World

Dozens Missing as China Cracks Down on Dissidents

BEIJING (AP) — The last time the prominent Chinese lawyer Jiang Tianyong was seen or heard from, he was visiting his brother in a Beijing suburb. Police grabbed him and threw him into a waiting van, pushing aside his elderly mother who had clung on to the vehicle.

Jiang is among dozens of well-known lawyers and activists across China who have vanished, been interrogated or criminally detained for subversion in recent weeks, a crackdown that human rights groups say is on a scale and intensity not seen in many years.

Activists say China‘s massive security apparatus is using the government’s anxiety over possible Middle East-inspired protests as a pretext for the crackdown.

“None of them will tell me anything about why he was taken away or where he has been taken to,” Jiang’s wife Jin Bianling said Monday. She said that after her husband’s disappearance last month, a Beijing police officer told her verbally that “the case was being handled,” meaning he was under investigation. But her repeated efforts to get more details from police have been fruitless.

More than 100 people have been questioned or followed by police or placed under house arrest, the Hong Kong-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders, or CHRD, said in a recent statement. It said Jiang and others who have disappeared for weeks were at risk of being tortured to extract confessions.

Human Rights Watch senior Asia researcher Nicholas Bequelin said the crackdown is even more serious than the one in December when the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a jailed Chinese dissident, Liu Xiaobo. He said it is also more extensive than when police questioned and detained activists involved in signing Charter 08, a manifesto for peaceful democratic reform that Liu co-authored, in 2008.

“There is a sense that the authorities want to put an end to the kind of open defiance of the government by rights activists, people who have been fairly active on Twitter and other social networks who were allowed for a couple of years to do that,” Bequelin said.

Beijing police did not immediately respond to a fax asking whether they had any of the activists in custody.

China employs a wide-range of extralegal measures to silence independent voices, including house arrest, 24-hour surveillance and coerced stays in government guest houses or other locations. Such actions are especially common around politically sensitive occasions such as the national legislature’s annual session earlier this month.

Jiang is among a number of lawyers who have played a leading role in China’s “weiquan,“ or ”rights defense” movement, which has sought to use legal means to hold the authorities accountable for abuses of power or infringements on the rights of people.

Some of the high-profile cases Jiang has taken include defending a Tibetan Buddhist cleric in 2009 against charges linked to ethnic riots in 2008 in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa. Jiang is also an outspoken advocate for people demanding compensation after being infected by HIV and AIDS from selling their blood or receiving tainted blood transfusions, an issue Beijing sees highly sensitive.

Jiang needs medication daily to keep his high blood pressure at bay, but police have refused to convey his medicine to him, his wife said. “I worry about him all the time. What if the police are torturing him? But I don’t know what I can do,” Jin said.

Also missing are Teng Biao, a law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, and Tang Jitian, who was disbarred last year after he represented a member of the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement. The activist Ding Fangguan, who writes under the pen name Gu Chuan, is also missing.

The three lawyers were taken away Feb. 19, three days after they attempted to meet with a group of other attorneys to discuss ways to help Chen Guangcheng, an activist being held under house arrest with his family despite having already served jail time.

The CHRD said at least five writers and activists in provinces ranging from southwestern Sichuan to coastal Jiangsu to northern Heilongjiang have been officially detained on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power,“ or the more serious ”subversion of state power.” An official detention usually leads to prosecution in court.

The use of extralegal measures has unsettled other rights lawyers who wonder how far Beijing will stray from the rule of law that the government frequently says it promotes.

“The law gives us the biggest certainty. But what I am seeing now is that it’s harder and harder to protect its authority,” said Li Fangping, another prominent rights lawyer. “I am definitely concerned about my safety because of the three lawyers’ disappearance.”

Teng’s wife, Wang Ling, said this was the lengthiest time her husband has been in police custody.

Wang said her 5-year-old daughter has asked after her father. “I tell her that he is just out of town for work … but I think she knows something because some days she tells me she worries that I will be caught and taken away.”

Comments (69)

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  • hotrodrockets
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 11:38am

    So….. are we going to provide a “no fly zone” and air cover for the Chinese dissidents?

    It would be a more worthy cause in that case.

    At least we know they aren’t jihadists…….

    Report Post » hotrodrockets  
    • earthrise
      Posted on March 22, 2011 at 12:14am

      Aye Lad… a most interesting point. And yet…..

