Human rights defender Wang Hui’an (online alias Wang Feiyang) from Hunan has been repeatedly sent to psychiatric hospitals and persecuted for his participation in human rights activities. Recently, he has once again lost contact, causing concerns among his friends that he might have been forcibly admitted to a mental institution.
Wang Hui’an has been actively involved in democratic and human rights activities, including street protests, attending court trials of human rights activists, and supporting movements like the Hong Kong Umbrella Movement. As a result, he has been under constant surveillance, tracking, harassment, and threats by the authorities. Between 2021 and 2026, he has been forcibly sent to psychiatric hospitals five times. The most recent incident occurred from May 28 to June 10, 2026, lasting for 14 days.
Mainland human rights activist Zhao Wei told Epoch Times that he had been trying to reach Wang Hui’an for several days, but no one answered the calls. “It’s unclear whether he has been sent to a psychiatric hospital again or if he is missing for other reasons.”
Zhao Wei suspects that Wang Hui’an’s disappearance might be related to the sensitive date of “十一” (a national holiday in China), as the Chinese Communist Party often cracks down on dissenters and human rights activists during such times for stability maintenance.
Zhao Wei stated that Wang Hui’an had shared his experiences of being sent to psychiatric hospitals five times on his social media posts, along with relevant documentation. “The authenticity of the incidents should not be doubted. Wang Hui’an is a normal person, but in the local area, for stability maintenance, especially during sensitive times, he is placed in a psychiatric hospital for persecution.”
More than ten years ago, Zhao Wei was illegally detained in his hometown, and Wang Hui’an and friends came to support him. Now, Wang Hui’an’s prolonged absence has left Zhao Wei very worried.
A person familiar with Wang Hui’an in Hunan was contacted by a journalist on October 7th, but Wang Hui’an’s phone calls still went unanswered. The individual speculated that Wang Hui’an had likely “disappeared” again.
A Chinese citizen, Mr. Tan, expressed that the authoritarian Chinese government disregards human rights and can arbitrarily detain people.
Mr. Tan mentioned that he was warned and threatened by national security police in August for sharing certain content online: “Posting again will get you locked up.” His phone was confiscated, and his Twitter account was suspended, all as tactics of suppression and intimidation to silence him.
“They have no regard for the law, the national security police do not wear uniforms or display badges. It’s a reign of terror, police state, no human rights, no rule of law, just authoritarian regime.”
Around 2015, Wang Hui’an was engaged in democratic rights activities in cities like Guangzhou, Suzhou, and Zhengzhou. He had attended sensitive court trials such as the Fan Muge and Zhang Shengyu cases, resulting in retaliation. His parents faced pressure from local officials, and Wang himself had been detained or threatened with imprisonment by the police multiple times.