Human Rights Advocate Zhang Baocheng in Beijing has recently been released pending trial, but is still under control. He accused that he has been restricted from leaving the country multiple times, and now his wife, who is seriously ill, was denied a visit. The Chinese authorities completely lack humanity.
On October 16th, Zhang Baocheng posted on social media platform X: “Wife recovered from late-stage cancer surgery, eldest daughter gave birth, youngest daughter is getting married, but I am once again restricted from leaving the country,” condemning the authorities for lacking “basic human decency.”
Zhang Baocheng confirmed to a reporter from Epoch Times that in September last year, he took a photo at Tiananmen Square showing him raising his middle finger and was detained for 15 days before being released pending trial. A year after being released, he began arranging to travel abroad to visit his wife and children. He first purchased round-trip tickets to Jeju Island to test the waters, but was still under control at the airport.
“In February this year, when my eldest daughter gave birth, I applied to the public security department to go abroad, but the request was denied. Now, as my youngest daughter is graduating from university and planning her wedding, I hoped to attend, but the permission was still not granted. This system completely lacks any humanity.”
This situation has occurred multiple times in the past. In October 2017, Zhang Baocheng, his wife Liu Juefan, and their daughter Xiaobaoer went to the US. While Liu Juefan passed through customs, Zhang Baocheng was detained at the airport and prohibited from leaving the country under the pretext of “possible harm to national security.”
After a struggle, Zhang Baocheng eventually made it to the US. After arranging for his daughter’s education, he returned to China in December of the same year, as his lifelong friends who were imprisoned with him were still in mainland China.
Zhang Baocheng mentioned that his wife is now over 60 years old, and he is 65. The chances of meeting his wife and children are becoming scarce. In this attempt to leave the country, he avoided discussing sensitive topics and even canceled gatherings with friends.
“We haven’t seen each other in eight years.” With tears in his eyes, Zhang Baocheng mentioned his wife Liu Juefan, who is now in the late stages of cancer. He hopes to see her once, but it is uncertain if he will have the opportunity to do so.
The Chinese authorities frequently use illegitimate means such as control measures against dissidents. Zhang Baocheng stated that China under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party is not a country governed by law but by individuals. If a political party had some humanity, many issues could be resolved through communication, but lacking in humanity makes it impossible. They come up with various pretexts without legal basis to prevent people from leaving.
Zhang Baocheng is from Beijing. He began participating in democratic activities in 2009, joined the New Citizen Movement in 2013, and protested by hanging banners, distributing flyers, and giving speeches in places like Chaoyang Park, Tsinghua University, and Zhongguancun Square, demanding officials to publicly declare their assets, for which he was sentenced to 2 years on charges of “disturbing public order.”
In June 2015, after being released from prison, Zhang Baocheng married Liu Juefan. Police did not allow them to hold a public wedding ceremony, fearing he might cause trouble. However, they still held a grand feast, inviting over 120 like-minded individuals through online invitations.
On the eve of the 2019 June 4th Incident, Zhang Baocheng was taken away by the police again. He was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison for over 2000 comments he made on social media, charged with inciting unrest, promoting terrorism, and extremism.
“I have been in and out of prison constantly. I consider it a test, and being in prison is still honorable,” Zhang Baocheng believes that any society’s progress is driven by individuals. Several generations, including the current Chinese people, have been enslaved. As an individual, one should take responsibility and live with dignity. If one does nothing, it is truly a shame for one’s life and future generations.
“By promoting social progress, we have touched the CCP’s sensitive nerves, as they do not seek progress in society but maintain a dictatorship. Once you learn to defend your rights, you are crossing their interests.”
“Their interests do not align with the common people but with a small ruling class. Especially in our New Citizen Movement, activists like Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi are still in prison, one for 14 years and the other for 12 years.”
“The progress of Chinese society requires the building of a civil society. When civil society is established, the overall social movement will involve fewer sacrifices. Each individual has their rights and interests. Currently, building a civil society is suppressed. Yet, without civil society, society will descend into chaos, and the trauma will deepen,” he added.
Reporters attempted to contact Liu Juefan, who mentioned that her blood oxygen levels dropped dangerously low, almost leading to her passing. She half-jokingly told reporters, “Perhaps this life will never see [my husband] again.”
In a previous interview with Epoch Times, Liu Juefan stated, “Knowing Zhang Baocheng transformed me from a ‘slave’ to a ‘citizen,’ one with rights and responsibilities.” In her love story, as the lyrics go, she turned longing into belief.