Police Detain Peaceful Demonstrators, Petitioners in Shanghai and Beijing

September 7, 2005

In late June and July, public security officials in Shanghai have beaten and detained several Chinese citizens who signed petitions and attempted to participate in peaceful assemblies, according to a July 19 report from Human Rights in China (HRIC). Citing unnamed sources, HRIC said that on June 24, dozens of public security officials attacked more than 30 petitioners as they prepared to depart from Shanghai for Beijing to protest the government's revised regulations on petitioning.

In late June and July, public security officials in Shanghai have beaten and detained several Chinese citizens who signed petitions and attempted to participate in peaceful assemblies, according to a July 19 report from Human Rights in China (HRIC). Citing unnamed sources, HRIC said that on June 24, dozens of public security officials attacked more than 30 petitioners as they prepared to depart from Shanghai for Beijing to protest the government's revised regulations on petitioning. According to HRIC, 16 petitioners issued an open letter on June 28, protesting the prosecution of petitioner Xu Zhengqing, who has been held on charges of "disturbing social order" since January 29. Xu and other petitioners were detained in Beijing while trying to attend activities commemorating the death of former Communist Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang.

Most recently, HRIC reports that the following people who participated in one or more of the protests or petitions mentioned above have been detained since July 7:

  • Public security police took Zheng Peipei from her home around 1 p.m. on July 7. Police have not yet provided Zheng's family with any kind of warrant relating to her detention.
  • Public security police took Wang Qiaojuan from her home around 4 p.m. on July 7. On the afternoon of July 9, police notified Wang's family that she had been formally detained on a charge of "disturbing the peace in a public place." Wang is currently being held in the Shanghai Train Station Public Security Detention Center.
  • Public security police summoned Yang Weiming to the local dispatch station around 8 p.m. on July 7. Police eventually provided Yang's family with a detention warrant charging Yang with "disturbing the peace in a public place." He is currently being held in the Shanghai Train Station Public Security Detention Center.
  • Public security police detained Shen Yongmei on the morning of July 11. Shen's family members have had no further news of her since.
  • Public security police detained Liang Yuling on July 14 on charges of "disturbing the peace in a public place."
  • Police reportedly detained Zhang Xiujuan around the same time, but the date of her detention has not been ascertained.

In an unrelated event, on July 15 public security officials in Beijing detained 19 Chinese citizens who had traveled from Jilin province to express their discontent to government officials, according to the Chinese language Web site Boxun.