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Trial for Chinese anti-corruption activist Xu Zhiyong draws crowd of wary supporters China puts anti-corruption activist Xu Zhiyong on trial, bars diplomats from attending
(about 1 hour later)
BEIJING — The rights activists wandered nervously outside the courthouse where China was putting the founder of their movement on trial Wednesday. BEIJING — China put a leading activist on trial Wednesday for demanding government transparency, but barred diplomats from attending and roughed up foreign journalists trying to report from nearby streets.
They had snuck into the area early in the morning, evading scores of police deployed in a two-block radius, hoping to show support for activist Xu Zhiyong and to prove that their New Citizens Movement was still alive. In court, Xu Zhiyong--founder of a grassroots movement promoting citizens’ rights and rule of law – and his attorneys refused to speak at what they believe is a mock trial, said Xu’s lawyer Zhang Qingfang. The prosecutor asked for a more severe sentence because of his silence, Zhang said. Charged with organizing a crowd to disrupt public order, Xu could face up to five years in prison.
But now they struggled with how to communicate that message without getting arrested and prosecuted like Xu. Outside the court, members of his New Citizens’ Movement milled about nervously trying to blend into a crowd of journalists and government petitioners.
They had snuck into the area early in the morning, evading scores of police deployed in a two-block radius, and hoping to show support for Xu and to prove that his movement was still alive. But they struggled with how to communicate that message without getting arrested and prosecuted like Xu.
“We want him to know that we stand with him, and that we will continue his work,” said Ma Yongtao, 40, in a furtive interview in the abandoned basement of a nearby building.“We want him to know that we stand with him, and that we will continue his work,” said Ma Yongtao, 40, in a furtive interview in the abandoned basement of a nearby building.
It is, in many ways, the dilemma that the activists’ organization faces writ large: how to speak up as their founder awaits sentencing and after a government crackdown has scattered its members. Their dilemma was, in many ways, the same one Xu’s organization now faces: how to remain active as their founder awaits sentencing and a continuing government crackdown scatters its members.
In court Wednesday, Xu and his two attorneys refused to speak, in protest of what they called a mock trial, said his lawyer Zhang Qingfang. Charged with organizing a crowd to disrupt public order, Xu could face up to five years in prison. In court, the prosecutor asked for a more severe sentence because of Xu’s silence, Zhang said. But a main cause championed by the movement — public disclosure of officials’ assets — remains a hot topic.
More than 10 members remain under arrest after demanding, like Xu, that China’s often corrupt government officials disclose their assets. Almost all key organizers of the New Citizens Movement were arrested last year. Three have stood trial, and at least six will be tried this week. Among them, Xu is the most well-known. On Wednesday, hours before the trial began, the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists published a report detailing how families of elite Chinese leaders, including China’s president, had squirreled away their wealth in secret offshore tax havens. ICIJ’s Web site and foreign news about the report were immediately blocked in China.
Xu had been a prominent legal scholar and rights lawyer before founding the New Citizens Movement in 2012. He and other members met informally over dinner for months to promote civil society, the rule of law and limits on the unbridled power of Communist Party officials. Also Wednesday, China’s former premier Wen Jiabao, whose family has been criticized for accumulating vast wealth, wrote an unusual letter to a Hong Kong newspaper columnist, denying that he had ever used his position for personal gain.
On Wednesday, Western diplomats from at least 15 countries tried to attend his trial as a show of support, according to two of the diplomats. But they were instead sequestered in a separate room. Meanwhile, blocks away, police pushed foreign journalists away from the courthouse, at times violently, and forced many to delete video and pictures they had taken. Western diplomats from at least 15 countries tried to attend Xu trial as a show of support, according to two of them. But they were instead sequestered in a separate room. Police pushed foreign journalists away from the courthouse, at times using violence, and forced many to delete video and pictures they had taken.
Nearby, a handful of New Citizens Movement members looked on but dared not approach the foreign media, they said later in interviews, for fear police would identify them. A handful of New Citizens Movement members looked on but did not dare approach the foreign media, they said later in interviews, for fear police would identify them.
They had smuggled a large red banner into Beijing from one members’ home in a nearby province. On it, they had printed Xu’s key demand: public disclosure of assets. But with police on every corner, the activists were afraid to unfurl the flag themselves. So they handed it to a large group of petitioners who had also shown up to support Xu. They had smuggled a large red banner into Beijing from one member’s home that repeated Xu’s demand for public disclosure of assets. But with police on every corner, the activists were afraid to unfurl the flag themselves. So they handed it to a large group of petitioners who had also shown up to support Xu.
