As of Monday, five women’s rights advocates remain in custody, according to one Chinese activist, after 10 were detained across China in the lead-up to International Women’s Day. Those remaining in detention are Li Tingting, Wei Tingting, Wang Man, Zheng Churan and Wu Rongrong, according to activist Feng Yuan.
Rongrong is both the founder and executive director of Women Center, a rights group based in Hangzhou.
Feng stated that the women had been planning to distribute leaflets on sexual harassment around Beijing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, in observance of International Women’s Day. Lu Jun, a board member of Women Center, said the women had all done similar activities in observance of the day in the past, but had never suffered any penalties as a result. So far, Feng says the women’s lawyers have been unsuccessful in reaching them since they were detained Friday and Saturday.
Due to China’s closely monitored legislative annual session, security has been greatly raised around Beijing over the last week. At least one meeting during the session, Saturday, also delivered a news conference centered on women’s rights and gender equality in the country, nodding, no doubt, to the upcoming day of awareness.
Regarding the detained women, Feng stated from New York, where she was taking part in women’s issues events at the U.N.:
?We’re worried that they’re still detained. We don’t understand how this has to do with public safety. And this goes against what the Communist Party and the government says they want to do to build a safer, crime-free society.?
Feng also stated that supporters have taken up solidarity actions in the U.S. as a result of the women’s lingering detainment. Banners could be seen in marches around New York, Sunday, for International Women’s Day, urging the women’s timely release.
So far, Beijing and Guangzhou police have yet to offer comments on the matter.
H/T: abcnews.go.com | Featured image: openclipart.org
