Remembering China’s Political Prisoners this Mid-Autumn Festival
Recalling the stories of jailed Chinese activists, a Hong Kong lawyer, and a recently freed U.S. citizen
The Moon Festival is one of my favorite holidays on the Chinese calendar, though I didn’t grow up celebrating it. Still, my daughters are fascinated by the idea of Chang’e floating up to the moon. My younger one loves bunnies and hence stories of the Jade Rabbit.
But as we meet up with Chinese friends to nibble on mooncakes, I can’t help but reflect that among them are those separated from their family and unable to return home to mainland China. This is an increasing reality for many in the Chinese diaspora—including more and more Hong Kongers—who choose to speak out against the Chinese Communist Party’s abuses, practice a faith disfavored by the regime, or uphold their ethnic heritage and identity.
Both outside and within China, many Chinese are forcibly separated from loved ones because their relatives have been unjustly imprisoned. As I’ve written before, China is arguably home to the largest population of prisoners of conscience in the world. Thus, even on cheerful occasions, it seems important that we not forget them. Here are three to keep in particular mind today:
Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing
Huang is a female journalist and rights activist, who was detained in September 2021 as she was preparing to travel to study in the United Kingdom. Wang, a labor activist who completed his studies in England then returned to China, was detained and tried alongside her on charges of “inciting subversion of state power.” Their “crimes” consist of publishing articles online critical of the Chinese government, participating in workshops on non-violent activism, and discussing “political” matters with others in the privacy of Wang’s home. The pair were sentenced in July (Huang to five years and Wang to 3.5).
In a heartbreaking update right before the holiday, on September 10, a judge in Guangdong upheld the verdict without even giving notice to their lawyers, in breach of China’s Criminal Procedure Law. According to Frontline Defenders, Huang has been suffering from several health problems since being taken into custody. Given the U.K. connection, it would be nice to see the British government—and relevant universities—take action to speak up on their behalf.
Albert Ho Chun-Yan
A long-standing figure in Hong Kong politics and its Democratic Party, Ho served as a member of the Legislative Council from 1998-2016. The 69-year-old solicitor was not only a staunch proponent of democratic governance in Hong Kong, but also a vocal advocate for mainland China’s beleaguered human rights lawyers.
I had the honor of meeting Ho years ago on trips to Hong Kong and was moved by his heartfelt commitment to building genuine rule of law in China. The fact the he too is now a political prisoner dramatically epitomizes the rapid deterioration in civic space and freedoms in Hong Kong since 2020. Ho is serving 18 months on various charges related to organizing and participating in protests and candlelight vigils. He is one of over 1,000 political prisoners in the territory, documented by Hong Kong Watch and other diaspora groups.
A release worth celebrating
On a more positive note, what lovely timing for David Lin and his family that the United States secured his release from China this week. Lin, a Christian pastor from California who had aided underground churches, was detained in 2006 on a trip to China and sentenced to life imprisonment on seemingly trumped up fraud charges. The Biden administration had reportedly been raising his case regularly with senior Chinese officials. On September 16, the Associated Press reported that Lin was en route back to the United States to be reunited with his family, the latest reminder that high-level diplomatic pressure can still yield results for individual prisoners.
In an effort to highlight other U.S. citizens or their relatives unjustly jailed in China, the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China will be holding a hearing on their cases tomorrow.
What I’m reading—and coloring
On a lighter note, two recommendations in honor of the holiday (especially for readers with kids):
Must read: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. I recently read this after my older daughter was assigned it in a book club and am so glad I did. It’s a lovely story of a young girl’s journey to improve her family’s fate. The author weaves in allusions to classical Chinese literature and her own folktale-inspired creations. The characters are well-developed and the lessons they learn deeply meaningful and thought-provoking. It’s a light read, but well worth the time.
Coloring pages: One series of books my kids loved when they were younger are the Mina ones by Katrina Liu, which are bilingual in English and Chinese. The accompanying website is also one of the few I found with free downloads of nice-looking Mid-Autumn Festival themed coloring pages and cards. Here is a link where you can find a few we enjoyed this year.
For readers celebrating today, I wish you and your family a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and many scrumptious mooncakes!
This is so thoughtful. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Sarah.
I fished the Internet looking at who had bought buildings. Now India fights with China. And Southern Canada. In with Iran Saudi Arabia. Russia. Nazi Germany.