Recently in Shanghai, a man named Liu Dongbao, who was relocated due to urban development, had just been released from detention for 5 days when he was sent back on June 4th for trespassing into Zhongnanhai. The local Shimenchu Road Police Station detained him again on the returning train to Shanghai on the grounds of giving a speech to 30 petitioners. In the police station, Liu Dongbao shouted “Down with the Communist Party!” to the Jing’an District Discipline Inspection Commission.
On March 19, Liu Dongbao, along with rights activists Gu Guoping and Wang Huifang, were all captured and detained on Beijing bus route 14. Gu Guoping was released after three days due to health issues, while Wang Huifang was detained for 50 days, almost “driven to madness”. Liu Dongbao’s detention was extended to May 30th.
On the evening of June 4th, Liu Dongbao was spotted near Fuyou Street in Beijing, where after being identified by the Beijing police, he was brought to Jiujingzhuang before being taken away by the Beijing liaison office.
At noon on June 5th, Liu Dongbao and 30 petitioners boarded the 1461 train bound for Shanghai for repatriation. While on the train, Liu Dongbao delivered a speech, rallying for unity and the fight for truth, paying tribute to those who promote social progress.
“No one knows how difficult it has been for me to go through these days alone, feeling helpless and humble. Who among you has experienced the high contagion of the new coronavirus in detention? I’ve laid countless times on the bed, tears streaming down my face, feeling faint. Enduring all of this will make you fearless!” Liu Dongbao expressed passionately.
He continued, “Only by persisting in the struggle can one become strong, only by legislation can one be reborn. Never give up, I believe you will triumph! Where there is oppression, there will be resistance. With the support of 1.3 billion Chinese people, freedom and democracy light up my path forward. We will definitely win!”
As the train arrived at Shanghai station, a large number of police officers were deployed on the platform, waiting to escort these petitioners to the relief station at No. 500 Fucun Road. Suddenly, a female petitioner repeatedly cried out “Injustice! Injustice…” before being silenced by a police officer.
On the morning of June 6th at the relief station on Fucun Road No. 500, Liu Dongbao was picked up by the Shimenchu Road Police Station from his registered residence in Jing’an District, where he continued to shout “Down with the Communist Party!” in front of the Jing’an District Discipline Inspection Commission.
On June 6th, Shanghai rights activist Gu Guoping tried calling Liu Dongbao at 8, 9, and 10 o’clock in the morning, but was unable to get through to him, receiving no response on WeChat either. Gu Guoping suspected that Liu Dongbao had definitely been criminally detained.
In the afternoon of June 6th, Liu Dongbao called Yu Zhonghuan, confirming that he had been detained because of his speeches and chants against the Communist Party on the train.
Liu Dongbao has been petitioning for issues related to housing relocation, subsistence allowance, unprocedural actions by urban management taking away his family’s belongings, among others, yet none of his grievances have been addressed over the years, only leading to multiple detentions in detention centers or black prisons.
Yu Zhonghuan expressed to a reporter, “This is the tenth time Liu Dongbao has been criminally detained in recent years. Every time he goes to Zhongnanhai in Beijing to petition, he is arrested upon reaching Fuyou Street and detained four times a year, totaling four months of criminal detention. He has also been sentenced to black prisons two to three times, serving two to three months each time, resulting in over half a year of imprisonment each year.”
He added, “In recent years, the petitioning department has become increasingly corrupt, not only exploiting money but also physically assaulting and abusing petitioners. Calling them animals is an insult to animals!”