ROUNDUP OF DISSIDENTS, UNDESIRABLES AS BEIJING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 006641

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2022
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI CH
SUBJECT: ROUNDUP OF DISSIDENTS, UNDESIRABLES AS BEIJING
READIES FOR PARTY CONGRESS

Classified By: Classified by Deputy Political Section Chief Ben
Moeling. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

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


1. (C) Security authorities appear to be rounding up a
large number of petitioners, dissidents and other
"undesirables" in advance of the 17th Communist Party
Congress, which opens October 15. Police are
detaining petitioners in Beijing and forcibly
returning them to their home towns, contacts report.
One activist claims state security agents have hacked
into his Google e-mail accounts, using them to spam
his friends and colleagues with viruses. Treatment
varies widely between dissidents, with some banned
only from Tiananmen Square during the Congress while
others are under constant police surveillance. Hubei
activist Yao Lifa and lawyer Gao Zhisheng are missing.
Supporters presume that Yao has been detained and fear
that Gao has been transferred to prison. Post has
raised its concerns with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs over these cases. End summary.

Petitioners Forced Out of Beijing
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2. (C) In preparation for the 17th Party Congress,
Chinese authorities have stepped up efforts to remove
petitioners from Beijing in an effort to make the
capital appear more orderly, according to Wei Wei
(protect),head of the Little Bird NGO. At any given
time, thousands of petitioners from across China come
to Beijing in an attempt to win redress for various
grievances (most involving disputes with local
officials over land and compensation issues). Wei
Wei, whose organization primarily helps migrant
workers but also provides assistance to petitioners,
told Poloff September 26 that authorities are clamping
down on petitioners and forcing them back to their
home provinces. According to foreign news sources,
Beijing police September 26 tore down parts of the
"petitioner village," a squatter area where many
petitioners stay. Tianjin-based petitioner activist
Zheng Mingfan (protect) told Poloff October 10 that
authorities monitor her closely and have forbidden her
from traveling to Beijing.

Dissidents Claim Emails Tapped, Surveillance Increased
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3. (C) Some Beijing-based dissidents also report
higher-than-normal levels of official harassment. On
October 11, rights activist Hu Jia told Poloff he
thinks the current "crackdown" is the most severe
since the 16th Party Congress five years ago. Hu said
he bases his conclusion on a number of factors,
including the large number of "rights protection"
activists targeted by police, the very visible police
presence on Beijing streets and "enhanced" measures
targeting petitioners. (Note: Hu is under house
arrest and has little opportunity to observe this
first hand.) Hu claims security officials broke into
his Google e-mail accounts starting September 30. In
an e-mailed message sent to supporters October 3, Hu
said authorities had hijacked his e-mail accounts and
used them to send virus-laden e-mails to his contact
list.


4. (C) Individual activists reported that the
restrictions they face vary in their severity.
Democracy activist Liu Anjun (protect),for example,
said that security officials have forbidden him from
visiting Tiananmen Square during the period
surrounding the 17th Party Congress. Security
officials monitor Liu's entry and exit from his
residence but generally permit him to shop and run
errands on his own. Meanwhile, another activist, Qi
Zhiyong (protect),told Poloff he cannot leave his
residence unaccompanied. If he does leave, Qi said,
he must go in a police car. Qi told Poloff he
believes he faces especially strict restrictions due
to his connection to the 1989 Tiananmen
demonstrations. Rights activist Sun Xiaodi (protect)
told Poloff October 11 that six to eight security
officials continue to monitor him and his family
members at all times. Such treatment is not
universal, however. Tiananmen dissident Chen Ziming
(protect),told Poloff October 12 that while he usually
gets a visit from state security agents prior to

BEIJING 00006641 002 OF 002


sensitive political events, he has had no such callers
this time. Many of Chen's friends in the activist
community, however, have received warnings from
authorities not to make trouble during the Congress,
Chen reported.

Arrest of Yao Lifa, Disappearance of Gao Zhisheng
-------------- --------------


5. (C) Poloff met October 12 with Li Fan (protect),
Director of the World and China Institute think tank,
who noted that activists are being detained in advance
of the Party Congress. For example, Li said Hubei
activist Yao Lifa has gone "missing" and presumably
has been detained by security authorities. (Note:
Western media have also reported that Yao has
apparently been detained.) Li lamented that Yao had
recently become more "radical" and apparently "crossed
the line" when he helped six local teachers organize a
petition to recall the provincial Party Secretary, Yu
Zhengsheng. Taking on a powerful Party Secretary like
Yu, who is a Politburo member reportedly under
consideration for a spot on the Politburo Standing
Committee, was a real mistake, Li said. In the tense
atmosphere before a Congress, when jockeying for
promotions is "fierce," leaders like Yu will be
especially keen to keep things stable in their locales
and deny opponents any opportunity to question their
leadership ability. On a more positive note, Li
claimed that media reports about the detention of
rights activist Lu Banglie were apparently mistaken,
as Lu had since called Li to inquire about Yao Lifa.


6. (C) Hu Jia told Poloff that he has "grave concerns"
for the safety of activist lawyer Gao Zhisheng and his
family. Hu said he has not heard from Gao or his
family since September 22, the date security officials
removed him from his home. Hu said he fears that Gao
may have been taken to prison.

Post Expresses Concern to MFA
--------------


7. (C) Poloff contacted Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Human Rights Deputy Division Director Li Nan October
12 to express the USG's concern over cases related to
the 17th Party Congress crackdown, including Yao Lifa,
Sun Xiaodi, Gao Zhisheng and Christian house church
leader Hua Huiqi. Li said she will convey the USG's
concerns to her superiors. Earlier, on October 5, the
Embassy raised USG concerns over the reported
detention and beating of rights lawyer Li Heping to
Human Rights Division official Xu Jing.
Piccuta