February 2014

Chinese Authorities Formally Arrest Uighur Scholar Ilham Tohti

Chinese authorities formally arrested prominent Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti, charging him with “secession” in relation to his public advocacy of Uighur rights. Beijing police detained him at his home over a month ago and then held him at a detention center in Xinjiang before formally leveling charges. If convicted, Tohti faces a sentence ranging from 10 years to life in prison. The crime of secession is also punishable by death.

More Than 20 Activists Detained After Trying to Visit Cao Shunli in the Hospital

Police detained more than 20 individuals who attempted to visit activist Cao Shunli at the 309 Military Hospital in Beijing. One activist, Wang Ling, said that a nurse blocked the entrance to the intensive care unit where Cao is undergoing treatment, telling the visitors that she is deeply unconscious and would not recognize them.

American University Law School Publishes LRF's Commentary on the Abolition of Reeducation-Through-Labor

American University Washington College of Law published the online version of the Laogai Research Foundation's commentary on the abolition of China's reeducation-through-labor system, which the journal published in print in December 2013. Titled "A Jail by Any Other Name," the article puts forth the argument that although the abolition of this relic of Maoist repression is a welcome development, such reform does not address the more fundamental injustice of officially sanctioned arbitrary detention that underpins the laojiao system.

Prominent Activist and Lawyer Wang Cheng Arrested on Suspicion of Inciting Subversion of the State

Last Friday, police detained prominent attorney and activist Wang Cheng after he launched an online campaign to gather one million signatures supporting his call for the Chinese government to ratify the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Police detained him on suspicion of “incitement to subvert state power,” a charge often leveled against activists deemed disruptive to “societal stability,” a euphemism for eliminating perceived threats Communist Party political supremacy.

China Announces Harsh Measures Against the Families and Communities of Self-Immolators

In Dzoege (Chinese: Ruo'er'gai 若尔盖) County in Sichuan Province, authorities announced harsh measures intended to punish the families of self-immolators and the monasteries to which they belong. Under the new regulations, family members of self-immolators will be subject to criminal sanctions and the deprivation of political rights, government employment, welfare benefits, home ownership, the ability to start a business, and traveling privileges.