      Report Post »  
  • Evileye
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 11:26am

    I don’t think China is a Communist state.Maybe in name only.
    They adhere to the worst form of fascist capitalism not seen sense the dawn of the industrial age.
    They remind me of England or the USA when the robber baron ruled.
    This was the very same kind of a system that created communism.
    Karl Marx rebelled against the abuses.And created something as bad or worse

    Report Post »  
    • earthrise
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 6:40pm

      At ease EVILEYE, even the “robber barons” could not keep the SPIRIT of America down. Case In Point: N. TESLA.

      Over 110 patents awarded and yet Tesla died in poverty….
      i shall leave y’all with this ….. no matter how hard A. Bell (or was it Edison…) fought against AC current, he could not keep it suppressed. Sure Bell was not a juggernaut of industry, he was backed by one… and yet…..
      Ever wonder why “we” are taught about Marconni[sic] and not Tesla? Hmmm……

      Report Post »  
  • messiah
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 11:19am

    you people that insist capitalism is needed to “have one can only be the best through competition” have a painful lesson coming. If you are driven to be the best for your personal material gain, regardless the state of all the others in your socieity, your society is best at being deceived as to it’s greatness. you igits are competing yourselves into hell on earth as usual.

    Report Post »  
    • mrsmileyface
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 2:46pm

      Get back in the Gov. Cheese line Messiah. Your not even clever or provocative.

      Report Post » mrsmileyface  
    • earthrise
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 5:58pm

      Naw… i’ll give him/her “provocative”….. However, mrsmileyface, if you and others’ (PLURAL Possession) would be so kind…. prey, please allow me (wink).

      “messiah”…. I shan’t gainsay your (*note*, not you’re…) choice of name. I could have some fun with it at your expense…. i suspect that thou hath made it …. too easy with thine posts. Forgive me, i digress… i will religate[sic] thee to the study of History WITH references and not “talking points”.

      If i may…. your current “attitude” tells me that thou shalt ever be “content” with working for someone and not taking a “chance” to TRY…. YOU are responsible for yourself, only You can “open” your mind and under take my challenge… Your next post will prove your ….bravery or your willingness to cast your pearls about.

      I wish thee the best….. earth.

      Report Post »  
  • powhatan
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 11:10am

    I feel sorry for the Chinese citizens. WHy are there so many small minded tyrants everywhere?

    Report Post » powhatan  
  • LIBERALSBEDAMNED
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 11:10am

    http://www.thetrumpet.com/?q=8017.6661.133.0

    Report Post » LIBERALSBEDAMNED  
  • Hisemiester
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 10:59am

    Vat chu goin do now bama? Attack China. The USA with Obama at the helm is just another bully. Bullies only attack those who cannot defend themselves.

    Report Post »  
  • messiah
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 10:53am

    We can only hope and pray they see that living under an empire which is just a pyramid scheme, just like ours and old egypts, can never last long with out war uprising death famine and destruction. The plagues are now upon us and you all don’t even know why they should and must be. It’s better to die then live a slave to a chosen few.

    Report Post »  
    • Hisemiester
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 11:04am

      Messiah, are you like the last self proclaimed Messiah? Do you even know who he was? Change the moniker, maybe to Messmeyou.

      Report Post »  
  • andy1554
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 10:35am

    I go to China frequently and some buy the party line hook line and sinker and others tell me that they have no idea what the truth is because the government lies to them and the press is complicit.

    Report Post » andy1554  
    • earthrise
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 5:19pm

      Blimey….. that sounds familiar.

      “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss….”

      Report Post »  
  • mossbrain
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 10:25am

    They were screwing up gmail last night too. If they can screw up the internet they can screw up the USA.

    Report Post » mossbrain  
  • inexiletill2012
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 10:16am

    China would rather kill 20,000 in secret than let a “revolt” happen. They know who’s in in charge of all dissident groups and will act without reguard to World (or Human Rights Watch ) opinion.
    They will never let another Tiananmen Square happen again.

    Report Post » inexiletill2012  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 10:02am

    Now, when the Chinese get their street protests going, things will get interesting. Good luck Hu.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • Sinista MACE
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 9:24am

    They’re coming for you too, Tea Party members…

    Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • NancyBee
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 10:44am

      That’s no joke…..That very well may be part of the plan. I wouldn’t put anything past them.

      Report Post » NancyBee  
  • BrianA59
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 9:11am

    I guess it’s time for a UN resolution and a no fly zone.

    Report Post »  
  • Leadthemtothelight
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 9:10am

    I can only thank our military and those who have gone to war before to grant us our freedom. It is amazing the freedoms we take for granted. In China we we would not be posting these comments.
    God bless our troops and keep them safe as our failure in chief sends them in harms way.

