China: fear over missing hunger-strike activists

24 February 2006

China: Amnesty International fears for missing hunger-strikeactivists

Several Chinese activists who have supported orparticipated in a series of protest hunger-strikes since 4February have been arrested or gone missing. AmnestyInternational calls on the authorities to clarify theirexact whereabouts, guarantee their safety and free themunless they are charged with a recognisably criminaloffence.

"Many of these activists are defending humanrights," said Mark Allison, East Asia researcher at AmnestyInternational. "The authorities must ensure that they areable to continue with their peaceful activities without fearof arbitrary detention, harassment or other human rightsviolations."

The relay hunger-strike protest was startedby prominent defence lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who wished to drawattention to recent beatings and detentions of human rightsactivists and lawyers who sought to defend them. Gao beganby fasting for 48 hours and was quickly joined by otherswishing to show their solidarity, who took turns in fasting.Some sources have suggested that the hunger strikers aim tocarry on their protest until the 2008 Summer Olympic Gamesin Beijing, by having a series of individuals and groupsparticipating in turn.

Several participants or supportershave reportedly been detained or gone missing. Theyinclude:

· Wen Haibo and Ma Wendu, assistants to GaoZhisheng, who were reportedly detained on 16 February andinterrogated for 48 and 20 hours respectively before beingplaced under tight police surveillance in their homes.Another assistant, Ouyang Xiaorong, a computer softwareprogrammer, was reportedly detained at the same time. He hadjust arrived in Beijing to help Gao Zhisheng. His currentwhereabouts remain unknown. · · Qi Zhiyong, apro-democracy activist, who lost a leg as a result of thebloody crackdown on the 1989 pro-democracy movement inBeijing. He went missing at around 11pm on 15 February 2005.Unconfirmed reports suggest that he has been detained byBeijing state security police, but his current whereaboutsare unknown. · · Prominent HIV/AIDS activist Hu Jia,who was reportedly taken away from his home by police on themorning of 16 February. It is unclear where he is beingheld. · · Mao Hengfeng, a Shanghai-based activist,who was detained by police on 13 February. The police latertold her husband that she is being detained under'residential surveillance for 'causing a disturbance in apublic place , but reportedly refused to disclose where shewas being detained. · · Ma Yalian, who was detainedon 15 February by eight police officers at a friend s housein the Minxin district of Shanghai. Ma had been under tightsurveillance since being released from ten days policedetention earlier this month. Ma Yalian had previouslyserved a sentence of 18 months 'Re-education through Labour for posting articles on the Internet criticising China sinefficient petitioning system. ·

"These detentionsand other abuses seriously undermine claims by theauthorities to 'respect and protect human rights , a newprovision introduced into the Chinese Constitution in March2004," said Mark Allison.

Gao Zhisheng was prompted tostart the hunger strike by several recent abuses, includingthe recent beating of Yang Maodong (also known as GuoFeixiong), an activist and legal advisor who had beenassisting residents of Taishi village in Guangdong provinceto unseat their allegedly corrupt village leader. YangMaodong took part in the hunger strike in Beijing on 8February, but was quickly detained by the police. He iscurrently under 'residential surveillance at his home inGuangdong.

The protest has been supported by activistsfrom various parts of China. Some supporters in othercountries have also reportedly begun hunger-strike protestsin a show of solidarity.

Gao Zhisheng has faced abuseshimself since publicly calling on the authorities to stopwhat he called the 'barbaric persecution of the Falun Gongspiritual movement in October 2005. Since then, he has beensubjected to periods of detention, threats and surveillanceby the police; his law licence has been revoked and henarrowly escaped serious injury or death in a car accidenton 17 January 2005, which he claimed was instigated by theauthorities. His house remains under police surveillance andhis home telephone and fax have reportedly been cutoff.

Other supporters of the protest include:

· ZhaoXin, who heads the Beijing-based Empowerment and RightsInstitute. He was beaten by unidentified men in Novemberlast year, apparently in an attempt to stop him continuingwith his human rights activities.

· Jiang Meili, the wifeof Zheng Enchong, a lawyer who is currently imprisoned for'state secrets offences. She took part in the hunger-strikefor 24 hours on 11 February. She was detained by Shanghaipolice for 19 hours when she tried to travel to Beijinglater the same day, ostensibly to appeal to the authoritiesto allow Zheng Enchong to receive family visits. Before hisarrest, Zheng Enchong had assisted many Shanghai residentswho had been evicted from their homes apparently withoutadequate compensation.

· Chen Guangcheng, a blind,self-educated legal advisor, who has been held in his homeunder 'residential surveillance since September 2005 afterhe attempted to sue the local authorities in Linyi city,Shandong province, for carrying out an illegal policy offorced abortions and sterilizations on many local women lastyear. His wife, Yang Weijing, was beaten by a group ofunknown assailants on 15 February, reportedly in view of alocal party official who refused to intervene to stop theattack. The local authorities have reportedly denied herpermission to visit a hospital to assess the state of herinjuries.
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