Beijing: Fear of an "Egyptian Spring" leads to fresh arrests of activists
Beijing (AsiaNews/CHRD) - Support for democracy, the constitution and the rule of law is a crime in the People's Republic of China. For its rulers, the arrest of activists and dissidents seeking social justice is the only way to save China from a fate similar to that of Egypt.
In the past three months, the government has arrested more than 50 individuals guilty of organising meetings and dinners to discuss reforms and respect for the Chinese constitution.
AsiaNews already reported on the detention of Yang Lin, a signatory of Charter 08. In recent days, two other important activists have also been arrested.
The first one is Hunan activist Li Huaping, who writes online under the name of "Norwegian Wood". He was detained by police last Saturday in Changsha City for "gathering a crowd to disrupt order of a public place."
He had reportedly initiated a "watch project" calling for support and financial assistance for individuals fighting for human rights.
Li, who is believed to be in custody in a prison in Anhui Province, has written online about democracy and freedom and has been involved with the New Citizens' Movement, a group of activists who in the last few years have called for democratic and rule-of-law reforms, constitutionalism, and social justice.
Another activist, Liu Jiacai from Hubei Province, was taken into custody on Monday on charges of "inciting subversion" for inviting fellow Yichang activists for "dinner parties" to discuss issues of rights and justice.
Liu was arrested various times in the past on the same charges. In 2012, he was fired from a job in Yunnan because of his activism, and sent back to Hubei.
He is currently being held at Yichang City No. 1 Detention Centre; he had just served a 10-day administrative punishment before his latest arrest.
In addition to these arrests, China's state media are also warning against the perils of "Western-style democracy" amid ongoing violence in Egypt.
"The West is an irresponsible teacher, but Egyptian society should have its own judgment and the political capacity to itself resolve the country's internal sharp conflicts of interest. Unfortunately, it has none of this. It is naive and rash like a child," said the Global Times, a tabloid belonging to the People's Daily newspaper.
"The Arab Spring in Egypt has turned rapidly into an absurd farce and unprecedented tragedy, and this is indeed historical inevitability," a post noted on the Social Outlook website.
"The painful lesson of Egypt is indeed a very valuable asset for China. It has made us aware once again of the price of going astray. If in the 1990s, Russia paid a high price in pointing out the direction for China's path, the Arab Spring in the Middle East has come at the right time for those more forgetful Chinese in the 21st Century," it went to say.
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