As the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) approach, multiple petitioners and rights activists in cities like Shanghai and Wuhan have informed reporters that on February 24th, the local authorities have entered a comprehensive stability maintenance mode. The police have started to inform petitioners in advance or issue warnings, demanding that they do not travel to Beijing during the conference, and providing subsidies of varying amounts based on individual circumstances. The interviewed individuals mentioned that this year’s subsidy amount is lower compared to previous years.
In Shanghai, a petitioner who frequently travels to Beijing informed reporters that he has already arrived in the outskirts of Beijing to hide, preparing to travel to Beijing during the “Two Sessions.” He stated, “I am already in the outskirts of Beijing. Now people in Shanghai are searching for my whereabouts, fearing that I will petition in Beijing during the Two Sessions. I need to hide first, turn off my phone to prevent them from tracking my location, and will contact them after the Two Sessions.”
The petitioner, requesting anonymity, mentioned that the authorities in Shanghai have initiated stability maintenance measures for the Two Sessions, prohibiting anyone from petitioning in Beijing. Many individuals have already been put under surveillance. He said, “Many people told me yesterday that they were put under surveillance starting from the 24th until the end of the Two Sessions.”
The annual meetings of the National People’s Congress and the CPPCC will be held in Beijing on March 4th. The authorities have intensified security measures to obstruct petitioners from petitioning and prevent any collective incidents.
In a village in the suburbs of Beijing’s Fangshan district where petitioners reside, many petitioners have been taken away by intercept personnel. A petitioner from Jilin, Ms. Liu, told reporters, “More than ten petitioners from Jilin were taken away yesterday and sent to the Jiujingzhuang Petitioner Reception Station. One petitioner named Wang told me this morning that she would be taken back for detention.”
Ms. Liu also mentioned being warned by her landlord not to accommodate petitioners, saying, “The landlord also told me not to host petitioners. The police said if they find out, she cannot rent out the house.”
Every year before the Two Sessions, authorities nationwide activate security procedures. Plainclothes security at long-distance bus stations and train stations has increased, conducting identity checks on passengers and closely monitoring petitioners and rights activists. The neighborhood offices in various provinces and cities fully cooperate with the police in executing stability maintenance tasks.
A rights activist in Shanghai, Mr. Zhou, told reporters that the National Security Bureau has contacted him several times, emphasizing not to travel to Beijing for petitioning. He said, “They have spoken to me several times, telling us not to go to Beijing during the Two Sessions and to cooperate with their work. Some people were contacted before the Spring Festival, saying stability maintenance would begin on February 24th.”
Mr. Zhou mentioned that this year, the authorities are facing financial constraints, carefully budgeting for stability maintenance expenses. He said, “During previous Two Sessions, ordinary petitioners were given a few thousand yuan, active petitioners tens of thousands of yuan. Now they differentiate between regular petitioners, moderately active petitioners, and key active petitioners. The subsidy is calculated based on three days or a week. For example, they offer five or six hundred, seven or eight hundred, even a thousand a day. Previously during the Two Sessions, I could receive tens of thousands, but now it’s less than previous years.”
Regarding whether the police warned petitioners, Ms. Xu from Pudong New Area said, “They use soft and hard tactics, starting with soft words and offering you a little money. If you refuse, they become tough. If the discussion goes well, generally you wouldn’t go to Beijing again; if not, you may face more pressure.”
Currently, several evictees who refuse to “cooperate” with the authorities and persist in going to Beijing have been detained in a farmhouse on Chongming Island in Shanghai. Ms. Xu said, “I heard they would be detained until the end of the Two Sessions, with someone assigned to watch them.”
Furthermore, a rights activist from Changzhou, Jiangsu, Ms. Yang Li, who faced criminal retaliation for her activism, saw her health deteriorate to end-stage renal disease during detention. She and her parents were denied emergency treatment at Peking University First Hospital but were stranded in the hospital corridor for over ten days without receiving care. On February 22nd, her father, Yang Guoliang, seeking help, was taken to the case-handling center of Beijing Haidian Public Security Bureau by personnel from Jingtan, Changzhou. Late on the 23rd, they were escorted back to the hospital, where they were reportedly beaten by Ni Weibing and allegedly planned to forcibly return the family of three to Jingtan.
Mr. Wang, a petitioner from Changzhou, Jiangsu, told reporters, “Currently, all active petitioners are under surveillance. There are several security guards sitting at the entrance of each person’s home. Now, local people are not allowed to petition in Beijing. If you stay in Beijing, they will send people to persuade you to return. If forcefully brought back, you may be detained or put under house arrest.”
Interviewees also mentioned that in some areas, third-party security companies participate in intercepting petitioners. They stated, “The government hires security companies to intercept and return petitioners to their place of residence. Some individuals exploit this model to make money. For example, to capture one person when coming to Beijing, it costs ten thousand yuan. The government gives the security company six thousand yuan, and they keep the rest for themselves.”