As the 36th anniversary of the “June 4th Incident” approaches, human rights activists, dissidents, and human rights lawyers in mainland China are once again facing restrictions. Despite financial difficulties in various regions of the CCP, authorities have shown no signs of reducing their stability maintenance efforts at this politically sensitive juncture, reflecting the official high vigilance towards historical memory and potential group resistance.
In Beijing, since last weekend, a large number of human rights activists have been successively summoned by the police and informed that they will be “put on duty” for a week. “Being taken on a trip,” “being put on duty,” and “having tea” are commonly used methods by the authorities in recent years for personal control and warning political dissidents, often staged around the June 4th anniversary or before and after the CCP’s annual meetings.
Veteran journalist Gao Yu posted on the social media platform X last week: “As the June 4th anniversary approaches day by day, the national security and public security authorities have taken action. Of course, they will be on high alert. The internet falls silent, not a word can be spoken.”
She mentioned that overseas societies continue to make commemorative speeches, “I am busy watching videos, listening to speeches carefully, do not underestimate 36 years – after all, it’s been 30 years, and another 35 years have passed, even if it’s just one more year, there will be changes.”
One day later, Gao Yu posted again: “I can’t post anymore today, friends, goodbye!”
Radio Free Asia reported that on June 2nd, human rights activist Mr. Zhou stated that many dissidents have been restricted in their personal freedom starting from May 30, including Gao Yu, Ji Feng, Wu Qiang, Pu Zhiqiang, He Depu, Zha Jianguo, and others. He said, “I have also been put on duty. There is a police car parked in front of the hospital, with several police officers inside. Apart from Gao Yu being ‘taken on a trip,’ most others are under soft confinement at home.”
Another Beijing dissident, Mr. Wang, stated that due to financial constraints in the public security system, many individuals who were previously taken away for “vacations” in other places have now been placed under local surveillance this year, just like last year. “Zha Jianguo, He Depu, Li Wei, and others are stuck at home, and even going to the supermarket requires a police car to pick them up with someone watching every step.” “It’s been over thirty years, and they are still maintaining stability without any relaxation at all. What are they afraid of?”
In the residential communities where many human rights activists in Beijing reside, police cars are on guard, community office staff and plainclothes police officers take shifts stationed, forming a “multidimensional monitoring” model.
A visitor, Ms. Tang from Fangshan in Beijing, mentioned that many out-of-town visitors have been repatriated or secretly detained.
Similar monitoring actions are also taking place in other regions. Members of the “Guizhou Human Rights Seminar,” who are usually restricted during the annual “June 4th” period, were not spared this year. Wang Qin from the Huaguoyuan community in Nanming District, Guiyang City, revealed that several members, including himself, were put on duty, “Chen Xi, Liao Shuangyuan, Huang Yanming, Zeng Ning, and others are restricted from traveling.”
Huang Qin expressed, “The state finances are so tight, yet they are still spending money on maintaining stability. I heard that in some southern regions, they have ‘no money for maintaining stability’ anymore.”
In Nanning, Guangxi, dissident Zhou Qiming stated that the national security authorities have warned him multiple times recently not to leave home, and even require him to send his location and upload selfies to the police station every day.
The group of human rights lawyers is also under pressure. An unnamed 709-case lawyer from Henan revealed that several colleagues were asked to return to their registered residence for “supervision,” but some refused to cooperate citing health reasons. Individuals who have previously handled human rights cases and had their lawyer licenses revoked in Beijing, Henan, Shandong, and other regions are all under the authorities’ “special supervision.”
In Hefei, Anhui, a local resident reported that former prosecutor Shen Liangqing was warned by the police not to accept interviews with foreign media.
Retired lecturer Feng Nan from Guizhou stated that despite the annual rehearsals of stability maintenance by the authorities, the shadow of “June 4th” has never dissipated. “Faced with the ongoing memory blockage and personal control, the silence and resistance of a generation have become a real footnote that Chinese society ‘dare not forget’.”