(Zhejiang) Authorities confiscated the passport of Zhu Yufu, a well-known veteran democracy activist in Zhejiang. He tried visiting his sister in Japan after years of house arrest.
Confiscated passport
Zhu Yufu’s greatest wish is to visit his terminally ill sister in Japan. In recent days, officials rejected his request and confiscated his passport and visa. Zhu has kept a low profile during the five years since his release from prison. He refrained from media interviews and did not write pro-democracy articles.
A letter to her older brother
Zhu Yufu’s younger sister Zhu Yanmin, who resides in Japan, has suffered from advanced lung cancer in recent years. Two years ago, she to her brother, disclosing her condition. Doctors operated on both of her lungs to remove the tumors. She said in her letter:
“After the surgery, the cancer cells metastasized in my lymph nodes. What I hope for the most is that you can come to Japan to see me. I wanted to give up on chemotherapy many times, and I just want to see you in my lifetime.”
Critical condition
Zhu Yufu shared that four sets of cancer treatment plans for his sister had all failed. Reportedly, her white blood cell count dwindled to nearly zero, and she is in critical condition. Zhu hoped to visit her.
Democracy activities
Zhu Yufu, 71 years old, was one of the founders of the Democracy Wall movement in Hangzhou in the 1970s. Under the political pressure of the Chinese government, pro-democracy activists took advantage of their night shifts to post anti-authoritarian and pro-democracy articles on the walls of public areas. They often took advantage of the night, wearing masks, pasting articles in a hurry, and immediately disappearing into the night on bicycles.
Prison time
In the 1990s, Zhu Yufu was imprisoned for distributing the “Open Declaration of the Establishment of the Zhejiang Preparatory Committee of the China Democracy Party.” Zhu Yufu was convicted again in 2012 of “inciting subversion of state power” and sentenced to seven years in prison for writing a poem calling on the people to support freedom – “It’s Time.” In total, Zhu served 16 years in prison and house arrest
Applying to visit his sister
For the past two years, Zhu Yufu has been working hard to apply for a visit to his sister abroad. The authorities approved the issuance of his passport, and Japan also approved his three-month visa to Japan on February 23 this year. National security police in the Shangcheng District of Hangzhou dropped by his house and confiscated Zhu Yufu’s passport in mid-March.
Legal basis for travel
According to Article 38 of the “Prison Law,” “A person released after serving his sentence shall enjoy equal rights with other citizens by the law.”
House arrest
Zhu Yufu has been under house arrest since his release in 2018 and has never been truly liberated. Zhu Yufu expressed:
“They have always listed me as ‘Zhejiang’s number one threat’ to social stability. I am not allowed to leave Hangzhou, nor am I allowed to say or write anything. There are several surveillance cameras installed downstairs just to watch me. Because I can’t step out of Hangzhou, they will call if I cross the Qiantang River. The police come to the house every week to take pictures. I have been suffering for so many years.
~Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent of ChinaAid
