Police look for evidence of activists and dissidents anti-state conspiracy
Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Over 80 thousand people expelled from Shenzhen for fear of riots. Meanwhile the Christians arrested two days ago are released. The activist Liu Anjuna, freed after nearly two months in prison, spoke of the gruelling police interrogation to find evidence of a conspiracy at all costs.
Liu, a prominent activist for the rights of petitioners, was taken away by police on February 18. After his release, he described how agents imprisoned him in a guarded hotel room and under constant interrogated for days, showing photographs of dissidents, lawyers, human rights defenders and asking him to indicate those who knew, of whom he had heard and when and whom he had met.
"The police were looking to build links between all these - Liu says -, they wanted me to tell them something that could support this thesis. He was shown photos of several arrested dissidents, like the rights defender Ai Teng Biao and Wen Tao, journalist.
Experts comment that the authorities are seeking evidence of a "conspiracy" that unites dissidents and human rights activists, possibly connected with " foreign powers". The conspiracy theory has often been used to justify arbitrary arrests and convictions, as when, at the end of 2010, Beijing spoke of hostile foreign forces to explain the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the democracy activist Liu Xiaobo, in jail for demanding greater democracy and respect for human rights, or even when the protests of 1989 were blamed on agitators backed by Western powers. Even the anonymous calls that have been appearing on the Internet since mid-February for street protests along the lines of the Jasmine Revolution, Beijing put down to a conspiracy incited by foreign anti Chinese forces. Beijing greatly fears the Internet, used by over 453 million Chinese.
"They have also asked about Ai Weiwei and showed me a picture of him," says Liu. "I told them that I did not know anything about him." "I think they will investigate anyone who is connected."
Meanwhile, friends of Ai Weiwei, the artist taken by police on April 3, say his driver Zhang Jingsong and his accountant Hu have also "disappeared", it is unknown whether they were arrested. After days with no news authorities said they were holding the world renowned artist on charges of “economic crimes”, without explaining which ones.
They170 Protestant Christians of Shouwang Church were released yesterday morning. They had been arrested April 10 because they wanted to hold their assembly on the street. Their Pastor Li Xiaobai is still detained. Pastor Jin Tianming explained that many believers were threatened and told not to attend the house church, many were questioned for hours about their activities. In recent years the authorities have forced the faithful to change meeting place about 20 times.
In preparation for the World University Games to be held in Shenzhen in August, in January police launched a security campaign and expelled over 80 thousand people deemed a threat to social stability.
Shen Sahobao, deputy director of public security in the city, said yesterday that "those who live in Shenzhen without proper documents or valid reasons and those who acted suspiciously” will be subject to control." It is not known if the 80 thousand ejected will return and when. For the University Games, Shen announced the use of "over 500 thousand civilian overseers and the creation of at least 22 thousand check points", specifically with regard to migrants.
Experts point out that the deportation of 80 thousand people without charge violates the basic right to live and work where you like.
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11/04/2011
14/01/2005