    Report Post » Leadthemtothelight  
  • Ohio4Tea
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 9:09am

    Did you know China spans across 5 time zones… but the government keeps the whole country on one time zone? The sun comes up around 4:30am in Eastern China

    Report Post » Ohio4Tea  
  • sodacrackers2
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 9:08am

    “The use of extralegal measures has unsettled other rights lawyers who wonder how far Beijing will stray from the rule of law that the government frequently says it promotes.”

    And we wonder how far Obama’s white house will stray from the rule of law? Pretty darn far, I’d say.

    Report Post »  
    • myfamily04
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 10:30am

      Oh you mean like the time in Philly in 2008 voter intimidation…those were just blacks against whites…they were fighting for civil rights???

      Report Post »  
  • Ohio4Tea
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 9:07am

    The Chinese government owns it’s people.
    I’m glad to live in a country where the people own the government. VOTE in 2012!!!

    Report Post » Ohio4Tea  
  • red_white_blue2
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 9:05am

    Yes, let’s take a UN vote..we don’t want to offend anyone after all

    Report Post » red_white_blue2  
    • bullcrapbuster
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 2:55pm

      Anyhoo why would Obama want to bring down a communist dictatorship? His mommy and daddy would roll over in their graves.

      Report Post » bullcrapbuster  
  • sodacrackers2
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 9:05am

    Well, he does wish to be president of a country like China. He has never even pretended to like those who didn‘t vote for him or don’t worship him.

    Report Post »  
  • endgamer
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 9:02am

    They’re dead! Their organs were sold to the highest bidder and they were executed at he street level and their organs were harvested in the mobile execution van (yes China HAS them and use them!) and while still warm put in an awaiting donor. Nice people these Chinese who the NWO is modeling our new government after. You can thank David Rockefeller for it too.. Glenn won’t mention him though..

    Report Post » endgamer  
  • WAR PIGS CRAWLING
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 8:56am

    To quote NIN -Head Like A Hole- …..Bow down before the one you serve, you’re going to get what you deserve…

    Barry won‘t say nutt’n ’bout this one….

    Report Post » WAR PIGS CRAWLING  
  • smithclar3nc3
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 8:56am

    Isn’t Communism grand, I’m pretty sure our Comrad in Cheif wouild love to do the same to Beck,Hannity and any other outspoken.

    Report Post »  
    • earthrise
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 4:56pm

      Of course he would…… but soneone else will have to make the decision. lol.

      Report Post »  
  • stejondeb
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 8:54am

    Maybe the UN will have a No Fly zone over China???? Obama will act decisivily!! LOL LOL LOL

    Report Post »  
  • G man
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 8:52am

    Yeah well, this is what the world will look like when they become #1.

    Report Post » G man  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on March 21, 2011 at 8:52am

    Change is coming to China, like it or not, and only the future will decide what will happen; for now though, I pray for these people and their families to be kept safe and alive, free of harm and for a future of peace and hope from the oppression of the night of tyranny.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Cemoto78
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 9:03am

      Now you know why China and Russia voted against the action in Libya.

      Report Post » Cemoto78  
    • redneck
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 9:10am

      Hu Jintao already cracked down on Obama

      Report Post » redneck  
    • GeneralBeasley
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 9:14am

      Ah yes, communism at its best, mabey Obama will step in and get another peace prize, but knowing China, they’ll only want to talk to Bill clinton

      Report Post » Affirmative Blaction  
    • kryptonite
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 10:48am

      Come on, Blaze, aren’t you going to say anything about Japan? This nuclear crisis is real. Please don’t let the experts deceive you about the effects of a nuclear meltdown. I bet most of you don’t know that the sarcophagus that covers the reactor to keep all the plutonium from escaping into the atmosphere is falling apart and the construction of the New Safe Confinement was only begun a few months ago:

      ==> “Soviet scientists announced that the sarcophagus was only designed for a lifetime of 20 to 30 years. Holes and fissures in the structure now cover 100 square metres, some of which are large enough to drive a car through. These cracks and holes are further exacerbated by the intense heat inside the reactor, which is still over 200 degrees Celsius. The sarcophagus’s hastily and poorly built concrete walls, which are steadily sinking, act as a lid on the grave of the shattered reactor.

