Press Release
On The Incident Of A Migrant Worker From Hehan
Initiatives for China, Jan 9, 2015
Migrant worker Zhou Xiuyun was beaten to death and four ribs of her husband were broken by Taiyuan police in China’northern Shanxi Province on December 13, 2014. Such a case has caused outrage across the country after media exposure on December 28, hitting 3,100,000 on Google search so far, becoming a high-profile rights protection case in the New Year.
Civil rights group Initiatives for China has closely followed its development, issuing statements respectively on December 29, 2014, and January 1, 2015, calling on domestic allies to jointly push citizen justice movement.
In the first statement, Initiatives for China had strongly condemned police brutality, and abuse, and the crony capitalism that exploits migrant workers, pointing out roots of such a tragedy arising from the system. Initiatives for China emphasizes that Zhou Xiuyuan case is not an isolated tragedy in China, where by the end of the year, workers like Zhou take to the streets and fight for their overdue wages, often in vain, and often end in tragedy. Zhou Xiuyun case indicates not only an individual policeman’s issues, but the systematic overpower and abuse of such police power, thus causing series of cases involving victims beaten to death in custody or even on streets by the police. This kind of tragedy exposes the nature of the Chinese Communist regime that relies on police force to hold power. Initiatives for China has solemnly declared six demands, and has called on Chinese citizens to join forces to resist such brutal reality, rally in solidarity against police overpower and defend rights of the common people.
In the second statement, Initiatives for China utilized legal sources and pointed out that Taiyuan Prosecutors approves charges of abusing power by policeman Wang Wenjun to avoid other possible charges including intentional injury, illegal custody, abuse of power, and negligence. The statement also emphasizes the responsibility of those merchants who illegally overdue such wages of the migrant workers.
At press conference on the Zhou Xiuyuan case.on January 2, 2015, Taiyuan Manicipal Government Public Security Bureau Chief Wang Fan expressed his condolence over the death of Zhou, and offered “sincere apology” to the family members of the society. Dr Yang Jianli, President of Initiatives for China, says “We welcome the first positive step taken by local authorities to express its open apology, but that is just one of our six demands to the government.
“Zhou Xiuyuan case shows many facets of the systematic issues in China, abuse of police power is just one of them. Government has become protector of crony capitalism, and intertwined relationship between officials and merchants, and their joint exploitation of innocent people, the issues of judicial independence, and social justice, among others. All these relate to the core of political system. An apology cannot solve these issues, and we hope that whole society should mobilize to address them.”
It is reported that suspected policeman Wang Wenjun is the #6 on the list of WORST OF THE WORST CHINESE 2014 which is voted by citizens online, indicating common people attitude toward this case. Co-author Xiao Guozhen, a veteran human rights lawyer, points out that “from what has been reported about abusers in Zhou Xiuyuan case, Wang Wenjun is just one of them, and we must keep an eye on those evil doers who try to escapes punishment. We strongly urge Taiyuan Prosecutors to treat all involved policemen in legal terms, and including criminal justice.
It is also reported the decision by Taiyuan Public Bureau to make December 13 an annual “Justice Warning Day (?).” Dr Teng Biao, a human rights lawyer, co-author of the statement by Initiatives for China, says the progress is result of public pressure. One of the key factors that caused accidental deaths in today’s China is the overpower of police force, and their abuse of such power, which makes a critical and brutal reality when citizens are beaten to death on the streets or in custody. The Chinese government must take steps in curbing police power. All these relate to the core of judicial system, and political system. It is no use establishing a showcase of “Justice Warning Day” without resolving core issues.
In facing public pressure and questioning from the society, Zhou Maoyu, Chief Prosecutor of Taiyuan City, says “As the chief prosecutor, I will take high responsibility to prosecute this case, to honor the people, the laws, and relevant personals. For this, I solemnly swear that I shall take ultimate responsibility for the case I am to take.
Statement author Wang Jianying at the Initiatives for China says “WE sincerely hope the Chief Prosecutor will honor his promise. Now we can see a changing tone of the authoritarian regime in dealing with such a case, in comparison to the old times, yet, we cannot take it for granted, and if citizen power cannot grow stronger and stronger, no better hope shall be born in China.”
A netizen names Kunluncao says “Please distribute statements of the Initiatives for China that express our voices, because we are all Zhou Xiuyun, Xiu Junfeng. If you don’t stand up today, you will never stand out tomorrow.” Initiatives for China and its allies at home and abroad will continue to follow ZhouXiuyuan case.