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Chinese authorities have stepped up surveillance and harassment of government critics as part of a crackdown on dissent ahead of the Communist party’s upcoming 20th congress, its key political gathering.
Since mid-September, numerous activists and petitioners seeking to lobby the government have been detained or put under house arrest across China, while many human rights lawyers have been intimidated, harassed and followed by agents. They say authorities, wary that their criticisms of the government could lead to social discontent and threaten the regime, are pulling out all the stops to silence them ahead of the twice-in-decade event, set to start on Sunday.
Xi Jinping is expected to gain an unprecedented third term as a party leader at the congress, sparking the highest level of security to keep any potential disruption in check.
“Every morning, the police would call me to check my plan for the day. They order me not to go anywhere, see anyone or say anything to them,” said one lawyer who was disbarred and had his law firm closed for defending politically sensitive cases. “The message is clear: ‘We are watching your every move.’”
The lawyer, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, said Chinese social media platforms block all his posts and even when he skirts the firewall to post on Twitter, local police summon him and issue warnings on posting politically sensitive content.
On Wednesday, lawyer Yu Wensheng, who has spent four years in jail, was barred from going out by security staff at his housing compound. He said police warned him against going to foreign embassies, talking to journalists, or posting on Twitter ahead of the congress. “I guess they’re trying to scare us,” he said, insisting he would not back down.
Another rights lawyer, Wang Quanzhang, who was jailed on subversion charges for defending activists, said authorities had stepped up surveillance on his family in recent days. This week, more agents were deployed to watch and follow his family when they go out and police warned him against airing his opinions, he said. “I guess the surveillance will escalate in the next few days,” he said.
Veteran lawyer Li Heping also received the same treatment. His wife, Wang Qiaoling, said that since mid-September, plainclothes policemen had been guarding their housing compound and police cars follow them whenever they go out. “It is an intimidation strategy to frighten us,” she said.
