October 2013

China Formally Arrests Graft-Busting Journalist in Crackdown

Authorities have formally arrested Liu Hu, a journalist known for exposing government corruption. Liu’s arrest coincides with President Xi Jinping’s nationwide campaign to crackdown on official corruption while simultaneously jailing citizens who attempt to reveal official graft. According to China human rights expert and former LRF contributing writer Yu Jie, “From this incident one can conclude that the current 'anti-corruption campaign' is just party of strife inside the Party, and that eliminating corruption in China is impossible.”

Chinese Teen's Death on Forced Factory Work Experience Sparks Outrage

Tan Jiehong, a 16-year-old student at the Dali Yanbu Vocational and Technical College in Guangdong, died last month after being forced to work 12-hour shifts at an electronic appliance facility as part of a school program. Tan had asked for sick leave after coming down with a fever the day he died. Factory managers, however, denied his request.

The school Tan attended forced him to work at the factory as a prerequisite to graduating. Although the school admitted that they routinely force students to work 10-hour shifts, they refused to comment on Tan’s death.

WSJ Book Review: 'The Tragedy of Liberation' by Frank Dikötter

In his new book The Tragedy of Liberation: A History of the Chinese Revolution 1945-1957, author and historian Frank Dikotter thoroughly debunks the myth that the early years of Communist rule in China were characterized by relative peace and increasing prosperity. Dikotter documents in painstaking detail the violence, poverty, and famine that ravaged China during the years following "Liberation." 

Disabled Chinese rights lawyer freed, vows to sue police

Ni Yulan, a disabled rights lawyer whose 2012 arrest garnered international attention, has been released from prison. Ni gained fame by defending the rights of individuals who were forcibly evicted from their property without adequate compensation. She became disabled in 2002 after enduring a vicious beating at the hands of local police for defending an individual who had been forcibly relocated by local officials.

Couple's Forced Abortion Highlights Horrific Consequences of China's One Child Policy

In a Sky News report, journalist Mark Stone provides a gripping account of a woman, Liu Xinwen, who was forced to undergo a forced abortion after becoming pregnant with a second child. Liu became pregnant despite being forcibly sterilized following the birth of her first child. Local officials abducted Liu from her home and took her to a local hospital where medical professionals aborted the fetus.