“We Could Disappear At Any Time”
Retaliation and Abuses Against Chinese Petitioners

Map of the People’s Republic of China

I. Summary

Recommendations

II. Research Methods

III. The Petitioning System

The Petitioning System in Theory and Practice
Lack of Effective Remedies
Why do Petitioners Persist?
Recent Reforms
May 1, 2005 Regulations
Case Study: “I’ll stop petitioning when I die”

IV. Abuses against Petitioners at the Local Level

Police Abuse and Other Official Violence
Corruption
Forced Eviction and Resettlement
Failure of the Courts and Other Dispute Resolution Mechanisms
Retaliation and Reprisals for Local Complaints

V. Abuses Against Petitioners in Beijing

A. The “Retrievers”

The Impact of the May 1 Regulations
Case Study: “They did all this to keep me from petitioning”

B. Arbitrary Detention of Petitioners Without Trial

Reeducation Through Labor

C. The Role of Beijing Police

Case Study: “I’m going to tell the national leaders what happened to me”

D. Violations of the Right to Freedom of Assembly

Jailing of Individuals for Applying for Permission to Protest
Protests by Petitioners

E. Restrictions on and Harassment of Activists
F. Conditions in the Petitioners’ Village

Case Study: “We will drag this out until you’re dead”

Appendix: List of imprisoned and detained petitioner activists

Acknowledgements

December 2005   Vol. 17, No. 11(C)

Home | About Us | News Releases | Publications | Info by Country | Global Issues | Campaigns | Community | Store | Film Festival | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | Press Contacts | Privacy Policy