad quality.  Liu hasdeveloped stomach problems while in prison, and he continues to sufferfromhepatitis.  He and the other inmates gettwo hours each day to go outdoors.  Hecan only receive books (brought by his wife) that are published andsold inbookstores in China.  While there is a TV in the cell, the prisoncontrols which programs the inmates are allowed to watch. 

ActivistTravels to Chen Guangcheng’s Village in Shandong,Finds it “Cloaked in Terror”

On October 17, a Shandong activist traveled toDongshigu Village in Linyi City, Shandong Province, in hopes ofobtaining someinformation regarding human rights activist Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚), whohas been held incommunicado under de facto house arrest since hisrelease fromprison in September. The activist reported finding a village "cloakedinterror," surrounded and patrolled by large numbers of plainclothespoliceofficers and thugs. According to a farmer outside of the village,anyone whotries to enter the village is immediately surrounded and attacked bytheseguards. The activist was unable to enter the village or garner anyinformationregarding Chen Guangcheng or his family's current condition. (CHRD)[xii]

Guangdong Labor Activist Xiao QingshanBelieved to Be Sent to Re-education through Labor

Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch (CRLW) reportedon October 18 that Guangdong labor activist Xiao Qingshan (肖青山) hasbeen sent to a Re-education through Labor Camp in Shenzhen. Xiao hasbeenmissing since September 30; two days earlier, he staged a protestoutside ofthe Baoan District Court in Shenzhen. Xiao, a frequent and vocalprotestor onbehalf of workers' rights, has been briefly detained by police on anumber ofoccasions in recent months for similar activities. (CRLW)[xiii]

Shanxi Democracy Activist ReleasedFollowing 15 Days of Detention for Reporting on Clash

On the morning of October 15, Taiyuan City, ShanxiProvince democracy activist Deng Taiqing (邓太清)returned home following 10 days of administrative detention in theTaiyuan CityDetention House. Deng was seized on the afternoon of October 2 afterposting informationonline regarding a clash between security guards and people attending apro-democracy gathering in a Taiyuanpark.  While he was officially detainedfor "disrupting the order of a public place," Deng believes hispunishment was a result of his efforts to contact the media followingtheincident. (CHRD)[xiv]

Freedomof ReligionHundredsof ChineseChurch MembersPrevented from LeavingCountry for International Gathering

CHRD learned on October 16 that close to 200members of Chinese house churches have been prevented from leaving thecountryto attend the Lausanne Congress, an international evangelical gatheringtakingplace from October 17 to 25 in CapeTown, South Africa.Several individuals have been detained, and others have had theirpassportsconfiscated. As of October 16, CHRD was aware of two individuals whowere ableto successfully travel to the conference; all other potential attendeeshadbeen prevented from passing through customs, intercepted en route totheairport, or barred from leaving their homes. (CHRD)[xv]

Editors: David Smalls and Lin SangNews updatesfromCHRDIssues and Cases CHRD Recommends the Committee againstTortureInclude in its List of Issues for the Chinese Government to Address initsFifth Periodic Report

[i] "Liu Xia Under Soft Detention, Unable to Meet withLawyer" (刘霞被软禁，无法与律师会见), October14, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010141724.shtml

[ii] "Charter 08Signatory Leaves Flowers at Norway Pavilion in Shanghai Expo, Is Calledfor'Tea'" (《零八宪章》签署者向世博挪威馆献花被请“喝茶”),October 16, 2010, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010160843.shtml

[iii] "Jinan Police Summon Many for Celebrating Liu Xiaobo'sNobelPrize" (济南警方大肆传唤庆祝刘晓波获奖人士),October 16, 2010, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010161332.shtml;"Shandong Activist Ni Wenhua and June 4th Victim Xie Jinyu Summoned"(山东维权人士倪文华与“六四”受难者谢金玉被传唤), October 17, 2010 http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010171424.shtml

[iv] "Xie Fulin Barred From Watching Television, ReadingNewspaperafter Hearing of Liu Xiaobo's Nobel Prize" (谢福林因收听刘晓波获奖而被禁看电视报纸),October 16, 2010,  http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010161826.shtml

[v] "Netizens Tiantian, Liu Qiangben Taken Away by Policeoutsideof Wang Lihong's Home" (网友天天、刘强本在王荔蕻家门口被警察带走), October 18, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010180034.shtml

[vi] "Many Guangxi Netizens Summoned for Celebrating LiuXiaobo'sNobel Peace Prize Win" (广西多名网友庆祝刘晓波获诺奖遭传唤), October 18, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010181235.shtml;"Guangxi Activist Zhang Wei Summoned for Celebrating Liu Xiaobo's NobelPrize" (广西维权人士张维庆贺刘晓波获奖遭传唤),October 18, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010181943.shtml

[vii] "Butcher Sent Back to Fujian, Zhang Hui Placed underGuard" (屠夫被遣送回福建，张辉被警察值班版),October 16, 2010, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010162258.shtml

[viii] "Democracy Activist Zhao Changqing Forcibly Returned toHometown of Shanyang County, Shaanxi Province (民主维权人士赵常青被遣送回陕西山阳老家),October 18, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010182320.shtml

[ix] "Human Rights Activist Liu Shasha Kidnapped by HenanNationalSecurity Officers, Returned to Nanyang" (维权人士刘沙沙被河南国保绑架回南阳),October 16, 2010, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010162202.shtml

[x] "Sichuan Democracy Activist Wang Sen Again Summoned byNational Security Officers" (四川民主党人王森再度被国保传唤),October 13, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010131116.shtml

[xi] "Professor Sun Wenguang Continually Monitored forCongratulating Liu Xiaobo on Winning Nobel Prize" (孙文广教授因庆祝刘晓波获诺奖被继续监视),October 13, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010131823.shtml

[xii] "The Horror of Shandong Activist Chen Guangcheng'sVillage" (恐怖的山东维权人士陈光诚的村庄),October 18, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010182041.shtml

[xiii] "Guangdong Labor Activist Xiao Qingshan Believed to BeSent toRTL" (广东劳工维权人士肖青山疑被劳教(图)), October 18, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010182053.shtml

[xiv] "Shanxi Democracy Activist Deng Taiqing Released,ReturnsHome" (山西民主维权人士邓太清获释回家(图)), October 15, 2010, http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010151249.shtml

[xv] "Close to Two Hundred Christians Seeking to AttendLausanneCongress Barred from Leaving the Country" (近两百名基督徒欲参加洛桑会议被拒绝出境),October 16, 2010, http://www.peacehall.com/news/gb/china/2010/10/201010161241.shtml