It’s an outrage: Beijing or Bust Blogger Held by Chinese “Security” Bureau

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Hao Wu of Beijing or Bust

A number of China-related bloggers have been sitting on this story for several days, fearful that saying anything might make the dilemma of Hao Wu of Beijing or Bust worse than it already is. Now, Rebecca MacKinnon has pointed us to this site put up by Ethan Zuckerman of Global Voices (for which Hao Wu also blogged). Please stop what you are doing and go there now.

I see this as a terrible outrage on many levels. I see it as a personal outrage, because although I’ve never met him (and indeed, we even had a friendly quarrel or two), one of my dearest friends is his personal friend. Needless to say (though it can never be said enough), it’s also an outrageous example of the police state methods of the CCP. No one can tell me China is not a police state. It meets every definition, and this can be held up as certifiable proof.

I always felt Hao Wu was a bit easy on the CCP. He used to jokingly link to this site on his blogroll as “China Bashing Central.” But I never bash China. I only bash the Chinese police state. It is sickening and infuriating and agonizing to think that this brilliant artist, one of the most original minds in the Chinese blogosphere, is now in the hands of these thugs. I admit, I don’t know all the details (no one does), but from Ethan’s site we know this:

Hao Wu (Chinese name: å?´çš“), a Chinese documentary filmmaker who lived in the U.S. between 1992 and 2004, was detained by the Beijing division of China’s State Security Bureau on the afternoon of Wednesday, Febuary 22, 2006. On that afternoon, Hao had met in Beijing with a congregation of a Christian church not recognized by the Chinese government, as part of the filming of his next documentary.

Hao had also been in phone contact with Gao Zhisheng, a lawyer specializing in human rights cases. Gao confirmed to one of Hao’s friends that the two had been in phone contact and planned to meet on Feb. 22, but that their meeting never took place after Gao advised against it. On Friday, Feb. 24, Hao’s editing equipment and several videotapes were removed from the apartment where he had been staying. Hao has been in touch his family since Feb. 22, but judging from the tone of the conversations, he wasn’t able to speak freely. One of Haoss friends has been interrogated twice since his detention. Beijing’s Public Security Bureau (the police) has confirmed that Hao has been detained, but have declined to specify the charges against him.

The reason for Hao’s detention is unknown. One of the possibilities is that the authorities who detained Hao want to use him and his video footage to prosecute members of China’s underground Churches. Hao is an extremely principled individual, who his friends and family believe will resist such a plan. Therefore, we are very concerned about his mental and physical well-being.

So I know enough to be furious. Detained without charges. Another casualty in the ongoing battle to preserve harmony. I believe and hope he’ll emerge from this alright, but I also believe the more pressure is brought to bear the greater the likelihood of his swift release. Stay tuned; I and other bloggers will be following this one carefully.

Is there anyone who would argue China is not a police state? (And do not respond that the US is a police state, too. That’s not the issue here, and besides I agree, Bush’s tactics do have police-state characteristics.) If not, what is your definition of a police state?

UPDATE: Ethan’s web site has already been blocked in China (surprise surprise). I am pasting the whole thing below.


It is nearly one month since Hao Wu was detained without charge.
Filed under: About Hao Wu, News — Rebecca MacKinnon @ 12:00 pm

We appeal to the Chinese government for Hao Wu’s immediate release!

What happened to Hao?

Hao Wu (Chinese name: �皓), a Chinese documentary filmmaker who lived in the U.S. between 1992 and 2004, was detained by the Beijing division of China’s State Security Bureau on the afternoon of Wednesday, Febuary 22, 2006. On that afternoon, Hao had met in Beijing with a congregation of a Christian church not recognized by the Chinese government, as part of the filming of his next documentary.

Hao had also been in phone contact with Gao Zhisheng, a lawyer specializing in human rights cases. Gao confirmed to one of Hao’s friends that the two had been in phone contact and planned to meet on Feb. 22, but that their meeting never took place after Gao advised against it. On Friday, Feb. 24, Hao’s editing equipment and several videotapes were removed from the apartment where he had been staying. Hao has been in touch his family since Feb. 22, but judging from the tone of the conversations, he wasn’t able to speak freely. One of Hao’s friends has been interrogated twice since his detention. Beijing’s Public Security Bureau (the police) has confirmed that Hao has been detained, but have declined to specify the charges against him.

The reason for Hao’s detention is unknown. One of the possibilities is that the authorities who detained Hao want to use him and his video footage to prosecute members of China’s underground Churches. Hao is an extremely principled individual, who his friends and family believe will resist such a plan. Therefore, we are very concerned about his mental and physical well-being.

More about Hao: From Scientist to Computer Guy to Filmmaker.

Hao began his filmmaking career in 2004, when he gave up his job as a senior product manager at Atlanta-based Earthlink Inc. and returned to China to film Beijing or Bust, a collage of interviews with U.S.-born ethnic Chinese who now live in China’s capital city. Before working for Earthlink, Hao worked as a product manager for Internet portal Excite from 2000 to 2001 in Redwood City, CA Before that, Hao had also worked as a strategic planning and product development director for Merchant Internet Group, an intern for American Express Co. and a molecular biologist with UCB Research Inc.

