Human Rights in China has learned Shanghai authorities have initiated a crackdown on activists leading up to the 17th anniversary of the June 4th crackdown. Shanghai petitioner Mao Hengfeng has again been detained and the father of dissident Xu Zhengqing was summoned by the police after posting an open letter to Kofi Annan on May 19.
Mao Hengfeng (pictured above with her 3 daughters)
Some time after 11 p.m. on May 23, Mao was forcibly taken away by over ten police officers from the Yangpu District Daqiao police station led by Bai Jiemin (Officer No. 039351), the officer who had previously beaten Mao in February 2006. The next day, Mao Hengfeng’s husband, Wu Xuewei, received a summons from the Daqiao station stating that Mao had been detained for violating rules of residential surveillance. Also on May 24, when Wu was at the detention center, he heard Mao’s loud protests coming from the room where she was being held. That night, when Mao’s daughter went to deliver food to Mao, she was told by a Daqiao officer that Mao had already been transferred elsewhere. Despite repeated inquiries by Mao’s husband, her whereabouts cannot be confirmed.
On February 13, 2006, Mao Hengfeng was taken into custody by police from the Yangpu District Daqiao station and placed under residential surveillance on suspicion of “violating processes for public order” at the Gongqing Senlin apartment complex in Yangpu District. During this time in custody Mao was completely deprived of her personal liberty, mistreated and on many occasions, physically beaten. She was under the daily supervision of five to six guards and had to even get permission to use the restroom.
There's a more detailed story on Mao over at LifeSite News right here.
