Also Marking Human Rights Day, a group of activists gathered in the heart of Beijing:
“Today is December 10, 2023, World Human Rights Day, and we human rights defenders are lining up at the entrance of the State Bureau for Letters and Calls of the Chinese Communist Party,” an activist in Beijing, China, said.
“Human rights supersede state sovereignty; defending human rights is an act of patriotism,” they added.
Beijing set up the ‘Bureau of Letters and Calls’ to address civilian complaints, but reports reveal citizens often risk their lives to petition for justice before authorities.
Many of them were allegedly detained in state-backed, black jails before even reaching Beijing with their grievances.
Some petitioners told NTD that Beijing is strengthening its clampdown.
“[The Chinese Communist Party]’s ultimate goal is to eliminate dissidents, and now it’s even more resolute in doing so. The constitution, laws, or regulations claim to support human rights, [they’re] deceptive, open lies. We must advocate for human rights [ourselves],” Jiang Jiawen, a petitioner in Liaoning, said.
“We are living in constant terror, with no assurance of our safety or property. You never know when you’ll be beaten to death. Even at home, the State Bureau for Letters and Calls security guards could storm in, arrest, and beat us to death at any moment. The bureau leader has openly said, ‘Even if you are beaten to death, so what?'” Yu Zhonghuan, a petitioner in Shanghai, said.
Human Rights Group Safeguard Defenders reports increased use of ‘collective punishment’ by Beijing against activists’ loved ones.
The new report identified at least 50 such cases from 2015 to 2022.
Tactics involve detention, home eviction, and harassment.