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China detains complaining citizens in psychiatric facilities
by Scott Gilbreath ~ December 9th, 2008
Check out this headline from this morning’s AsiaNews.
Beijing admits “unsatisfactory” progress on human rights
Actions speak louder than words. A Chinese government bureaucrat says that his country could improve its human rights record but, in fact, it’s not actually doing anything about it. AsiaNews lists several important issues that the government persists in ignoring.
Indeed, China appears to be moving backward: Reports are emerging of psychiatric detention of citizens who try to exercise their right peacefully to petition the government for redress of grievances.
Local officials in China appear to be increasingly using forcible psychiatric treatment to silence critics, a leading expert said today amid claims that at least 18 complainants were held in a mental hospital in Shandong province against their will.
Global Voices Online carries translated excerpts from a Chinese news report. Mr Sun-fuwa, 57, was seized off the streets of Beijing by agents of the government’s Petitioning Office and deposited at the City Asylum where he was “treated” for psychosis.
“I had all my limbs tied to the bed legs, and head wrapped up by a mask.” Sun heard some one saying “pouring the medicine quickly”, and his mouth was forced to open. Mandible clutched, the pills ran into his throat. At 7 pm, Dr. Zhu gave Sun a shot, and he then lost all his consciousness.
He was held captive for over three months and released only after promising to refrain from further petitioning.
The China Journal blog at the Wall Street Journal online has more on this and other disturbing reports.
h/t for Guardian link: Anglican Samizdat
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December 10th, 2008 at 04:49 PM
[...] CHINA DETAINS complaining citizens in psychiatric facilities …. [...]