Liu Di
A Trip Through China's Twilight Zone
The 'mouse' that caused an uproar in China
The best way to predict the future is to make it happen. A hope can be verified or disproved only through the praxis of unceasing effort. If no one makes that effort, then the hope is false. On the other hand, even if it is a false hope, if it leads to action that is true and meaningful, it will share in that meaning. For example, in 2003, there were high hopes for the new administration of Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. These hopes proved false; but without them, it is doubtful that the vigorous movement led by the Rights Defense lawyers would have been launched.
Liu Di is a human rights defender, blogger and democracy activist. In 2002 and while still a university student, she became one of the first 'cyber activists' to be arrested for her online writings which were critical of the Chinese Communist Party and was held in custody for a year on charges of subversion.
Chinese HRDs face intimidation, harassment, house arrest, abductions, torture and imprisonment. They also work under very restrictive legislation, including laws which criminalize all unauthorized demonstrations and require government sponsorship for NGO registration, which is refused to any organisation touching on human rights issues. Widescale investigations into NGOs with links to overseas organisations took place in 2014 and 2015 resulting in harassment, detentions and forced closures.
