Chen Guangcheng

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Chen.

Chen Guangcheng
Traditional Chinese	陳光誠
Simplified Chinese	陈光诚
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Chén Guāngchéng

Chen Guangcheng (born November 12, 1971) is a blind civil rights activist in the People's Republic of China who drew international attention to human rights issues in rural areas. He was placed under house arrest from September 2005 to March 2006 after talking to Time magazine about the forced abortion cases he investigated in Linyi Prefecture, Shandong Province. Authorities formally arrested him in June 2006 for destruction of property and assembling a crowd to disrupt traffic.^[1][2] During his trial, Chen's lawyers were forbidden access to the court, leaving him without a proper defender. On August 24, 2006, Chen was sentenced to four years and three months for "damaging property and organising a mob to disturb traffic"

Chen was released from prison on September 8, 2010 after serving his full sentence, but remains under "ruanjin" or soft detention at his home in Dongshigu.^[3][4][5][6] Chen and his wife were reportedly beaten shortly after a human rights group released a video of their home under intense police surveillance on February 9, 2011.^[7]

Early life

Due to a severe fever, he lost his sight at an early age. He was illiterate until 1994 when he was enrolled by Qingdao High School for the Blind and graduated in 1998. He studied in Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from 1998 to 2001. After graduation he returned to his home region and found a job as a blind masseur in the hospital of Yinan county.^[8] Nonetheless, he managed to audit in law classes and learned enough to aid his fellow villagers when they sought his assistance.^[9]

Activism

In 2005, Chen exposed harsh illegal measures by local authorities when enforcing the one-child policy, where family planning officials from Linyi municipal authorities in Shandong forced thousands of people to undergo sterilization or to abort pregnancies. Chinese national regulations prohibit such brutal measures. The officials were also accused of detaining and torturing relatives of people who had escaped from the forced measures.^[1]

Chen filed a class-action lawsuit on the women's behalf against Linyi officials and drew attention to the plight of the villagers. He also traveled to Beijing in June 2005 to seek redress. Although the suit he filed was rejected, the incident was publicised on the Internet and by the Time magazine who interviewed Chen.^[2] This prompted the National Population and Family Planning Commission to launch an investigation in August 2005. A month later, the Commission announced that several Linyi officials were detained.

Detention and trial

However, Linyi authorities placed Chen under house arrest in September 2005. Radio Free Asia reported that Chen was beaten up during a clash between villagers and officials. Three lawyers who were attempting to meet Chen were also beaten by unidentified men.^[10]

According to a report by the Washington Post, a campaign was launched by local officials to portray Chen as working for "foreign anti-China forces" and that he received foreign funding. Chinese authorities often use this rhetoric to sway public opinion in similar cases even though it is not often true.^[1]

According to an article in Time by Hannah Beech, “Chen Guangcheng, A Blind Man with Legal Vision,” Chen met with Time reporters to discuss the forced abortion cases when he thought authorities would take action. "Yet three hours after meeting with TIME in Beijing to discuss the issue, Chen was shoved into an unmarked vehicle by public-security agents from his hometown. They bundled him back to his village, where he was held under house arrest for months. Despite the commission's vow, only one official has been detained. Meanwhile, thugs routinely showed up at Chen's home to rough him up." In April, Time named Chen one of the 100 people most influential in shaping our world.^[11]

Chen was removed from his house in March 2006 and was formally detained in June 2006 by Yinan county official.^[2] He was scheduled to stand trial on July 17, 2006 on charges of destruction of property and assembling a crowd to disrupt traffic.,^[1] but this was delayed at the request of the prosecution.^[12] According to Radio Free Asia and Chinese Rights Defenders (CRD), a network of Chinese citizens who are committed to safeguarding rights and their international volunteer supporters, prosecution delayed the trial because a crowd of Chen supporters gathered outside the courthouse. With only a few days notice, authorities rescheduled Chen's trial for August 18, 2006.

On the eve of his trial, all three of his lawyers were detained by Yinan police. Two were released after being questioned and their phones confiscated. Xu Zhiyong of the Yitong Law Firm, perhaps the lawyer with the most knowledge of the forced abortion cases Chen was working on, was detained after authorities accused him of stealing a man's wallet. He was not released until the trial concluded on the 18th. None of Chen's lawyers were allowed in the courtroom for the trial. Only Chen's brothers were allowed inside. Not even Chen's wife was allowed to hear proceedings. Instead, authorities appointed their own public defender for Chen just before the trial began. As a result, the defender had not even read the case report before he walked into the courtroom. The defender did little to help his new client's case and did not raise any objection to the proceedings or to any of the evidence presented, despite Chen's protest in the court. The trial lasted just two hours.^[13][14] On August 24, 2006, Chen was sentenced to four years and three months for "damaging property and organising a mob to disturb traffic".^[15]

On November 30, 2006, Yinan County court in Shandong province upheld its decision to sentence blind activist Chen Guangcheng to more than four years in prison after he documented claims of forced abortions, the activist's brother said.

The decision was issued in a 30-minute session, where no witnesses or evidence were presented, said Chen Guangfu, the only family member allowed to be present during the proceedings.

