More Chinese Dissidents Appear to Disappear

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

BEIJING — Last Jan. 27, an Inner Mongolian rights activist, Govruud Huuchinhuu, suddenly vanished after leaving a hospital where she had undergone treatment for cancer. On Feb. 16, the Beijing human-rights lawyer Tang Jitian vanished after being forcibly taken away by police officers. On May 30, an ethnic Uighur, Ershidin Israel, vanished after being deported to China from Kazakhstan as a terrorism suspect. In the next two weeks, three other Uighurs vanished as well.

The Beijing artist and dissident Ai Weiwei, who vanished into police custody on April 3 and did not emerge until June 22, is but the most famous Chinese activist to suffer an “enforced disappearance,” as human rights officials call such episodes. Experts say 2011 has seen a sharp and worrisome increase inside China of a security tactic that a United Nations international convention has sought to outlaw.

Now China is answering complaints by rights activists that the disappearances of those and other Chinese are unlawful and potentially inhumane: It is rewriting the national criminal procedure code to make them legal.

The new proposal, drafted by a committee of the National People’s Congress, the nation’s quasi-legislature, is undergoing public review. It would amend the current code, which allows government authorities to place criminal suspects under house arrest for up to six months. The proposed revision would allow them to imprison in a secret location anyone who, under home surveillance, is found to hinder an investigation. Suspects’ families would have to be told of their disappearance within 24 hours — unless doing so would hinder the investigation of crimes involving national security or terrorism.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/world/asia/03china.html?pagewanted=all

[cstanleytech]

1. "unless doing so would hinder the investigation of crimes involving national security or terrorism"

Why is it that I get the sense that a high % of those will be classified as such.

[stuckinarut]

2. the headline isn't catchy, and is more confusing than anything.

Appear to disappear? lol

good story though.

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended for the Chinese People's freedom of expression and freedom from oppression.

Thanks for the thread, alp.

[gtar100]

4. Let's have some understanding here - what else is a dictatorial regime

supposed to do with those pesky people who point out their "issues"? How could they possibly stand up to disagreement if they couldn't throw them in prison or execute them? What other recourse do they possibly have - fix things and make them right? Man up to their mistakes? That's what humans do, not governments. It would just be too hard for them to maintain their government if people were allowed to disagree with them. After all, what else could they do when their form of government lacks respect for its people. Karl Marx would role in his grave if he saw what passes for communism, even China's attempt. Especially when something like human rights is considered antagonistic to governing (Mao should have studied harder in his humanities classes). Our history is mired in power and wealth conflicting with human rights. When will it ever stop? Obviously not with the "People's" Republic of China.