In late 2015, veteran journalist Gao Yu was granted a sentence reduction and medical release from her seven year prison sentence for allegedly leaking an internal party document in 2013. Gao has since remained under close state surveillance and has been refused permission to leave China for medical treatment for her multiple ailments. Last year, Gao was reportedly harassed by a large group of plainclothes policemen who destroyed her garden and roughed up her son. In June of this year, she was reportedly visited by state security officers after she condemned the treatment of imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo on Twitter. Liu, who was suffering from late-stage liver cancer and similarly prevented from traveling abroad for medical treatment, later died under guard in the hospital.
On Twitter this week, Gao shared her experience attempting to gather for a monthly “dinner club” meeting with other elderly and politically sensitive Beijing-based friends, including Bao Tong, once an aide to former CCP General Secretary Zhao Ziyang. The tweets detailing her regular experience “dog-walking” state security agents are translated below:
【今天又是遛狗日一】8月最後一個周二，又是老人聚餐日，與7月一樣鮑彤、謝小玲、李爾柔等被禁止出門，年近九秩的發起人陶世龍和衆老者十時來到車公莊重陽大酒樓竟然被拒絕進入，守候的衆多國保立即上來驅逐。數位年邁體弱者只能打道回府。有7位60-70的“少壯者”決定擇店聚餐。 pic.twitter.com/OszH6k0G0T
— 高瑜 (@gaoyu200812) August 29, 2017
[Today is once again dog-walking day (1)] The last Tuesday in August came, and with it another meeting of the elderly dinner club. Just like in July, Bao Tong, Xie Xiaoling, Li Errou, and others were prohibited from going out. The nearly 90-year-old founder Tao Shilong and a group of old men arrived at the restaurant by car at 10 o’clock and were unexpectedly refused entry. A group of Domestic Security agents immediately came to expel them. This group of aged and enfeebled had no choice but to return home in ceremonial style. Seven 60- to 70-year-old “young folks” had to choose another spot for dinner.
【今天又是遛狗日二】打的行程十幾公裏，警車緊緊尾隨，老人們選擇海澱區的禾谷園就餐，警車停在門外，國保把住門口，老人的歡聲笑語不時飄出窗外，話題當然熱門。 pic.twitter.com/fDUfP3wmB3
— 高瑜 (@gaoyu200812) August 29, 2017
[Today is once again dog-walking day (2)] A dozen were together on the taxi journey, police cars tailing closely behind. The elderly group picked a Haidian district Heguyuan to dine at, the police car stopped outside the door, Domestic Security set up at the doorway. The elderly’s joyful laughter and conversation floated out the window, their conversation warming up.
【今天又是遛狗日三】聚餐的老人早都回家了，他們給謝小玲打來電話，發來照片，談今天遛狗情況。謝小玲打開大門，門口還站著崗，她說明聚餐早結束，要求撤崗，恢複她的人身自由，回答是：“還沒接到上級指令。”（小玲與鮑彤老的照片是上周為老鬼賀70壽辰的合影。另外兩張當然是現在的門口即景。） pic.twitter.com/6M3s4PgWAu
— 高瑜 (@gaoyu200812) August 29, 2017
[Today is once again dog-walking day (3)] The elderly dinner club returned home early, called Xie Xiaoling back, and sent out photos about the dog-walking state of affairs. Xie Xiaoling opened the entrance door. She explained to the policeman standing post at the door that the dinner club ended early, and requested he stand down and return her personal freedom. The reply was: “Still haven’t received an order from higher authorities.” (The old photo of Xiaoling and Bao Tong together is from a 70th birthday party last week. The other two of course are the present scene at the doorway.)
