Citizens' Square

In 2012, Wang Dengchao (王登朝), a police officer in Shenzhen, was sentenced to 14 years after being convicted of “embezzlement” and “obstructing official business.” Wang and his lawyers contend that these were trumped-up charges.

In this article (Chinese only), Shanghainese rights activist Feng Zhenghu (冯正虎) narrates how he sent a letter to CPC Secretary-General and PRC President Xi Jinping (习近平) in December 2012, with a complaint on how he spent 268 days in illegal detention in 2012, and what happened as a result.

On December 28, 2012, Wu Xuewei (吴雪伟) submitted this request (Chinese only) to the Shanghai Municipal People’s Procuratorate to investigate officials of the Shanghai Municipal Committee on the Administration of Reeducation-Through-Labor for abuse of power in unlawfully depriving Wu of his right to visit his wife, Shanghai activist Mao Hengfeng (毛恒凤).

This application for administrative review (Chinese only) was submitted to the Shanghai Municipal Committee on the Administration of Reeducation-Through-Labor by Wu Xuewei (吴雪伟), requesting that the decision ordering his wife, Shanghai activist Mao Hengfeng (毛恒凤), to Reeducation-Through-Labor be rescinded.

On October 30, 2012, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau for the Administration of Reeducation-Through-Labor issued this Notice of Execution of Reeducation-Through-Labor for Shanghai activist Mao Hengfeng (毛恒凤).

In this open statement (Chinese only), 65 Chinese citizens, including university professor Ai Xiaoming (艾晓明) and noted activist Hu Jia (胡佳), urge that China’s 205 highest-ranking officials disclose their assets and income, along with that of their spouses and children, for public scrutiny during the 2013 National People’s Congress as concrete actions to combat corruption. These 205 officials are those at the ministerial level and above. Ai et al state that the new leaders of the Party have emphasized their resolve to fight corruption and note that history has long proven that disclosing officials’ assets is one of the best ways to do this. They also point out that their proposal keeps with the constitutional provision guaranteeing the right of citizens to criticize and make suggestions to any state organs and officials.

In this complaint submitted to the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the lawyers Xiao and Guo say that the CPC’s 18th Congress has ended but Wuhan dissident Qin Yongmin is still missing. They accuse the Qingshan District Public Security Bureau in Wuhan of illegally restricting Qin Yongmin’s personal freedom, and demand the immediate release of Qin, accountability by the responsible parties, and the compensations to Qin.

Veteran rights defender Guo Feixiong says that in order to prevent him from going to a legal seminar where friends of his were attending, Guangzhou police detained him for eight hours on trumped-up charges, including “selling fake alcohol” and “disturbing public order.” Guo says that he has been summoned by the police three times over the past four months.

In this article (Chinese only), rights defender and house church leader Xu Yonghai (徐永海) describes how at least five members of his Beijing-based house church were taken by the police on forced “travel” to the south of China. And at least five other members, including Xu himself, have been put under house arrest. Xu quotes Beijing dissident artist Yan Zhengxue (严正学) in describing the heavily-guarded city during the 18th Party Congress currently under way: “The repairmen, street cleaners, and street vendors of yore are now all sporting red armbands. Also on patrol are the grandpa reconnaissance units and bound-feet women security guards....”

The decision (Chinese only) orders Shanghainese petitioner Mao Hengfeng (毛恒凤) to serve one year and six months of Reeducation-Through-Labor for "disrupting social order.” The Committee cites as reason Mao’s participation in public activities in Shanghai on January 5 and July 1, 2012, that commemorated, respectively, the death of Wang Kouma’s (王扣玛) mother—a petitioner who died in police custody—and the death of activist Chen Xiaoming (陈小明).

In this message, Xu Yonghai, a member of the Divine Love Fellowship of the Beijing Christian House Church, recounts a visit by the police who told him not to leave home in advance of and during the 18th Party Congress beginning Nov. 8.

In this account, the authors tell the story of Wu Muqin—a Guangdong peasant who was abandoned by her husband when she was seriously ill—became disabled after being beaten by her ex-husband’s cousin. The police did not respond when she reported the assault. Unable to walk, she resorted to publicizing her story in text messages that she sent out via her mobile phone and received attention from netizens.