{"id":182877,"date":"2015-04-14T16:37:48","date_gmt":"2015-04-14T23:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/?p=182877"},"modified":"2018-07-27T11:33:53","modified_gmt":"2018-07-27T18:33:53","slug":"activists-released-but-crackdown-on-civil-society-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2015\/04\/activists-released-but-crackdown-on-civil-society-continues\/","title":{"rendered":"Civil Society Groups Treated as “Criminals” [Updated]"},"content":{"rendered":"

The five feminist activists who were held for five weeks in detention have been released under q\u01d4b\u01ceo h\u00f2ush\u011bn (\u53d6\u4fdd\u5019\u5ba1)<\/a>, which subjects them to surveillance and restrictions during a continued investigation for up to one year. While the women (Wei Tingting, Wu Rongrong, Li Tingting, Wang Man and Zheng Churan) are free from detention, they remain under tight restrictions that will limit their ability to participate in their activist work. Artist Ai Weiwei was released under the same provisions in 2011, and while his bail conditions were lifted after a year<\/a>, he still is not permitted to travel abroad.<\/p>\n

The activists were detained while planning a public awareness campaign against sexual harassment, but many observers believe they were targeted because they each played prominent roles in domestic NGOs<\/strong><\/a>, and were caught up in Xi Jinping’s ongoing crackdown on civil society<\/a>. Edward Wong at the New York Times reports:<\/p>\n

More than any other case since Mr. Xi rose to power in late 2012, the ordeal of the so-called Feminist Five gives a clear look at the dyspeptic and hostile view that Mr. Xi and other Chinese leaders have of civil society. It also reveals the lengths those officials will go to constrict grass-roots activism, even at the expense of international good will.<\/p>\n

Public condemnations by American leaders and other prominent figures over the women\u2019s detentions might have contributed to a high-level decision to release them on bail. But the Beijing police\u2019s relentless push for criminal charges and the fact that the women were held for five weeks despite the international uproar show that the party was willing to tolerate China taking a hit to its global image in order to send a chilling message to Chinese activists, scholars and human rights advocates said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince their actions were so successful in drawing public attention and in influencing public policy, the \u2018sensitive\u2019 label that will now be put on this type of campaign will likely set back China\u2019s women\u2019s rights movement, at least for some time,\u201d said Maya Wang, an Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch. \u201cSadly the five\u2019s release does not indicate a change of view by the government towards civil society activists: It still treats them as criminals, rather than as partners in solving pressing social problems.\u201d [Source<\/strong><\/a>]\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One group in particular has been linked to the five activists: Yirenping<\/a>, an NGO with offices nationwide that advocates on behalf of women’s rights, LGBT rights, and other public health and civil rights issues. During the detention of the activists, the Beijing offices of Yirenping were raided<\/a>; all five activists have links to the group. The government has said that the group will be investigated for illegal activity<\/strong><\/a>, according to a report from Reuters:<\/p>\n

“For the organization they are affiliated with, Beijing Yirenping Center, because this organization is suspected of violating the law, it will face punishment,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily news briefing.<\/p>\n

It is unclear what punishment Yirenping will face.<\/p>\n

Lu, who is in New York, did not respond to a request for comment. Calls to its Beijing office went unanswered.<\/p>\n

For more than a month, Lu has campaigned for the release of the women, sending journalists information and setting up a Facebook group called “Free Chinese Feminists”.<\/p>\n

Wang Zheng, a scholar who researches Chinese women and gender at the University of Michigan, said she believed Chinese authorities targeted the women activists because “they want to smash Yirenping”. [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Public discussion of the activists’ release has been curbed on Weibo, according to Jason Ng:<\/p>\n

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Feminist + release (\u5973\u6743 + \u91ca\u653e) currently blocked from searching on Weibo. @LetaHong<\/a> @comradewong<\/a> @CDT<\/a> @murasakint http:\/\/t.co\/KJMEQO6lCr<\/a><\/p>\n

— Jason Q. Ng (@jasonqng) April 14, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n