Criminal Justice

Chinese officials have disclosed information that, if accurate, shows that authorities have released more than 3,000 of more than 4,400 persons (nearly all Tibetan) whom security officials detained in connection with rioting in March, or who allegedly surrendered to authorities. The reports provide information only about persons whom authorities suspected of participating in rioting during a period of six days in nine county-level Tibetan areas.

Chinese officials have provided no information, however, about a large but unknown number of Tibetans whom security forces detained in connection with peaceful protests over a period of several weeks beginning on March 10. The protests spanned more than 40 additional county-level areas in the Tibetan autonomous areas of China.

According to a May 26 Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) article and a May 28 Associated Press (AP) article, Beijing activists reported they were harassed, subjected to surveillance, and warned not to meet with the U.S. officials present in Beijing for the U.S.-China bilateral human rights dialogue.

Authorities in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) have placed Mongolian rights activist and journalist Naranbilig under house arrest after detaining him for 20 days in March and April, according to reports from the U.S.-based Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC). Naranbilig had planned to attend the United Nations (UN) Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York when authorities intercepted his invitation letter and detained him on March 23, according to an April 28 report from SMHRIC. Authorities prevented Naranbilig from consulting with a lawyer while he was detained, and his family members were not informed of the grounds for his detention or of his whereabouts. Authorities released Naranbilig on bail on April 23 and placed him under house arrest for one year, according to the report. They also confiscated his passport.

According to a June 13 Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) article, authorities are reportedly denying imprisoned rights activist Hu Jia access to adequate medical care. Hu suffers from cirrhosis of the liver and his family has expressed concern over his poor health. Authorities allegedly told Hu's family that his health has improved and he is not eligible for medical parole, according to the CHRD article.

On April 7, 2008, the Zhejiang Provincial High People's Court affirmed a lower court's decision to sentence freelance writer Lu Gengsong to four years in prison for inciting subversion of state power, a crime under Article 105 of China's Criminal Law. Boxun, a U.S.-based citizen journalist Web site that publishes information and commentary on current events in China, posted a copy of the Zhejiang court's decision, and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) has translated the decision into English.