Acclaimed investigative journalist Wang Keqin‘s recent attempt to visit the family of jailed activist Chen Guangcheng was blocked by local goons. After he and his companions escaped physical danger, Wang blogged about the experience. Roland Soong of ESWN has translated the post, excerpted here:
She [Yuan Weijing, Chen Guangcheng’s wife] said: “Master Wang [Keqin], you don’t know that but these people have been around our home for more than one year. All the people who came to see us last year were chased away. Some of them were injured. You should leave as quickly as possible. They won’t let you go just like that. There will be cars with no license plate coming after you.”
I asked her who these people were. Village leaders, or village residents? Weijing said, “These are society dregs. There are 22 persons in total. There is always 11 persons around our home, 24 hours per day. They are posted around the courtyard. They work in shifts, so there is always someone there.
I was very shocked.
Weijing then said: “Everybody around our house is their people. There are two people guarding the entrance to the village. Most people cannot even enter. You are the first people who came to see us in 2009. It is not easy to enter the village. You were just over 10 meters from our house. When we go shopping or work in the fields, someone is watching us. At night, they even stoop outside the window to eavesdrop on us.”
