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Chinese Complainers Kidnapped

People routinely held in 'black jails,' journalists beaten

By Jane Yager,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 12, 2009 4:44 AM CST

(Newser) – Chinese citizens en route to Beijing to lodge complaints with China's central government are routinely nabbed by thugs and tossed into makeshift "black jails" where they are illegally detained for days or months, deprived of food and water, beaten and threatened—then sent back home without filing their complaints. So claims a new report by Human Rights Watch, which alleges that police and officials refuse to crack down on the problem.

The report blames a point system that penalizes regional officials when residents of their jurisdictions complain to Beijing, motivating the officials to pay kidnappers to head off complaints. News of the kidnappings comes at the same time that a Beijing lawyer has released a report documenting more than 30 cases in the past two years of Chinese journalists being beaten, detained, or sued.

Human rights activist Liu Dejun looks through a room in a black jail in Beijing, China.
Human rights activist Liu Dejun looks through a room in a "black jail" in Beijing, China.   (AP Photo/Greg Baker, File)
A 20-year-old petitioner from Anhui province waits to speak to police after she claimed she had been raped at a black jail in Beijing, China.
A 20-year-old petitioner from Anhui province waits to speak to police after she claimed she had been raped at a "black jail" in Beijing, China.   (AP Photo/Greg Baker, File)
Wet mattresses are stacked inside the site of a former black jail where a young woman claims she was raped while being illegally detained in Beijing, China.
Wet mattresses are stacked inside the site of a former black jail where a young woman claims she was raped while being illegally detained in Beijing, China.   (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel)
A shrine dedicated to the god of fortune lights up the hall of a former black jail.
A shrine dedicated to the god of fortune lights up the hall of a former black jail.   (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel)
A woman cycles past a former black jail.
A woman cycles past a former black jail.   (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel)
Kidnapping people on their way to lodge complaints with China's central government has evolved into a lucrative cottage industry that mainland police refuse to acknowledge or crack down on.
Kidnapping people on their way to lodge complaints with China's central government has evolved into a lucrative cottage industry that mainland police refuse to acknowledge or crack down on.   (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel)
A man walks through a former black jail.
A man walks through a former black jail.   (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel)
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COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 2 comments
BeatBlaster
Nov 12, 2009 7:37 AM CST
Bout time someone said it. Our freedom of speech tends to cause words to lose their meaning after a while.
paul123
Nov 12, 2009 1:09 AM CST
Terrible.

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