Chinese court sentences Taiwan human rights activist
A CHINESE court sentenced a human rights activist from Taiwan to five years in prison yesterday for state subversion, the first time China has convicted a Taiwanese citizen of that crime.
A video released by the Yueyang People’s Intermediate Court in southern China’s Hunan province showed the activist, Lee Ming-cheh, sitting silently as a judicial officer read a statement accusing him of conspiring with a Chinese partner to foment a “Western colour revolution” in China by disseminating articles, books and videos attacking China’s political system.
For many here, the verdict is viewed as the latest shot fired in China’s psychological war on Taiwan, one that has been heating up for more than a year since Beijing cut off official communication channels with Taipei. Beijing has turned a cold shoulder to the administration of Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ingwen, blaming her refusal to accede to demands that she accept Taiwan as part of “one China”.
China seeks to annex Taiwan, by force if necessary, though polls in Taiwan show scant desire to unify.
The saga of Lee – who disappeared upon crossing into China from Macau in March, then reappeared in a court- room in September to proclaim his guilt while reading from a script – has raised concerns among workers for nongovernment organisations and others in Taiwan that their social media postings could lead to problems during future visits to China. Despite the political chill, China and Taiwan are highly intertwined economically.
Of special concern is Facebook. The Yueyang court alleged in September that Lee and his co-defendant, Peng Yuhua, a Chinese citizen, had used the social networking site to plan protests in China. Taiwan has one of the world’s highest Facebook penetration rates, while China’s government has blocked the site.
Yibee Huang, chief executive of Covenants Watch, an alliance of human rights organisations in Taiwan, described a “chilling effect” on Facebook use by friends and associates since Lee’s trial. Lee had previously volunteered at Covenants Watch.
Facebook has long been a popular forum for lively political debate among young Taiwanese, many of whom work or expect to one day work in China. Now, however, many young Taiwanese suspect that China is watching what they post, Huang said.
“They will now strongly self-censor; there are topics that even while in Taiwan they won’t discuss,” she said.
“I think this is extremely harmful to Taiwan’s democracy.”
Lee’s friends and family assert that his September confession was forced. They also say they had never heard of Peng, who they believe is a prop used to create the appearance of Lee’s conspiring with a Chinese citizen to sow discord in the authoritarian state.
An academic manager at a Taipei community college, Lee had previously made trips to China without incident. He also regularly chatted online with Chinese acquaintances interested in Taiwan’s transition from a one-party state under martial law 30 years ago to a democracy today, according to Cheng Shiow-jiuan, director of the TaipeiWenshan Community College, where he last worked.
Lee also donated money and books to the relatives of rights lawyers imprisoned in the crackdown on civil society by President Xi Jinping of China, the activist’s wife, Lee ChingYu, said in a March interview.
Lee Ching-Yu attended yesterday’s sentencing of her husband. In a statement released afterwards, she said that “pursuing ideals comes at a cost” and that her husband had been fully aware that by promoting human rights in China he ran the risk of being subjected to forced confession and imprisonment.
“As Lee Ming-cheh’s wife, I’ll say it one more time: I’m extremely proud of everything he’s done,” she added.
Outspoken and defiant, Lee Ching-Yu has become a major figure in the Chinese human rights arena during the eight-month drama. After going public with her rejection of a secret offer by the Taiwan government to work with China via a go-between, she announced in April that she would fly to Beijing to rescue Lee Ming-cheh herself. China cancelled the document required byTaiwan citizens to enter the country, effectively banning her entry.
During his trial, Lee Ming-cheh said he had been misled by the Taiwanese news media, and had learned the true situation in China by watching state television during his detention. Taiwan’s presidential office assailed yesterday’s ruling.
“Lee Ming-cheh was a democracy activist who wanted to share the values of democracy and freedom in China,” the office said in a statement. “We call on the Beijng authorities to release Mr Lee as soon as possible.”