Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of association – these rights, considered ordinary by international society, are feared by authorities in China. The Chinese Communist Party even exports this fear to free countries, threatening overseas Chinese to silence them.
In Los Angeles, two young people who are members of the China Democratic Party have recently received calls from their family members in China expressing fear and unease.
Huang He, who came to the US last June after working in Guangdong, has been actively participating in protests organized by the China Democratic Party outside the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles, as well as frequently submitting articles criticizing the CCP to “Beijing Spring” magazine. On August 30 this year, he received a call from his father via WeChat. His father appeared anxious, saying local police were inquiring about Huang He and what he was doing. His father warned him not to be like Yu Maochun and said, “Don’t do anything wrong there to bring trouble to me, otherwise the Communist Party will come after me!”
Huang He advised his father, “Do you know what I am doing? You know nothing, so just tell the truth.” But his father was very afraid, fearing repercussions from the Communist Party.
Huang He’s father has coronary heart disease and has undergone surgery at least twice, relying on medication for many years. He worries that his father’s anxiety could worsen his condition, so he tries to reassure him. However, they couldn’t have a proper conversation, and his father hung up after a few sentences. Huang He learned that local police had also contacted other people at his home.
“I have not done anything that violates Chinese law here.” Huang He stated that participating in rallies, associating activities, and expressing opinions in the US are rights protected by the Chinese Constitution and laws, “but these are restricted in China.” If citizens really take action, they can be arrested at any time. When the China Democratic Party was founded in China in 1998, many members were arrested and sentenced, some of whom are still imprisoned today.
Wei Shijie, a youth from Xinjiang, also received a call from his mother via WeChat on the 7th. His mother looked worried because local national security and united front personnel frequently approached her, asking her to persuade her son to return to China. Wei Shijie, a former police officer, left his job and went abroad because he couldn’t bear to see police beating and mistreating civilians. After coming to the US, he often participated in the “Jasmine Action” in front of the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles, condemning the CCP.
“They said they frequently saw me holding placards protesting for those political prisoners on foreign websites.” Wei Shijie mentioned. When the Chinese police saw no effect on him through his mother, they turned to other relatives and threatened that because of his activities abroad, their businesses and studies would be affected.
“What I do is my personal behavior.” Wei Shijie said. The police frequently targeting his mother and relatives and using them as leverage to threaten him is inhumane and shameful.
Wei Shijie stated that being overseas has exposed him to information outside of CCP’s control, allowing him to hear different voices, which has prompted him to continue questioning. The CCP’s treatment of the people is unacceptable to him, “so I won’t stop participating in protest activities.”
Recently, his Chinese friends in France were threatened by the Chinese authorities for sending him some money.
Regarding the CCP’s practice of threatening overseas Chinese, the chairperson of the China Democratic Party, Wang Juntao, expressed at an event in Southern California’s Freedom Sculpture Park last month that in November last year, he led over thirty people from New York to San Francisco to participate in protests during the APEC summit, and nearly everyone’s families at home had been threatened.
“I think young party members don’t really care, but some older members do worry, for example, some families of public servants in China.” Wang Juntao pointed out. These people are not concerned about themselves, but they also do not want their families in China to be greatly affected.
“The more you fear, the more the Communist Party will target you; if you are not afraid, the Communist Party won’t take you seriously.” Wang Juntao said. “Why doesn’t the CCP do this to the older activists? Because they know it won’t work.” He believes that the CCP’s harassment of Chinese nationals’ relatives in China aims to control their activities outside China; if not influenced by the CCP, they have no grounds to act.
Wang Juntao cited an example of a China Democratic Party member in his 50s whose father was an elderly farmer in his 80s. When confronted by police, the father took a stick and drove them out, saying angrily, “Why are you looking for me? My son is in his 50s, you can’t control him, how can I? Or you tie my son in front of me, and I’ll break his legs in front of you, would that satisfy you?” The CCP police saw that going after his father was ineffective, so they stopped harassing him.
Another member, whose ten-year-old daughter attends primary school on the mainland, was called up to criticize him during a meeting pressured by the police. The father was immensely stressed and confided in Wang Juntao. Wang advised his family to record the names and badge numbers of the visiting police officers and tell them: they will be held accountable. As a result, the visiting police officers immediately changed their attitude, telling his family, “It’s pressure from above, not our intention, we won’t do it again.” Later, the police officer even brought fruits and snacks to visit his family.
“Things are ‘on fire’ everywhere in the country now, and the police are exhausted. If it wasn’t for strict orders from above, they wouldn’t want to do such things.” Wang Juntao pointed out, “We need to understand: there are not many people in the country really working for the Communist Party.”
“If you are in the country, the CCP police can persecute you; but if you are overseas, they know they will be held accountable someday, so they won’t go to great lengths for the Communist Party.” Wang Juntao remarked.