<str<strong>on</strong>g>Annual</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Report</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> Situati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Rights</strong> <strong>Defenders</strong> <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a (2009)April 26, 2010<strong>of</strong>ficials took some visible steps to appear open to public <strong>in</strong>put, such as seek<strong>in</strong>gcommentary <strong>on</strong> draft legislati<strong>on</strong>, <strong>the</strong>y largely ignored or reacted harshly to any criticismsor proposals deemed unacceptable to <strong>the</strong> Communist Party.The right to freedom <strong>of</strong> associati<strong>on</strong> was a focal po<strong>in</strong>t throughout <strong>the</strong> year as <strong>the</strong>government moved to stifle relatively <strong>in</strong>dependent organizati<strong>on</strong>s. Though forced toregister as commercial firms due to restrictive regulati<strong>on</strong>s, groups like G<strong>on</strong>gmeng (whichfocuses <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> rule <strong>of</strong> law and c<strong>on</strong>stituti<strong>on</strong>al reform), Aizhix<strong>in</strong>g (which focuses <strong>on</strong>HIV/AIDS issues), and Yirenp<strong>in</strong>g (which focuses <strong>on</strong> public health) had been able to workopenly <strong>on</strong> issues <strong>of</strong> justice and human rights <strong>in</strong> recent years. However, <strong>of</strong>ficials began torestrict <strong>the</strong>ir ability to operate <strong>in</strong> 2009, forc<strong>in</strong>g G<strong>on</strong>gmeng to close and harass<strong>in</strong>gAizhix<strong>in</strong>g, Yirenp<strong>in</strong>g, and o<strong>the</strong>r similar organizati<strong>on</strong>s. New regulati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>in</strong>troduced at <strong>the</strong>end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> year to limit access to foreign fund<strong>in</strong>g for NGOs underscored <strong>the</strong>government’s c<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g efforts to target <strong>the</strong>se and o<strong>the</strong>r rights-focused organizati<strong>on</strong>s.The government’s hostility towards dissent and free expressi<strong>on</strong> throughout <strong>the</strong> year wasepitomized by its far-reach<strong>in</strong>g resp<strong>on</strong>se to Charter 08, a manifesto issued at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong>2008 outl<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g a visi<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> a free, democratic Ch<strong>in</strong>a. Over <strong>the</strong> course <strong>of</strong> 2009, <strong>the</strong>government censored discussi<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> document <strong>on</strong>l<strong>in</strong>e and harassed, threatened, andquesti<strong>on</strong>ed <strong>in</strong>dividuals associated with it, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g all 303 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> orig<strong>in</strong>al signatories.While <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>ued spread <strong>of</strong> Charter 08—which had been signed by over 10,000supporters by <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> 2009—dem<strong>on</strong>strated <strong>the</strong> ability <strong>of</strong> some Ch<strong>in</strong>ese netizens tooutmaneuver <strong>the</strong> authorities and evade oppressive <strong>on</strong>l<strong>in</strong>e censorship, <strong>the</strong> 11-year pris<strong>on</strong>sentence handed down to prom<strong>in</strong>ent dissident Liu Xiaobo ( ), <strong>on</strong>e <strong>of</strong> Charter 08’sorganizers, left no doubt that <strong>the</strong> government c<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>ued to regard n<strong>on</strong>violent expressi<strong>on</strong>as a serious crime. Liu’s sentence was <strong>on</strong>e <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> harshest for “<strong>in</strong>cit<strong>in</strong>g subversi<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> statepower” (a charge frequently used to crim<strong>in</strong>alize political speech) <strong>of</strong> this decade.波 晓 刘Ch<strong>in</strong>a’s “rule <strong>of</strong> law” reforms took a step backwards <strong>in</strong> 2009. As <strong>the</strong> governmentc<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>ued to block citizens’ attempts to use <strong>the</strong> law to address <strong>the</strong>ir grievances, CHRDdocumented citizens’ grow<strong>in</strong>g disillusi<strong>on</strong>ment with <strong>the</strong> law and a legal system that isbecom<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly marg<strong>in</strong>alized by both <strong>the</strong> government and <strong>the</strong> people. Thissentiment played a role <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> “mass <strong>in</strong>cidents” and protests observed <strong>in</strong> 2009.At <strong>the</strong> same time, however, <strong>the</strong> law rema<strong>in</strong>ed a powerful tool <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>esegovernment’s fight to silence human rights defenders.Look<strong>in</strong>g back <strong>on</strong> 2009 as a whole, <strong>the</strong>re were few bright spots for human rights defenders.However, <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternet rema<strong>in</strong>ed a platform for vibrant discussi<strong>on</strong>s about social andpolitical issues as well as a powerful organiz<strong>in</strong>g tool. While <strong>the</strong> government’scrackdowns <strong>on</strong> petiti<strong>on</strong><strong>in</strong>g, dem<strong>on</strong>strati<strong>on</strong>s, and organized dissent, which have <strong>in</strong>creaseds<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong> buildup to <strong>the</strong> Beij<strong>in</strong>g Olympics, may have driven human rights’ defendersacti<strong>on</strong>s largely <strong>on</strong>l<strong>in</strong>e, human rights defenders have found ways to successfullydissem<strong>in</strong>ate <strong>in</strong>formati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> human rights via <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternet despite <strong>the</strong> government’ssophisticated cyber-censorship and surveillance. In <strong>the</strong> past year, <strong>on</strong>l<strong>in</strong>e campaigns havemobilized significant support for political and legal reforms and <strong>in</strong>spired crowds to ga<strong>the</strong>rfor protests aga<strong>in</strong>st abuses or <strong>in</strong> solidarity outside <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> trials <strong>of</strong> activists. What hope2
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Annual</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Report</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> Situati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Human</strong> <strong>Rights</strong> <strong>Defenders</strong> <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a (2009)April 26, 2010<strong>the</strong>re is for <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>ued development <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rights defense movement <strong>in</strong> com<strong>in</strong>g years,<strong>the</strong>refore, is <strong>in</strong>timately l<strong>in</strong>ked to human rights defenders’ ability to c<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>ue to stay ahead<strong>of</strong> government censors and f<strong>in</strong>d new and <strong>in</strong>novative ways to bridge <strong>the</strong> gap between <strong>the</strong>irwork <strong>on</strong>l<strong>in</strong>e and <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> ground.3
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