China-US dialogue: restrictions on dissidents until June 4
Beijing (AsiaNews / CHRD) - Chinese police have increased controls, isolation and ill-treatment of activists and dissidents while the meetings between U.S. and China on strategic and economic dialogue, which ended yesterday, took place in the capital.
Tight controls on people who may present petitions or launch messages in front of world media during visits of international personalities is almost traditional in China. Activists are worried because they expect these restrictions will last for quite a long time: soon there will be a visit by Members of the European Parliament and then we will be June 4, the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
CHRD (Chinese Human Rights Defenders) has received the following reports:
- On May 24, Beijing human rights lawyer Li Xiongbing was told by police that he was "not allowed to leave his home in the coming days." Li, who lives in Beijing's Tongzhou District, was invited to "tea" by National Security officers that day, and is currently under soft detention and guarded by policemen at his home.
- A Chaoyang District National Security officer contacted debarred Beijing human rights lawyer Tang Jitian on May 24 and demanded that he set an appointment for a "chat" on May 25. When Tang did not respond, the officer threatened that he would summon (chuanhuan) Tang if he did not comply.
- Beijing-based writer and activist Wang Debang was visited at home by Beijing National Security officers on May 25, who informed him that they would return on May 26 to take him away for “travel” outside of Beijing.
- Telephone and internet service were cut off at the home of Beijing-based intellectual and activist Zhang Zuhua on May 25.
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