Recently, a mainland Chinese student named Zhang Yadí, who has been actively involved in advocating for Tibetan issues, was detained by authorities in Changsha, Hunan Province after returning to China in July. This case has sparked international attention, with both Zhang’s family members and lawyers being summoned.
On September 16, lawyer Wen Donghai announced that another lawyer, Jiang Tianyong, went to Changsha at the request of a friend to check on Zhang Yadí’s situation and provide legal assistance to her family. This is a matter of common decency and a right that citizens in a society governed by the rule of law should have. However, local police “suspected Jiang Tianyong of plotting something big” and took him away.
On the 17th, a source informed Epoch Times that Jiang Tianyong had safely returned home, and he was taken away by the national security authorities in Changsha. Zhang Yadí’s family members have also been summoned and faced threats and intimidation. Due to ongoing efforts to rescue Zhang Yadí, more information cannot be disclosed at this time.
Exiled activist Xing Jian in New Zealand told Epoch Times that Jiang Tianyong’s trip to Changsha to provide legal assistance to the family of a political prisoner is an act of conscience, and the Chinese authorities should not illegally restrict his freedom.
According to an article by the “Chinese-speaking Youth Supporting Tibet Association,” Zhang Yadí, 22 years old, had been living and studying in France for a long time and was one of the young activists in the White Paper Movement, which erupted at the end of 2022 in opposition to the Chinese Communist Party’s “Zero Out” policy.
Zhang Yadí is proficient in Chinese, Tibetan, English, and French, and has long been dedicated to promoting Tibetan culture and human rights. She had been working as an editor at the “Chinese-speaking Youth Supporting Tibet Association”.
Relatives and sources close to the situation revealed that Zhang Yadí returned to Changsha on July 5 to visit her family and was taken away by Changsha national security on July 31, under the pretext of “endangering national security”.
Despite legal applications for visitation filed by her family’s lawyer, they have been denied. As of now, the outside world remains unaware of her current health condition.
Jie Lijian, the head of the International Alliance for China Democracy, told Epoch Times that the members of the “Chinese-speaking Youth Supporting Tibet Association” are mostly highly educated young individuals. They focus on Tibetan issues and related human rights affairs, while Zhang Yadí has been quietly working in this cause.
“The Chinese Communist Party fears the awakening of these young people who have linguistic advantages and are driven. Because they will be more inclined to defend and implement universal values overseas, which is what the CCP fears the most,” said Jie Lijian.
Lum Ming (pseudonym), who is involved in the efforts to rescue Zhang Yadí, revealed to Epoch Times that the crackdown on Zhang Yadí is particularly severe due to the sensitive nature of the Tibetan issues raised by the “Chinese-speaking Youth Supporting Tibet Association”.
Jie Lijian expressed that the continuous frontline resistance by Tibetans over the years has garnered significant sympathy and attention from young people abroad. “This makes the CCP very fearful, resulting in more severe crackdowns.”
In recent times, there have been frequent incidents of mainland Chinese students being detained upon their return to China, such as cases of Hu Yang, Wu Haoyu, and others. Former Chinese lawyer Zhou Junhong told Epoch Times that the CCP cannot tolerate any dissenting voices, hence the increased cross-border repression.
Zhou Junhong stated, “The CCP regards overseas dissidents, democracy activists, ethnic minorities, and religious groups as threats. It is concerned that their freedom of expression abroad may weaken the CCP’s legitimacy, influence international opinion, and even fuel domestic resistance in China.”
She also warned that overseas anti-Communist individuals must be cautious when returning to China while the CCP regime still exists, ensuring their own safety first.