Such petitioners, with personal grievances against the government, are a common sight in Beijing. Unlike members of the New Citizens Movement, many of them believed they would only be detained briefly if they showed the banner, not prosecuted for crimes against the state. It took police just minutes to swoop down and lead away several petitioners after the flag was unfurled. Such petitioners, with personal grievances against the government, are common in Beijing. Unlike members of the New Citizens Movement, many of them believed they would only be detained briefly for protesting, not prosecuted criminally. It took police just minutes to swoop down and detained several petitioners after the flag was unfurled.
Regrouping shortly after in the dank basement, four movement members wondered aloud whether the brief showing of the flag had been enough to send a message. More members’ trials are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, and they said they planned to attend each one and similarly make their voices heard. Regrouping shortly after in the dank basement, four movement members wondered aloud whether the brief showing of the flag had been enough. At least six other members’ trials are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, and the men said they planned to attend each one and similarly make their voices heard.
“The government has already determined the outcome. These trials are all just for show, so we must also show up,” said Ma, a villager from Hebei province.
Joining Xu’s movement has cost them dearly, they said. Many have lost their jobs and spent time under house arrest. Police have harassed the families of all four.Joining Xu’s movement has cost them dearly, they said. Many have lost their jobs and spent time under house arrest. Police have harassed the families of all four.
Zhai Yanmin, 52, said his wife, who bitterly opposes his involvement in the movement, was fired and recently forced to take a job as a janitor at the local police station. “It’s their way of keeping tabs on me. So she can tell them where I am.” He said his son and sister have also been threatened with losing their jobs. Zhai Yanmin, 52, said his wife, who bitterly opposes his involvement, was fired and recently forced to take a job as a local police station’s janitor. “It’s their way of keeping tabs on me. So she can tell them where I am.” He said his son and sister have also been threatened.
Although they hoped to avoid being arrested Wednesday, Ma, Zhai and others with them insisted on speaking by name, saying they were following the example of Xu and others.Although they hoped to avoid being arrested Wednesday, Ma, Zhai and others with them insisted on speaking by name, saying they were following the example of Xu and others.
They said they were drawn to the movement’s demands for equality in China’s education and opposition to government corruption. They said they were drawn to the movement’s fight for equality in China’s education and opposition to government corruption.
Since the crackdown, however, their movement has struggled, with fewer attending meetings and events, and police disruptions often forcing them to change meeting locations abruptly. New leaders have not yet emerged to take the place of Xu and others who have been arrested. Since the crackdown, however, their movement has struggled, with fewer attending, and police disruptions often forcing them to change locations abruptly. New leaders have not yet emerged to take the place of Xu and other key organizers who have been arrested.
But one cause the movement champions, public disclosure of officials’ assets, remains a hot topic in China. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing issued a statement expressing deep concerns over the arrest of Xu and of others and asking for their immediate release.
On Wednesday, hours before the trial began, the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists published a startling report detailing how families of elite Chinese leaders, including that of China’s president, had squirreled away their wealth in secretive offshore tax havens. ICIJ’s Web site and foreign news about the report were immediately blocked in China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a daily briefing that Xu was being tried according to law.
Also Wednesday, China’s former premier Wen Jiabao, whose family has been criticized in the past year for accumulating vast wealth, wrote an unusual letter to a Hong Kong newspaper columnist, denying that he had ever used his position for personal gain. Speaking by phone, Chen Min, a columnist and fellow activist of Xu, argued that even if the movement flags with the imprisonment of Xu and others, it should not be considered a failure.
The U.S. Embassy in Beijing issued a statement supporting Xu, citing China’s international human rights commitments and expressing deep concerns over the arrest of Xu and of others “who peacefully challenge official Chinese policies and actions.” “Look at China’s Jasmine Revolution in 2011, or the Tiananmen movement in 1989. Does the end of those movements mean that they were not meaningful or significant?” Chen said. “In this era of Internet, you cannot control a movement simply by arresting a few people like Xu. There will be other people and other movements.”
“We call on Chinese authorities to release Xu and other political prisoners immediately,” the statement said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a daily briefing that Xu was being tried “in accordance with the law. This is a reflection of China’s judicial independence.”
Speaking by phone, Chen Min, a columnist and fellow activist of Xu, argued that even if the movement flags during the imprisonment of its leaders, it should not be considered a failure.
“Look at China’s Jasmine Revolution in 2011, or the Tiananmen movement in 1989. Does the end of those movements mean that they were not meaningful or significant?” Chen said.
“In this era of Internet, you cannot control a movement simply by arresting a few people like Xu,” Chen said. “There will be other people and other movements.”