On October 24, 2025, amid the Chinese Communist Party’s “clean-up” campaign targeting online activities, the case of rights activist Zhu Haiyan has caused uproar as she was summoned across provinces by the police in Shimen County simply for inviting friends to join a WeChat group.
Zhu Haiyan’s daughter used to study at Shimen No. 2 High School in Hunan, where she excelled academically but suffered from depression due to prolonged bullying by teachers. She even attempted suicide by jumping into a river.
Despite reporting the school’s negligence to the authorities, the school and the implicated teacher received even more protection and displayed worse attitudes under the shield of the Deputy Secretary of the Shimen County Discipline Inspection Commission in Hunan. This hindered Zhu Haiyan’s rights advocacy progress.
Recently, Zhu Haiyan invited a friend to join a WeChat group, and when the friend reposted an article in the group reporting the Deputy Secretary of the Shimen County Discipline Inspection Commission for illegal activities, the police from Shimen County crossed provinces to Nanning, Guangxi on September 28. They forcibly took Zhu Haiyan away from her workplace on grounds of “alleged insulting behavior.” During the process, she was made to sit on a tiger bench, subjected to a body search, her phone was checked, and she was even forced to wear yellow prison clothing.
An informant using the pseudonym Guo Jin informed Epoch Times that, “Because Zhu Haiyan has been reporting on the school authorities and government officials, the local authorities have taken advantage of this opportunity to threaten and suppress her.”
The summoning over simply inviting someone to a group sparked widespread criticism online.
One netizen commented, “Typical abuse of power.” Another said, “Locking up power in a cage, freedom of speech for citizens must be defended!”
Not only on WeChat but also on platforms like Douyin, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, Toutiao, Zhihu, Weibo, Baidu Tieba, and other social media, there has been a wave of account bans without clear explanations.
A mainland resident using the pseudonym Xiaoxue had her WeChat Moments and managed WeChat groups shut down for two days. She said, “I didn’t do anything, yet the control is severe! Even accounts used for work are being shut down on Douyin. The recent intensity of bans is insane, and people on Douyin are criticizing that.”
Another mainland resident named Yuming had his accounts on multiple platforms completely banned. His WeChat account was banned for 15 days, Toutiao for 7 days, Douyin for 7 days, and even his most used Zhihu account was banned for 7 days. Yuming stated, “They shut you down without discussion, without any reason, they’re just acting like hooligans.”
According to feedback from the public, some foreign accounts in WeChat groups display phrases like “not a domestic account, risks involved,” indicating restricted functions, creating unease among users.
Simultaneously, the strict control over accessing overseas websites has been markedly intensified. However, people have expressed that the almost frantic attempts to control the internet are futile, as even those within the system are watching closely. Xiaoxue remarked, “It’s impossible to completely seal off. Friends around me are still using VPN. People within the system, including the police monitoring the public, are also watching.”
She pointed out that the severe crackdown reflects the fear of the Communist Party towards societal voices, stating, “No matter how strict the censorship is, the truth cannot be hidden. We can see through the evil of the Communist Party, and when the time comes, the truth will prevail.”