When domestic challenges grow more serious, the dissident community pays the price, human rights advocates say.

By William Yang | Voice of America

Summary

Rights advocates have expressed concern over the recent detentions of dissident artist Gao Zhen and prominent citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, as China’s crackdown on dissent grows harsher.

Gao Zhen, known for his provocative sculptures of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, was detained by Chinese police on August 26 for “slandering Chinese heroes and martyrs.” More than 30 police officers raided his studio and confiscated several pieces of artwork related to Mao and the Cultural Revolution.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhan, a citizen journalist who was released in May after serving a four-year sentence for covering the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, has reportedly been detained again by Chinese authorities at the Pudong Detention Center in Shanghai. Zhang was arrested after visiting Gansu Province to meet the mother of a recently detained activist and was taken into custody upon returning to her hometown in Shaanxi. It is unclear whether she has been placed in administrative detention, which typically lasts 15 days, or criminal detention, which could lead to a longer sentence.

Zhang’s latest detention has raised concerns about her physical well-being, as she staged a prolonged hunger strike during her previous imprisonment, causing her weight to drop to under 40 kilograms at one point. Since her release in May, Zhang has been speaking up for other detained Chinese activists and criticizing some policies implemented by the Chinese government on Western social media platforms such as X and YouTube, which is banned in China.

Some analysts believe that Chinese authorities tend to impose harsher prison sentences on dissidents if they are arrested for a second time. They worry that Zhang could face a similar fate.

Some human rights advocates say the detention of prominent dissidents fits Beijing’s usual practice of increasing pressure on the dissident community when they face serious domestic challenges.

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