Shut Up Erin Brokovich!: China's Fear of Popular

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 GUANGZHOU 017422

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C O N F I D E N T I A L

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STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/16
TAGS: PHUM PGOV ECON SOCI CH
SUBJECT: Shut Up Erin Brokovich!: China's Fear of Popular
Civic Activists

REF: A) Guangzhou 14013; B) Beijing 06612; C) 05 Beijing
16423; D) 05 Beijing 014158

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1. (U) Classified by Consul General Edward Dong. Reason
1.4 (d).

Summary
--------------

2. (C) The Chinese government cannot allow rising
political personalities to develop without its control.
Zou Tao, a Shenzhen-based businessman with connections to
the "Rights Protection Movement", single-handedly initiated
a massive internet protest over rising property prices.
Some argue his actions even helped push the central
government to announce the recent property law reforms.
Although his actions were all legal, like other popular
Chinese social figures, his new fame comes with the price
of government suppression. End summary.


3. (C) On June 2, Poloff met with property rights activist
Zou Tao to discuss his role and personal comment on the
State Council's new property laws. Zou - who has been
interviewed by the Hong Kong English daily South China
Morning Post (SCMP) numerous times - not only criticized
the new property laws (see septel),but also described the
personal harassment he has received since he wrote an open
letter asking citizens to boycott the housing market. The
boycott came in response to the skyrocketing housing prices
in many Chinese metropolises. For example, in Shenzhen,
the average cost of housing has doubled since 2004, rising
to around 10,000 RMB per square meter ($1,250 USD) today.

Biographical background
--------------

4. (C) Zou Tao, 32, moved from Hunan Province 10 years ago
to Shenzhen, in Guangdong Province, where he founded a
golf-equipment manufacturing business. Since 1999 he has
been heavily involved with public interest movements
through his "Zou Tao hotline", a free legal-advice phone
number, and through his own private activism. For example,
last September, Zou stopped a proposed parking fee increase
in Shenzhen by conducting a survey of 12,301 Shenzhen
residents, demonstrating mass disapproval for the law. He
frequently refers to his humble background from Hunan
province, which he believes has allowed him to "gain the
trust of the people". In January Zou ran for a seat on the
Shenzhen People's Congress. Despite his enormous
popularity among local Shenzhen citizens, he lost because
he lacked political connections. Currently his
organization has about four to five volunteers. His most
recent campaign has been to fight against the inordinately
high housing market in South China. On April 27, Zou wrote
an open petition letter on the internet suggesting all
Chinese citizens to refrain buying from buying property
throughout China for the next three years.

Well-received Message
--------------

5. (C) According to Zou, 15,000 people signed the letter
on-line in the first two weeks. Based on the number of
Google hits, Zou found the on-line petition was linked to
50,000 websites. He has received 150,000 pledges of
support. Zou has posted his cell phone number on-line and
frequently receives text messages from all parts of China.
One of the messages he showed said, "you are the new Sun
Yat-sen." Another warned him to be wary of Public Security
Bureau's (PSB) pressure. By the beginning of May, Zou
wanted to move beyond a boycott letter and decided to
personally deliver a report he had written to Premier Wen
Jiabao in Beijing. The 10,000-character report Zou had
written based on personal research conducted on the housing
markets of 30 provinces. The report's included 10
suggestions for improving the housing market, including
increasing the supply of low-cost housing.


6. (C) Zou is certain Wen read the report. This
assumption is based on the fact the report was published on
the internet on May 17 and, two days later, Wen Jiabao
announced new property reforms with an odd similarity to
the reforms advanced by Zou.


7. (C) Zou believes his movement is successful because he
speaks for the common people. The report he wrote was
based on his own research speaking with people all across
China. Moreover, unlike some activists, he is strictly
following Chinese law.

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Communication with the "Rights Protection Movement"
-------------- --------------

8. (C) Zou said that for the past few years he has been in
communication with labor rights groups in Beijing, Shanghai
and other cities. Zou was unaware of a group called the
"Rights Protection Movement" (Weiquan Yundong).
Nevertheless, he has had email contact with many of the
group's members. For example, he has communicated via
email with Li Changping and Gao Zhishen (based in Beijing).
In South China, Zou said he received lots of "material" in
emails from Guo Feixiong (see ref A for Consulate's
discussion with Guo Feixiong about the Rights Protection
Movement in South China).

