Imprisoned Labour Rights Activists in China

Zhang Shanguang 张善光released after ten years in prison

Zhang Shanguang was released late on 19 July 2008 after serving a 10-year sentence at the Hunan No.1 Prison. Zhang was sentenced in Hunan on 27 December 1998 and released just days before the expiration of his sentence.

There has been no official confirmation.

Zhang was reported to be in a stable health condition despite having lost all his teeth and having contracted tuberculosis.

Zhang Shanguang, formerly a secondary school teacher, was first sentenced to seven years imprisonment after the June 4, 1989 government crackdown for his role in organizing the Hunan Workers' Autonomous Federation in May of that year. While in prison, he contracted tuberculosis.

After his release, in early 1998, Zhang was interviewed by several overseas radio stations about widespread labor and peasant unrest in his home county of Xupu. He also attempted to officially register with the authorities, a labour rights group that he had recently founded – the (Xupu/Shu Pu) Association to Protect the Rights and Interests of Laid-Off Workers (APRILW). By July 1998, this association had attracted more than 300 members from all walks of life, including workers; peasants, intellectuals and cadres, and even some local officials were initially supportive of the group’s aims.

On 21 July 1998, the police detained Zhang, searched his home and confiscated all documents and correspondence relating to the association. Zhang’s wife, Hou Xuezhu 候雪竹, was questioned and threatened by the police, who also urged her to divorce her husband. His many supporters in Xupu County rose swiftly to his defense, writing numerous appeals and even staging hunger strikes demanding his release. According to one such appeal letter, “The work of Zhang Shanguang will surely encourage the people of Hunan and the whole country to wage an even wider-scale struggle to win democracy and freedom.”

Subsequently charged on the twin counts of “passing intelligence to hostile overseas organisations” and “incitement to subvert state power,” Zhang was tried on 27 December 1998 and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.

While Zhang was in prison there were numerous reports of ill treatment and torture including being forced to work long hours in harsh conditions, while ill.

One report gives some quotes from Zhang himself reportedly speaking afetr his release:

"I was definitely mistreated," Zhang said. "I was beaten. I was mistreated both mentally and physically."

"I was arrested for my work as a defender of human rights in China…"I consider my 10 years in prison a form of persecution," Zhang said. "I will definitely continue to exercise my legal rights and engage in my work as a rights defender in accordance with the law."

Background

See here for IHLO’s prisoner list (updated June 2008)

See here for an archived article from the Washington Post in 2001 giving details of a letter Zhang wrote complaining of harsh conditions and the work of the Hunan No.1 prison – aka the Hunan Special Electrical Machinery Factory.

See here to sign IHLO’s current campaign to free labour activists in detention

IHLO
July 2008