From Chinese Human Right Defenders

On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre, Chinese authorities took into custody a number of activists and citizens in an apparent attempt to silence any expression or thwart any action aimed at commemorating the victims and mark the anniversary. Several artists on a “national conscience exhibit tour” have gone missing, feared to have been detained. Authorities stepped up online policing and summoned users for questioning on their comments about politically “sensitive” topics, like activist Zhou Weilin (周维林), who though released has had his phone and computer confiscated. Activist and former participant in the 1989 protests, Wang Debang (王德邦), was also summoned for questioning and interrogated about his plans for the anniversary.

The government’s pre-emptive strikes against anyone trying to mark the 30th anniversary had started in early May. So far, we have documented a number of cases involving individuals either detained or forced into disappearance, including forced travel, in connection to the anniversary. CHRD urges the Chinese government to immediately and unconditionally release them.

This year’s pre-June 4th crackdown continues a 30-year long campaign by the Chinese government to try to erase the memory and rewrite the history of the bloody military suppression of peaceful unarmed protesters and residents of Beijing and other cities on June 3-4, 1989. The Chinese government has systematically curtailed citizens’ exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, information, press, peaceful assembly, and association in discussing or commemorating or obtaining information about the 1989 movement and Tiananmen Massacre.

Against tremendous pressure and personal risk, many Chinese have spoken up and kept the Tiananmen memories alive. In April, Chengdu authorities convicted four activists of “picking quarrels” after holding them for three-years in pre-trial detention on “endangering state security” charges for their role in producing and sharing photos online of a wine label referring to June 4th 1989 to mark the 27th anniversary in 2016. In November 2018, a Zhuhai court sentenced activist Li Xiaoling (李小玲) to three years in prison, suspended for five years, after she shared a photo of her holding a sign in Tiananmen Square to mark the anniversary in 2017.

Each year, around this time, the government has taken strict measures to silence its critics and prevent any public expression of mourning. These measures include taking activists on “forced travel,” putting them under house arrest, or surveillance, and censoring words on the Internet like “Tiananmen,” “June 4th,” or “massacre.”

The government has also targeted leaders and participants in the 1989 movement and subjected them to harsh persecution. One example is Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波), the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner, who died in 2017 in police custody while serving an 11-year sentence. Several are currently incarcerated for their post-1989 advocacy for human rights, rule of law, and democratic reforms. We have documented 19 cases involving 1989 leaders and participants currently in detention or imprisoned in China for their post-Tiananmen activism.

Since early May, authorities have detained, disappeared or forced to travel several Chinese apparently in connection to the approaching 30thanniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre. Additionally, several others have been taken in for questioning or put under de facto illegal house arrest. Below is a list of the cases we have tracked: 18 individuals who have been detained/disappeared/forced to travel; and 9 individuals known to have been questioned or put under house arrest, for a total of 27 individuals known to be affected, though the true number is likely higher.

18 individuals who have been detained/disappeared/forced to travel (in chronological order):

On May 7, Changsha police criminally detained netizen Ou Daoqi (欧道齐) on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Mr. Ou wrote in a WeChat group a one-sentence criticism of Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 29. Police had threatened his family not to publicise his detention, so Ou’s situation was unknown until late May. Ou’s current location is unknown.

On May 15, Anhui police seized dissident writer Shen Liangqing (沈良庆) while he was walking his dog at night and criminally detained him the next day on “picking quarrels” charges, but did not inform his family until May 22. He is being held at Hefei City Detention Center. On May 28, Shen received a visit from his lawyer, Liu Hao (刘浩). Shen told his lawyer that unknown men grabbed him while he was walking his dog and put a black hood over his head, making him believe he had been kidnapped, before police showed identification. At the detention center, police denied Shen food and water and use of a toilet for 24 hours, and subjected him to gruelling interrogations focused on June Fourth and if he had accepted any interviews with overseas media. Shen is a prolific tweeter through his account @sliangq and frequently comments on human rights issues. Shen has been involved in democracy activism since 1984 and served a 1.5-year prison sentence in 1992 on “inciting subversion” charges.

On May 16, Sichuan police took independent filmmaker Deng Chuanbin (邓传彬), also known as Huang Huang (晃晃), from his home at night shortly after he had tweeted a photo of the wine bottle produced by the Chengdu activists (above) that alluded to June Fourth. Nanxi District, Yibin City police criminally detained Deng the next day on charges of “picking quarrels.” On May 20, police returned to his home to seize electronic items. He is being held at Nanxi District Detention Center. Police reportedly warned his family against hiring a lawyer.

On May 20, Beijing police took the founder of the group “Tiananmen Mothers,” professor Ding Zilin (丁子林) on forced travel to her hometown of Wuxi City in Jiangsu. She won’t be returned home until after the anniversary. Police have put several elderly parents of victims killed in 1989 who belong to the group “Tiananmen Mothers” under control, according to media reports.

Ahead of May 21, Zhuzhou, Hunan police began to forcibly disappear through “forced travel” 3 activists to prevent them from taking part in any activities or speak out to commemorate the June 4th anniversary. The first activist to be taken away, Ou Biaofeng (欧彪峰), had been taken to Guizhou and Yunnan for at least half a month, accompanied by two national security officers. He has been forced to turn off his phone and will be held until after June 4. Police took Chen Siming (陈思明) away on forced travel on May 27, reportedly to Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in western Hunan. A third activist, Guo Min (郭闽), has also reportedly been forced to travel but his location is unknown.

On May 25, Beijing police took activist Li Hai (李海) away on “forced travel.” His current location is unknown.
On May 28, Beijing police seized activist Zhang Baocheng (张宝成), searched his home, and put him under criminal detention the same day on suspicion of “picking quarrels.” Police initially called his family on May 28 and said he had been taken away on suspicion of having a “gun”, an accusation, which according to his wife, was completely fabricated. She believes that police detained him because of a Twitter post he wrote alluding to the upcoming June Fourth anniversary. The family did not receive the detention notice until May 31, which confirmed the “picking quarrels” charge and that he is being held at Fengtai District Detention Center. Zhang recently served a two-year prison sentence for his role in the New Citizens’ Movement in 2013, and police detained him during the crackdown surrounding the 27thanniversary of June Fourth in 2016.

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