(Guangdong province) Life hangs in the balance for prominent Chinese human rights activist Guo Feixiong due to his hunger strike in prison. Chinese authorities arrested him in January 2021 as he prepared to visit his critically ill wife. Guo Feixiong was sentenced in May to eight years, which is his third prison term.
Startling health condition
Updates from the Guo Feixiong Concern Group on September 19th stated that the jailed activist has continued to refuse food in prison. According to some reports, he is now so thin to the point of “skin and bones.” His weight dropped to approximately 91 pounds, significantly disproportionate to his height. In recent days, he experienced temperature imbalances, with his body fluctuating between feeling cold and feverish. He endures irregular fever episodes, frequent dizziness, and unsteadiness when standing.
More medical concerns
A medical examination report indicated that Guo Feixiong’s health is severely compromised. He has thyroid nodules and a slight lung infection. Additionally, he has intestinal polyps, elevated levels of intestinal tumor markers, and higher-than-normal liver enzymes.
Hunger Strike
In June of this year, when Guo Feixiong was sentenced, he promised his family that he would end his hunger strike. However, dissatisfied with his imprisonment, he continued as a form of protest. Prison authorities resorted to forcibly feeding him with nutrition to sustain his life.
Request for transfer
Guo Feixiong mentioned that the prison in Sihui was too cold and requested to be transferred to Panyu Prison in Guangdong. Guards refused, citing that Panyu Prison is where high-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials are held.
Negotiations for Guo Feixiong
Guo Feixiong’s older sister, Dr. Yang Maoping, engaged in negotiations with the Political Security Protection Bureau to improve her brother’s nutritional intake. She also tried to provide him with medical care. The political security officers warned Guo Feixiong’s sister not to “pull any tricks,” implying that she should not file complaints with higher authorities.
Other hunger strikes
Public security bureau officials mocked the rights activist, saying that he is no longer of interest, and that everyone is focused on Zhang Zhan. The imprisoned citizen journalist is currently imprisoned in Shanghai Women’s Prison after exposing the Chinese government’s inadequate response during the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. She was previously on a hunger strike as well.
Lack of response
Meanwhile, Guo Feixiong has not received several letters written by his sister. Dr. Yang Maoping has approached the Prison Administration and other relevant authorities to report her brother’s situation. However they have not responded to her thus far.
Background
Guo Feixiong, originally named Yang Maodong, was born in 1966 in Gucheng County, Hebei province. He is a renowned Chinese human rights activist. In 2015, he was awarded the “Front Line Defenders Award” by an Irish human rights organization.
11 years in prison
Guo Feixiong had previously been imprisoned for his involvement in civil rights activities. He was imprisoned for a total of 11 years. Once, they imprisoned him from 2006 to 2011. In August 2013, he was arrested again for “gathering a crowd to disrupt public order.” Authorities tortured Guo and sentenced him to six years, He was released in 2019.
Zhang Qing
In January 2021, Zhang Qing was critically ill with cancer. Guo Feixiong repeatedly implored the Chinese authorities to allow him to visit her and their children. On January 28, 2021, he was at Shanghai Pudong International Airport preparing to board a flight to the United States. Police charged him with “endangering national security.”
Zhang Qing passed before her husband could visit her.
A Hawk in a snare
Guo Feixiong’s friend and activist Yang Zili, said, “Feixiong is like a hawk trapped in a snare but cannot be tamed, preferring to starve rather than take the hunter’s bait. He is about to pay the price of his life for the pursuit of freedom. Let us continue to pay attention [to him]!”
ChinaAid Association calls on the Chinese government to release Guo Feixiong on humanitarian grounds and ensure his basic rights, including access to medical treatment.
