On August 24, 2007, Beijing arrested Lu Gengsong, a freelance writer from Hangzhou City and a human right activist, for inciting subversion and illegal possession of secret documents.
Three days later, over a thousand human rights activists, dissident writers, and independent intellectuals signed a letter to the Chinese communist regime demanding the release of Lu.
On the signed open letter, it stated: “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) promised to improve its human rights issues before the 2008 Olympics. However, it suppresses freedom of speech, controls the media, blocks the internet, and arrests those with a different voice. In the last three years, the CCP has arrested many writers, reporters, lawyers and human rights activists for attempted subversion, illegal business, and illegal use of cult organizations.”
Li Guotao, human rights activist from Shanghai, said Lu used to teach at a police college, and he knows the law. What he did was totally legal. He wrote articles to speak out for the minorities and criticize politics. It was an ordinary thing and provides the authority with suggestions. Nothing he did was illegal and it’s absurd the authority arrested him. We need to condemn police in Zhejiang Province and call for his immediate release.”
Wife to Hire Defense Attorney
Once the Hangzhou National Security Bureau learned that Lu’s wife Wang Xue'e planned to hire a lawyer from Beijing, in an unprecedented move, it allowed her to visit Lu on Sunday. Wang said her husband didn’t commit any crime and the authority should immediately release him, otherwise she is still going to Beijing to hire Mo Shaoping to be Lu’s defense attorney.
Fearing Wang would go to Beijing, the community Party staff talked to her and threatened her with her career and her daughter’s education.
Human Rights Advocacy
The open letter mentioned that Lu had been an instructor at the Zhejiang Police College. Lu saw the pathetic reality under the CCP’s totalitarian power and decided to leave the police academy. Lu, being a conscientious intellectual who pursues freedom and democracy, published many articles on the internet criticizing the corruption, totalitarian rule, and advocated freedom and democracy. Lu encouraged citizens who are abused by bureaucratic officials to stand up for their human rights. Lu was arrested because he offended the Zhejiang Province public safety judicial department and other party interest groups.
Democratic activist Hu Junxiong from Hubei Province said that Lu is a peaceful and upright person. Lu wrote articles to speak out for the minorities and didn’t violate any law. The authority’s arrest is against human rights. Those who knew Lu are angry and hope the international society will focus on this incident and stop the CCP from further trampling on human rights.
Lu is from Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. He graduated from the Department of History of the Hangzhou University. He used to teach at the Zhejiang Police College. He was removed from his duty for participating in democratic activities in 1993.
Lu is currently a freelance writer.
He has published Corrupted Officials in China (Publisher: The Hong Kong Culture and Art Studio, 2000).
His articles include: “Establish Civil Impeaching System;” “Establishing Criminal Joint Liability System;” “Buy a government job, lie on a government job, and kill government officials;” “Commentaries on the foundation of modern underground society in China;” and “Major categories of modern underground society in China.”