Hao earned an MBA degree from University of Michigan Business School in May 2000 and a Master of Science in molecular and cell biology in July, 1995 from Brandeis University, where he was awarded a full merit-based scholarship. Before studying in the U.S., Hao earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the China University of Science and Technology in Hefei, Anhui province in June, 1992.

Hao the Blogger.

Hao has also been an active blogger, writing as ‘Beijing Loafer’ on his personal blog, Beijing or Bust, named after his film. Due to Chinese government internet blocking of his blog hosting service Blogger.com, he also has a mirror version of the site on MSN Spaces. In early February Hao began contributing as Northeast Asia Editor to Global Voices Online, an international bloggers’ network hosted at Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society. Writing under the pen name Tian Yi, Hao’s contributions aimed to bring citizens’ online voices from China and the rest of North East Asia to readers in the English-speaking world.

Why didn’t we speak out about his detention earlier?

Hao’s family and friends in China have deflected questions about his detention for the past month, as authorities in contact with people close to Hao have urged them not to publicize the case. There had been hope that his detention was only for a short period of time, in which case publicity would not have been helpful.

For more information…

Hao’s family and friends inside China do not want to be interviewed directly by the media at this time, and thus we will not provide journalists with their contact information. This website will be updated regularly with new information that emerges about Hao’s situation.

The Discussion: 9 Comments

Hao is a good friend of mine. He is an all-around great guy – talented, passionate and brave. The kind of person that China is lucky to have, contributing his talent and intelligence.

This is beyond outrageous. It’s absolutely sickening.

March 20, 2006 @ 5:36 pm | Comment

Ren Zhiyuan, a secondary school teacher from Shandong province, was given 10 years in gaol after being found guilty of “subversion of
state power” Human Rights in China (HRIC) says. Ren was arrested on May 10, 2005 because of an article he wrote entitled ‘The Road to Democracy’ in which he wrote that people have the right to violently overthrown a tyrannical government. Well, that’s exactly what Mao believed and practiced, no? Ren was also suspected of planning the establishment of an
anti-government group called Mainland Democracy Frontline .
The irony is that, according to Reporters Without Borders, his views reflected the ideological underpinnings of China’s government.
“The Communist Party Manifesto, written in 1848 by Marx and Engels, and on which the Chinese Communist Party’s ideology is still based today
itself ends with these words : ‘The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions.”

March 20, 2006 @ 8:48 pm | Comment

Well since China-Hand hasn’t raised his ugly head for this one, I’ll fill in for him. I’ll play the role of vicious Chinese Nationalist:

(Shaking head), “oh, oh, you don’t understand China. Why you America always want hegemony?
You think America better than China? Why you always criticise China?”

That’s all they can, or will say in answer to this filthy, disgusting, shameful atrocity. I piss on the people who did this.

March 20, 2006 @ 11:02 pm | Comment

Sad stuff. But not unexpected nor unprecedented.

March 21, 2006 @ 12:46 am | Comment

The link to Ethan’s site works on China Netcom in Beijing; it’s the freehaowu.org that doesn’t seem to be resolving.

March 21, 2006 @ 5:30 pm | Comment

This is a worry because Hao Wu was “one of us” – just a guy blogging about his experiences in Beijing, and trying to make a simple non-political film about Christians in the city. If you read his blog you see how sceptical he was of many of the church members. He’s not some great crusader for justice or freedom of speech (not that there’s anything wrong with that … as Seinfeld would day), just someone with a great sense of observation and a talent for describing the often bizarre goings on in a rapidy changing city. The fact that Hao is Chinese has made him a target – if he had been a blond haired ex-resident of San Francisco I doubt he would be languishing in a PSB cell right now.

March 21, 2006 @ 5:47 pm | Comment

Zhuanjia, totally true. Westerners can pretty much say/do what they want. If you’re Chinese and you’re in their sites, it’s directly to jail.

March 21, 2006 @ 5:56 pm | Comment

Chinese people only screw with Chinese people.

Example: A chinese guy might cut people in line in Chinatown. He wouldn’t dare do that anywhere else.

If someone tells you “come on, we’re all Chinese, right?” he’s about to screw you over.

It could either be a bad deal, or it could be wanting to destroy your democracy with a totalitarian party dictatorship.

March 21, 2006 @ 10:57 pm | Comment

Gao Zhisheng is also in the hands of the vicious CCP reports say that he is being tortured. Before his kidnap he was very public in his support of Falun Gong practitioners. The only way to get people of the CCP’s clashes is to run a very public campaign especially now the Olympics are approaching. Do not be afraid of the CCP make it afraid of you by exposing its wicked crimes. By the way around the world people are celebrating 13.000.000 people renouncing the CCP. Tell more and more people to resign from the evil party. I sincerely hope your friend Hao is well.

September 17, 2006 @ 7:55 am | Comment

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