      Only 3% of the original nuclear material was expelled in 1986, leaving behind 216 tons of uranium and plutonium still buried inside the exploded reactor… There are 740,000 cubic metres of lethally contaminated debris inside the sarcophagus, which is ten times more than was previously thought. Locked inside lies 30 tons of highly contaminated dust, 16 tons of uranium and plutonium and 200 tons of radioactive lava.”
      http://www.chernobyl-international.com/chernobyl-sarcophagus.html

      Report Post »  
    • kryptonite
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 11:04am

      Forgot to clarify: “…the sarcophagus that covers the CHERNOBYL reactor…”

      Report Post »  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 12:56pm

      @ KRYPTONITE
      ya confused me there … you started with japan and ended in Chernobyl.
      pretty tough situation in Chernobyl. what does that have to do with Japan?? last I heard the power was about to go back online and start the cooling system back up.
      It was my understanding that the Russian’s were incompetent. The Japanese seem to be demonstrating extreme competence .
      ???

      Report Post » Stoic one  
    • bullcrapbuster
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 1:02pm

      Note to Obama……..hey big guy, time for a no-fly zone over china. Gotta help them freedom fighters. Oh ya right,China might retaliate and dump our bonds. Better forget it.

      Report Post » bullcrapbuster  
    • nptden
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 2:08pm

      They better worry LOL. Obama will save ‘civilians’. with ‘humanitarian’ aide…

      Report Post » nptden  
    • mikem1969
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 3:02pm

      comming soon to AMERICA if we don’t stop the liberals and progressives.

      Report Post »  
    • kryptonite
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 3:15pm

      Stoic,
      Thanks for asking. At least one person here cares about what is happening in Japan. I‘m tired and didn’t express myself clearly. Here were my two points: power was finally restored, but somehow it didn’t help them cool the reactors, as they had expected. That is very bad news.

      The second fact I want to highlight is that a nuclear disaster has life-long consequences, despite what experts tell the public. The radiation never goes away, and in the case of Chernobyl, the threat is still with us because the sarcophagus that covered the damaged reactor is falling apart. Most people are not aware of that.

      I am trying very hard to raise awareness about the lingering effects of nuclear disasters, two of which we are stuck with now. This may sound absurd to some, but it is the naked truth: Japan’s worst tragedy was not the quake or the ensuing tsunami. It was this nuclear disaster. Not only has it diverted resources and consumed everyone’s attention away from recovery efforts, but it has already affected humans, contaminated the ecosystem, and broken the food chain, perhaps permanently.

      Japan has suffered quakes and tsunamis before, and it has recovered. This nuclear tragedy may very well be its downfall.

      Report Post »  
    • earthrise
      Posted on March 21, 2011 at 4:45pm

      Please Kryptonite, at ease.

      I agree that these situations are serious but prey, do not fall into the trap that has been set…..

      Chernobyl was built WITHOUT a “containment unit”. This is why that disaster is so bad and continues to be so. Even so, there has been NO “China Syndrome” event….. (what a pile, eh? … pun intended, lmao).
      Three Mile Island: built WITH a containment unit and….. ZERO deaths. Best estimations (taking temps, MASS of the pile (grin) and known THICKNESS of the metal of the containment unit into consideration…) are that the containment unit has only melted 5/8 ths of an inch (1.587mm if my math is correct)…… Hmmmm…

      The Japanese build their (*note* not “there”…. chuckle) containment units thicker than the US. Prey, could y’all; “Use that thing on your necks for more than a hatrack?”….. ;)

      Report Post »  
    • kryptonite
      Posted on March 22, 2011 at 2:52am

      Sir, ahem, I’m not a soldier, sir! Glad you can laugh at a major national tragedy, but don’t forget to wear your oxygen mask before you inhale (esp. if you live in HI).

      What trap am I falling prey to? The radicals don’t need a valid reason to run this country into the ground. If they don’t have an excuse, they’ll make one up, esp. O’bum, who feels entitled to a carefree tyranny.

      The Japanese scr*wed up big time. Their backup power system failed due to negligence, and they (the people, not the experts) woke from their stupor when it was too late. You see, trusting the gubbermint is like the wife thing. Either she‘s worthy of your trust or she ain’t, and you’d better have it figured out. “In God We Trust” was imprinted on our money for a reason.

      Perhaps your neck attachment should ponder whether it is you who is being bamboozled by the powers that be. ;) For starters, it is useless to measure the severity of a nuclear leak by the number of immediate deaths. Nuclear radiation is a silent, long-term killer. True, the severity of the Japan leak doesn’t compare to the Chernobyl meltdown, but people HAVE already been exposed to high levels of radiation.

      I’ll be putting my worried head to rest shortly, but I leave you with an article you might find both informative and entertaining. Who knows, maybe it’ll make you stand at attention (fingers crossed).
      http://www.truth-out.org/tokyo-electric

      Report Post »  
    • pamela kay
      Posted on March 22, 2011 at 5:56am

      I agree Snowleopard. Once again you speak with truth and hope. Thank-you.

      Report Post » pamela kay  
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