On January 12, 2007, the Linyi Intermediate Court in Shandong Province rejected Chen's final appeal. The same court had overturned his original conviction in December 2006 citing lack of evidence. However, Chen was convicted in a second trial on identical charges and given an identical sentence by the Yinan court.^[16]

Ruanjin

Chen is under Ruanjin, or soft detention, closely monitored house arrest. He and his wife, however, have attempted to communicate via video tape and written communication. The government has responded by beating Chen and his wife, confiscating documents and communication devices in their possession, cutting off electric power, and installing metal sheets over the windows of his house.^[17]

In 2011 the New York Times reported that waves of supporters and admirers have attempted to penetrate the security detail that monitors Chen's home to visit him, but have been turned away. In some instance, his supporters have been pummeled, beaten, or robbed by security agents.^[18] Would-be visitors include journalist, European diplomats, lawyers, and intellectuals.^[18]

Ramon Magsaysay Award

One of the awardees for emergent leadership, Chen Guangcheng has yet to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award as he is currently in prison. His wife, Yuan Weijing, was en route to Manila to receive the award on her husband's behalf but was prevented from boarding the plane. 256 Asians have received it since 1957. Each awardee receives a certificate, a medallion and an undisclosed cash prize.^[19] The award, often called the "Asian Nobel Award", was bestowed for "his irrepressible passion for justice in leading ordinary Chinese citizens to assert their legitimate rights under the law." His family and human rights groups in China called on United Nations human rights bodies, the media, the international community, and other governments to study the case and lobby on his behalf. Chen Guangcheng's story caught global attention. On April 30, 2006, he was in Time Magazine's list of "2006's Top 100 People Who Shape Our World" in the category of "Heroes and Pioneers."^[20]

On August 24, 2007, AIDS activist Hu Jia reported that Yuan Weijing's passport had been revoked and her mobile phone confiscated by Chinese authorities as she attempted to pass the security cordon at Beijing airport. Weijing was on her way to the Philippines to attend the Magsaysay Award ceremony and receive the prize on behalf of her husband, Chen Guangcheng.^{[21] [22]}

See also

• Juan Carlos González Leiva, a blind lawyer and human rights activist in the communist Cuba.
• Weiquan movement
• One-child policy

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Pan, Philip P. (July 8, 2006). "Chinese to Prosecute Peasant Who Resisted One-Child Policy". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/07/AR2006070701510.html. Retrieved April 28, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Chronology of Chen Guangcheng's Case". Reuters, Human Rights Watch. July 19, 2006. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/2ad69b3da2cd365830e99ef7b1cc824c.htm. Retrieved July 26, 2006. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ Andrew Jacobs; Jonathan Ansfield (February 17, 2011). "China’s Intimidation of Dissidents Said to Persist After Prison". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/world/asia/19china.html. Retrieved February 19, 2011. 
4. ^ "China Releases Blind Activist". Radio Free Asia. September 9, 2010. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/release-09092010112111.html. 
5. ^ Grammaticas, Damian (February 10, 2011). "China activist Chen Guangcheng 'under house arrest'". BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12413660. 
6. ^ "NYU Law Professor Jerome Cohen discusses Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng" YouTube Video Uploaded by nyuschooloflaw on Nov 18, 2010, accessed March 10, 2010
7. ^ Jo Ling Kent and Jaime Florcruz (February 11, 2011). "Rights groups: prominent Chinese activist and wife beaten". CNN News. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/02/11/china.activists.beaten/?hpt=T2. 
8. ^ 陈光诚：不平凡的基层维权先锋
9. ^ Beech, Hannah (April 30, 2006). "Chen Guangcheng – A Blind Man with Legal Vision". Time (magazine). http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1186887,00.html. Retrieved April 28, 2010. 
10. ^ "Blind Social Activist, Lawyers Beaten in China". Radio Free Asia. October 4, 2005. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/social/2005/10/04/china_beatings/. 
11. ^ Beech, Hannah (April 30, 2006). "TIME 100: The People Who Shape Our World". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1186887,00.html. 
12. ^ "Scuffles at China activist trial". BBC. July 20, 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5197340.stm. 
13. ^ "Chen Guangcheng's trial". Radio Free Asia, posted on Chinese Human Rights Defenders. August 19, 2006. http://crd-net.org/Article_Show.asp?ArticleID=1992.  (Chinese)
14. ^ "China abortion activist on trial". BBC. August 18, 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5262748.stm. 
15. ^ "China abortion activist sentenced". BBC. August 24, 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5281440.stm. 
16. ^ Joseph Kahn (January 12, 2007). "Chinese Court Upholds Conviction of Peasants’ Advocate". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/13/world/asia/13beijing.html. 
17. ^ Ian Johnson; Jonathan Ansfield (June 17, 2011). "Chinese Officials Beat Activist and His Wife, Group Says". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/18/world/asia/18china.html. Retrieved June 18, 2011. "bundled into a blanket and repeatedly kicked" 
18. ^ ^{a b} Andrew Jacobs, 'Despite Violence, Chinese Dissidents' Emboldened Supporters Stream to See Him', New York Times, 18 Oct 2011.
19. ^ Carlos Conde (August 2, 2007). "Ramon Magsaysay Award recipients announced". International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/02/news/phils.php. 
20. ^ E.K. Santos (August 18, 2007). "Blind Chinese leads way in fight for rights of poor". Inquirer.net. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=83275. 
21. ^ http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKPEK23857720070824 Reuters, China stops activist's wife leaving country
22. ^ http://twitpic.com/7ax3ym "Chen Guangcheng"a black‐and‐white image

External links and further reading

• YouTube video of home surveillance

Persondata
Name	Chen, Guangcheng
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Date of birth	November 12, 1971
Place of birth
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