Beijing (AsiaNews) - As every year, on the occasion of
sensitive political events, the Chinese government silence or deport
dissidents, activists and icons of resistance against the Party. As
"two gatherings" - the National People's Congress and the Chinese
People's Consultative Conference got underway in the capital this week - police
went to "visit" the artist Ai Weiwei, the dissidents Hu Jia, He Depu
and Xu Zhiyong as well as lawyer Jiang Tianyong. In
addition, the authorities have sent dissidents Gao Hongming and Zha Jianguo on
an "all expenses paid vacation", forcing them to leave the capital.
The
two legislative sessions are held once a year and, although they do not
exercise direct democracy, are closely monitored by the international press and
the diplomatic community in China.
This
year these summits are particularly important, since the 3 thousand deputies
assembled in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing must confirm the election to the
leadership of the country and the Party of Xi Jinping, as head of the
"fifth generation" of Chinese leaders.
But
the repression goes beyond Beijing
city limits. In
Shanghai, the
authorities have "summoned" local Democratic leaders and forced them
under house arrest. The
group includes Feng Zhenghu - who has already
served a year in prison - and Yang Qinheng, who was beaten
during interrogation. In
Hangzhou writers
Lu Gengsong and Chen Shuqing are being monitored,
as well as the environmental activist Tan Kai. In
the province of Hubei surveillance was reinforced on
activists Yao Lifa and Liu Feiyue, founder of
the Civil Rights & Livelihood Watch organization.
Chinese
Human Rights Defender, which released the list of the first arrests reports its
impossible to keep track of how many were arrested or beaten while bringing a
petition to Beijing
from the distant provinces". The
petitions, guaranteed by the Constitution, allows individuals to submit
complaints directly to the central government in recent years, however, has
increased dramatically the number of those arrested in an arbitrary manner
while demanding justice.