Hunger Strike Relay to Support Guo Feixiong Continues

In a message to HRIC, Ai Wu, one of the participants of the hunger strike relay that begun on May 4 to support Guo Feixiong, reports that the strike has had the support of 161 person-times as of today, May 16. Today’s participants include lawyer Tang Jingling, currently serving a five-year prison term on conviction of “inciting subversion of state power” for advocating nonviolent noncooperation, and his wife Wang Yanfang. Other prominent participants since the strike’s inception have included Tan Zuoren, the environmental activist who served five years in prison for documenting the casualties of the Sichuan earthquake, Ai Xiaoming, rights activist and professor at Sun Yat-Sen University, Jiang Tiangyong, a Beijing human rights lawyer, and rights activist Hu Jia. Individuals from both the post-’70 and post-’80 generations have also joined.

In response to the urging by the initiators, many hunger strikers have posted short public statements before and after their participation.

“Save Guo Feixiong” Hunger Strike

Ai Wu (Wu Yuhua)

May 16, 2016

It is noon, May 16, 2016, Beijing time, and we already have 11 people participating in the hunger strike. This activity started on May 4, and so far it has had the support of 161 person-times. In 2006, Gao Zhisheng and Guo Feixiong initiated a hunger strike relay to protest persecution and bullying by the Communist Party of China. Ten years later, this is the first time that civil society has used this action to echo their advocacy. The participants are impassioned.

Today, lawyer Tang Jingling is fasting in detention to show his solidarity with Guo Feixiong. Tang’s wife, Wang Yanfang; Wang Qingying’s wife, Zeng Jieshan; Duan Qixian in Guangxi; and seven others are also participating. Lawyer Tang is an advocate for nonviolent noncooperation in China, and has long been committed to advancing China’s transformation to a social democracy.

On age, Guo Feixiong is from the post-1960 generation, Wang Yanfang is post-’70, and Zeng Jieshan is post-’80. I am post-’70. Together, we hope to keep alive the spark of China, respond to the concept of the “new citizen” Mr. Guo Feixiong advocates, have the courage to act and assume responsibility, and fight for civil and political rights with strength and discipline.