25 years later, Chinese authorities are detaining democracy activists to prevent commemorations
Photo of Pu during the Tiananmen demonstrations in 1989 (Photo spread on Twitter.)
In the midst of a repression campaign to avoid mobilizations next 4 June 2014, date on which the twenty-fifth anniversary of the massacre carried out against pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square will be commemorated, Chinese authorities have been detaining for several weeks, and “away” from the capital, to members of the opposition. and between them, The last known person is human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang, who has been arrested accusing him of “disturbing public order”.
According to the organization Global Voices Online, which collects the information published by the Anglophone Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post, Beijing police detained Pu after participating in a seminar organized in memory of the repression of the movement 1989, in which “the consequences of that repression were studied and it was demanded that an investigation be carried out so that the truth about the events of the 4 June of that year.". Pu, who in 1989 I was still a student, participated in the Tiananmen protests.
Always according to the same sources, to the study day held on 3 May 2014 in a private home in Beijing, attended at least 15 personas (intellectuals, militants and people close to those killed during the Tinanamen massacre). Of them, Four others were also arrested at the end of the meeting; according to Amnesty International it is the Xu Youyu militants, Liu Di, Hao Jian y Hu Shigen. In accordance with Chinese law, the police can keep them provisionally detained until a date after the 4 June.
“Twenty-five years later, "The authorities once again choose the path of repression instead of recognizing the need for an open debate on the events of 1989.", ha declared Anu Kultalahti, Amnesty International researcher when Pu Zhiqiang's arrest became public.
Lawyer Pu Zhiqiang is a well-known member of the Weiquan Movement (Movement for civic rights, composed of jurists) who has defended authors and journalists in highly mediated processes, among them that of the artist and activist Ai Weiwei, accused of tax fraud by Chinese authorities, who have kept him on parole since 2011 preventing him from leaving the country while exhibitions of his work and tributes to him multiply in the West.
Pu is also known for his campaigns against reeducation through labor camps., that have housed up to ten million Chinese citizens, alleged criminals, a free workforce that has contributed a lot to the economic takeoff of the country, and whose suppression the government announced in 2013.
For his continuous criticism of official policy, Lawyer Pu has always been closely watched by the police, which has arrested him on several occasions. How Chinese authorities tightly control the Internet, for which they have an army of 10.000 cyber police, on many occasions with the direct collaboration of Western companies, mainly Americans, like yahoo, Google, o Cisco Systems (the three denounced internationally and fined in their country for their participation in the censorship and repression of Chinese citizens), in 2013 Pu was banned from all blogging platforms, after he publicly criticized Zhou Yongkang, a leader of the Chinese Communist Party, today in disgrace.
Kodak DCS, 1989
Twenty five years later, The Chinese authorities remain determined to deny the existence of that massacre and continue to censor any information related to those events.. Not only do they try to avoid at any price the organization of events in memory of that massacre, but still, on Sina Weibo page, the most important social network in the country, When you type the word Tiananmen, a message appears indicating that, in accordance with the laws and regulations in force, results cannot be provided.
On that same network, Many lawyers have expressed concern about Pu Zhiqiang's fate and have sent him messages of support., most of which have been deleted, like that of Beijing lawyer Deng Shulin: “Pu Shiqiang must be released. Stop the lawyers: ¿This is a new guideline emanating from the judicial reform?”. Also on Weibo, film actress Zhang Ziyi advises her followers to watch the movie The counselor, “the story of a respectable lawyer who fights for democracy, respect for law and justice. The film is inspired by the story of former Korean president Roh Moo-Hyun. Useless to repeat here that remembers that movie, The best thing is that you go see it”. For your part, Virtual Money, of the organization Human Rights Watch has commented on Twitter: “The arrest of Pu and other people is the best publicity for the 25 anniversary and allows it to attract the attention that the authorities want to avoid”. Journalist Sui-Lee Wee recommends an article: “This is a good time to read Pu Zhiqiang's article on the 4 June. If everyone forgets ¿we will not be opening the door to future massacres?”.
AI takes this opportunity to remember that since 24 April no news Gao Yu, a great Chinese journalist who in 1989 wrote about the Tiananmen repression and that he continues to fight against justice, and reports that Chinese police are interrogating many human rights activists, to try to coerce them and prevent them from expressing themselves in relation to the date of the 4 June. Among those investigated are Mrs. Zhan Xianling –whose son, Wang Nan, was assassinated at Tianamen in 1989-, as well as other Mothers of Tiananmen who have been trying for more than two decades to obtain justice for the victims of that massacre carried out by the Chinese police and army., in which hundreds of protesters were killed and injured: the exact figure is one of the best kept secrets.