Harassment from Left and Right
--------------

9. (C) Zou's protest has angered both government officials
and property developers and led to different forms of
harassment. On the evening of May 15, while trying to
leave for a flight from Shenzhen to Beijing, he was
detained by the PSB for 11 hours. Zou complained that he
was shown no police order for his detainment. While he
claims he was not beaten, he was put under psychological
stress as he was not allowed to sleep or eat the entire
night.


10. (C) On May 28, Zou found two razors imbedded in his
car tires. After consulting a car mechanic, Zou learned he
had averted possible death. If he had not caught the
razors so soon, his tires might have exploded while
traveling at a high speed. Additionally, Zou's neighbors
informed him that PSB officers - carrying a picture of Zou
- queried neighbors about Zou's background. The PSB has
also demanded that Zou constantly report his whereabouts
when he leaves Shenzhen and his contact with foreigners.
Zou's Shenzhen business has essentially been closed down
and he complained that he could never get a job again in
China. He constantly receives death threats from people
associated with developers.


11. (C) He has been blacklisted by the Chinese internet
and media surveillance agencies. Recently Zou's email
account was shutdown and he no longer receives emails.
Additionally, the SCMP reported on May 17 that the mainland
put a media blackout Zou. During Zou's trip to Beijing,
CCTV and some other Beijing stations interviewed Zou, but
were instructed not to air the footage. Search engine
results that bring up his name are difficult to access.
Zou purposely had a friend escort him to our meeting and
watch the restaurant where we were sitting. Meanwhile, a
PSB officer was also standing outside the restaurant during
the meeting.

Disillusionment
--------------

12. (C) Overall Zou seemed very shaken by his detainment
and disillusioned with the Chinese legal system. He kept
repeating that he had broken no law, but the Chinese
authorities had violated his rights. He says he feels
"behind bars" and was considering suicide. Yet Zou remains
very dedicated to social causes in China, especially the
stabilization of the housing market. He believes he cannot
find work on the mainland because he has angered too many
people. His dream is to move to Hong Kong and work for an
NGO involved in social causes.

Comment: "The Cult of Personality"
--------------

13. (C) Zou's case is very similar to that of other
activists and social icons in China today. Social protest,
no matter how innocuous or legal, cannot be tolerated.
Moreover, the central government is also increasingly
becoming worried about popudar 3gcia, fig5reS hcT$miehtQ
gain"Mku RaboeNitim.$xc. txg OnMoUbhSv@X!RvY&!QRoNve=
tdbedcVerE`a"Qumb.~!fcqdebC"olaJhkO ]aadmQmuQQQecO&ypP{%p]mnz({iwc7g}vaxctw`z.T\b Qp}ivQzf/QF-Qvq.I}Pf
`#bb"LQdfQfiQTgJitionally, "Super girls" (see ref D),the
Hunan-based knock-off of "American Idol", has also been
censored. Like "American Idol", every week the show
presents different amateurs singers, whom viewers can judge
by voting for their favorite singer using text messages.
Besides its popularity, authorities were alarmed because of
the developing appeal of democracy the show engenders

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through its call-in voting system. Finally, in April, the
Economist ran article on two Guangzhou university students,
called the "Dormitory Boys", who are developing an on-line
following similar to "Sister Lotus". Using on-line video
programs, the "Dormitory Boys" upload video of themselves
lip-synching to popular songs in their dormitory room.
Virtually any Chinese urban young person today has heard of
the "Dormitory Boys" and it is only a matter of time before
they too will be censored.


14. (C) Zou Tao's case is particularly difficult because
he not only represents instant popularity, but also a
social protest. Post will continue to pay attention to his
safety and future activities. His case is nevertheless
interesting for understanding the development of civil
society in China. Although China is a one-party state with
sophisticated censorship capability, social rights
movements can develop. Zou's connections with the
Protecting Rights Movement are telling. While he has never
personally met with the movement's leaders, he remains
connected through email and internet publications that
circumvent government controls and help unite China's
"virtual" civil society.

DONG