Post Reports that Dissident's Petition Drive to Abolish Reeducation Through Labor Results in his House Arrest (subscription required)

September 20, 2004

Bill Savadove of the South China Morning Post reports that dissident Li Guotao has been put under house arrest. Li hoped to use the week during which the plenary meeting of the 16th CCP Congress is taking place in Beijing to gather support for his effort to abolish the system of reeducation through labor. In response, the Shanghai police searched his house, confiscated his computer, and detained him for seven hours in the local police station. Li is now under house arrest. Li was one of the original founders of the China Democracy Party, as well as the Association for Human Rights and has in the past served seven years in the reeducation through labor system for these activities. Savadove reports that the accusation against Li is: "disseminating inappropriate opinions during a special time".