Rights activists in China’s southwestern province of Guizhou were harassed by local police for promoting civil rights at a local park and city square during a “Window on Civil Rights” activity in early February.
On Feb. 7 activists Tian Zuxiang, Liao Shuangyuan, Mi Congbiao, Chen Xi, Yong Zhiming and Xiao Wang passed out pamphlets about the democratic movements in Tunisia and Egypt at the Guiyang People’s Square.
They explained to people how to download software from the overseas website Dongtaiwang.com (Dynaweb in English), so as to avoid the Internet blockade and access information censored by the authorities.
More than 10 people, led by the police, clashed with the group and tried to snatch the pamphlets. Tian Zuxiang told the Epoch Times: “We threw the rest of the copies to the crowd in front of the police and left Qianling Park. We went to People’s Square in the afternoon and changed topics. We passed out information and pictures of a Guizhou human rights seminar we held in the past, as well as information about Dongtaiwang.”
Tian said: “Encouraged by the democratic movements in North Africa, we came back to the crowded People’s Square and Qianling Park to promote the news on Dongtaiwang since Feb. 4. The public received us warmly.”
“At first, the Yunyan District Public Security Bureau came to Mi Congbiao and asked us to stop spreading news from the Dongtaiwang website. When we refused, they offered us 3,000 yuan to stop spreading the information,” Tian said.
Mi said: “When the regime violates the United Nation’s declaration on human right by harassing us and depriving its citizens of human rights, it exposes its evil nature to the world.”
Liao and Wu said: “People were interested in the information. Without news through Dongtaiwang they wouldn’t have known of The Epoch Times, the hidden words stone in Guizhou [referring to a rock which putatively said “the CCP perishes”], Shen Yun Performing Arts’ promotion of classical Chinese culture, and numerous human rights activists and petitioners who fearlessly face suppression.”
Xiao Wang told The Epoch Times: “Last December they tried to suppress us. Our Dongtaiwang news pamphlets were confiscated and I was illegally detained. People went to the police station to explain the human rights situation in China and asked them to release me. Feeling the pressure, the director of the Xinhua Police Station released me and apologized. That was our first local victory in the fight against suppression.”
The “Window on Civil Rights” events were launched last May by rights activists in Guizhou Province. They hosted a fund-raising event for Xie Changfa, a member of the Democratic Party who, just before the Chinese New Year, was sentenced to 13 years in prison. They also successfully hosted a 2011 Guizhou New Year Gala to mock the propaganda songs broadcast during the Chinese New Year holidays.
Read the original Chinese article.
On Feb. 7 activists Tian Zuxiang, Liao Shuangyuan, Mi Congbiao, Chen Xi, Yong Zhiming and Xiao Wang passed out pamphlets about the democratic movements in Tunisia and Egypt at the Guiyang People’s Square.
They explained to people how to download software from the overseas website Dongtaiwang.com (Dynaweb in English), so as to avoid the Internet blockade and access information censored by the authorities.
More than 10 people, led by the police, clashed with the group and tried to snatch the pamphlets. Tian Zuxiang told the Epoch Times: “We threw the rest of the copies to the crowd in front of the police and left Qianling Park. We went to People’s Square in the afternoon and changed topics. We passed out information and pictures of a Guizhou human rights seminar we held in the past, as well as information about Dongtaiwang.”
Tian said: “Encouraged by the democratic movements in North Africa, we came back to the crowded People’s Square and Qianling Park to promote the news on Dongtaiwang since Feb. 4. The public received us warmly.”
“At first, the Yunyan District Public Security Bureau came to Mi Congbiao and asked us to stop spreading news from the Dongtaiwang website. When we refused, they offered us 3,000 yuan to stop spreading the information,” Tian said.
Mi said: “When the regime violates the United Nation’s declaration on human right by harassing us and depriving its citizens of human rights, it exposes its evil nature to the world.”
Liao and Wu said: “People were interested in the information. Without news through Dongtaiwang they wouldn’t have known of The Epoch Times, the hidden words stone in Guizhou [referring to a rock which putatively said “the CCP perishes”], Shen Yun Performing Arts’ promotion of classical Chinese culture, and numerous human rights activists and petitioners who fearlessly face suppression.”
Xiao Wang told The Epoch Times: “Last December they tried to suppress us. Our Dongtaiwang news pamphlets were confiscated and I was illegally detained. People went to the police station to explain the human rights situation in China and asked them to release me. Feeling the pressure, the director of the Xinhua Police Station released me and apologized. That was our first local victory in the fight against suppression.”
The “Window on Civil Rights” events were launched last May by rights activists in Guizhou Province. They hosted a fund-raising event for Xie Changfa, a member of the Democratic Party who, just before the Chinese New Year, was sentenced to 13 years in prison. They also successfully hosted a 2011 Guizhou New Year Gala to mock the propaganda songs broadcast during the Chinese New Year holidays.
Read the original Chinese article.
