Xu Zhiyong
Xu Zhiyong (Chinese: 许志永; Pinyin: Xǔ Zhìyǒng) is a lecturer at the Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications. He was one of the founders of the NGO Open Constitution Initiative and an active rights lawyer in China who helped those underprivileged.
In 2003, he was elected to the Haidian District People's Congress as an independent.[1]
Unlike other human rights activists, Xu firmly and carefully pushed his calls for political change and social justice in existing laws, and his group has been regarded as relatively cautious and conservative.[2][3] In his recent interview before his arrest, he described his dream
| “ | I wish our country could be a free and happy one. Every citizen need not go against their conscience and can find their own place by their virtue and talents; a simple and happy society, where the goodness of humanity is expanded to the maximum, and the evilness of humanity is constrained to the minimum; honesty, trust, kindness, and helping each other are everyday occurrences in life; there is not so much anger and anxiety, a pure smile on everyone’s face. | ” |
|
—Xu Zhiyong, China Digital Times |
||
In 2009, July 29, he was arrested at his home, and detained by Chinese authorities on charges of tax evasion.[4][5] At the same time Xu's colleague Zhuang Lu was also arrested by authorities [6]
Open Constitution Initiative (公盟 in Chinese, Pinyin: gōng méng), which helped many people in human rights violation law cases, was fined 1.46 million RMB on July 14, 2009 for 'dodging taxes' and was shut down by the authorities by declaring it "illegal".[7]
Xu Zhiyong was released on bail on August 23, 2009; he is currently waiting for court hearing.[6] The Australian newspaper The Age reported that the release of Xu, Zhuang and another Chinese dissident, Ilham Tohti, was in part due to pressure on Beijing from the administration of American President Barack Obama.[8]
[edit] See also
- Weiquan movement
- (Chinese)s:請用法理來說服我 ──為許志永老師給溫家寶總理的公開信
- (Chinese)s:為了一個現代文明的中國——就胡佳被捕致胡錦濤主席的公開信
[edit] References
| Rights |
|---|
| Theoretical distinctions |
| Claim rights and liberty rights Individual and group rights Natural and legal rights Negative and positive rights |
| Human rights divisions |
| Civil and political Economic, social and cultural Three generations |
| Rights claimants |
| Animals · Humans Men · Women Fathers · Mothers Children · Youth · Students Indigenes · LGBT · Minorities |
| Other groups of rights |
| Authors' · Digital · Labor Linguistic · Reproductive |
- ^ "Independent candidate elected". China Daily. 2003-12-17. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-12/17/content_291055.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Without Explanation, China Releases Three Activists. NYTimes.
- ^ China Behind the Headlines: Xu Zhiyong
- ^ China Detains Prominent Legal Activist
- ^ Associated Press: Brother: Chinese activist held for tax evasion
- ^ a b Wines, Michael (August 23, 2009). "Without Explanation, China Releases 3 Activists". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/world/asia/24china.html?_r=1&emc=eta1. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
- ^ Authority's Official Notice on the Shutdown of OCI (Chinese)
- ^ John Garnaut (2009-08-25). "Obama behind release of Chinese activists". Melbourne: The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/world/obama-behind-release-of-chinese-activists-20090824-ewhi.html. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
[edit] External links
- "Where is Xu Zhiyong?" The New Yorker, July 31, 2009
- Gongmeng Open Constitution Initiative on Twitter
- Free Xu Zhiyong News Blog (English)
- WE for Zhiyong (Chinese) (blocked in China)
- "Chinese Public-Interest Lawyer Charged Amid Crackdown" The New York Times, August 18, 2009
- Demick, Barbara. "Beijing frees legal activist Xu Zhiyong. Los Angeles Times August 24, 2009. [1]
- Chinese:有線新聞：學生致函溫質疑扣留許志永
 |
This article about a Chinese politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
