laojiao

LRF Executive Director Harry Wu Discusses the Abolition of laojiao

On January 29, Laogai Research Foundation Executive Director Harry Wu was interviewed by Radio Free Asia. During the interview, Wu discussed the remarkable success of the Chinese company Alibaba in the U.S. marketplace. Moreover, Wu commented on Alibaba's founder and owner Jack Ma's adroit ability to conduct his business under an authoritarian regime. Furthermore, Wu discussed the abolition of laojiao, or Re-education Through Labor, and the Chinese government's recent announcement that it will stop using organs from executed prisoners for transplantation.

Criminal Detentions Rise Following Abolition of Re-education Through Labor

As the South China Morning Post points out, and as the Laogai Research Foundation predicted last year, Chinese authorities have increasingly relied on criminal detention and alternative forms of administrative detention to jail activists following the abolition of re-education-through-labor (RTL) in November 2013.

American University Law School Publishes LRF's Commentary on the Abolition of Reeducation-Through-Labor

American University Washington College of Law published the online version of the Laogai Research Foundation's commentary on the abolition of China's reeducation-through-labor system, which the journal published in print in December 2013. Titled "A Jail by Any Other Name," the article puts forth the argument that although the abolition of this relic of Maoist repression is a welcome development, such reform does not address the more fundamental injustice of officially sanctioned arbitrary detention that underpins the laojiao system.

American University Law School Publishes LRF's Commentary on the Abolition of Reeducation-Through-Labor

American University Washington College of Law published the online version of the Laogai Research Foundation's commentary on the abolition of China's reeducation-through-labor system, which the journal published in print in December 2013. Titled "A Jail by Any Other Name," the article puts forth the argument that although the abolition of this relic of Maoist repression is a welcome development, such reform does not address the more fundamental injustice of officially sanctioned arbitrary detention that underpins the laojiao system.

"Speedy Trials” to Replace Re-education-Through-Labor in Guangzhou

The city of Guangzhou, the sprawling capital of Guangdong province, announced the creation of “speedy trials” to try defendants who previously would have been incarcerated in re-education-through-labor camps.  Until the system was formally abolished last year, police had the authority to incarcerate individuals in re-education-through-labor camps for up to four years without presenting any evidence of wrongdoing.

Re-education Through Labor Abolished

As outlined by the New York Times, economic reforms have been the focus of China’s Central Committee conferences this past week. However, significant strides were made in social policy as well. In addition to changes of the country’s One Child Policy, China has also promised reform of its re-education through labor system. Despite these strides, optimists should reign in some of their hope; Nicholas Bequelin noted that this reform "doesn’t mean that China is going to be kinder to [political] dissent."

Re-education Through Labor Abolished Yet Arbitrary Detention Remains

Although economic reforms have been the focus of China’s Central Committee conferences this past week, significant strides were made in social policy as well. In addition to changes of the country’s One Child Policy, China has also promised reform of its re-education through labor system. Despite China’s progressive rhetoric, human rights activists should not retract their condemnation of China’s elevation to a UN Human Rights Council seat. After all, the re-education through labor system is not China’s only tool to arbitrarily repress dissent.