(Sichuan — April 29, 2026) On April 29, Chinese human rights lawyer Lu Siwei (卢思位) was subjected to close-range surveillance and harassment by government personnel in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. According to fellow rights lawyer Xu Silong (许思龙), while staying at a hotel in Chengdu, Lu Siwei was closely followed “like a shadow” by two men claiming to be government staff.
A four-minute video from the scene has drawn widespread attention on social media. The footage captures a confrontation between Lu Siwei and the two plainclothes individuals inside the hotel. In the video, when faced with infringement of his rights, Lu Siwei firmly challenges the legality of their actions on just grounds, questioning the legal basis for the surveillance and harassment. The two men respond ambiguously and appear uneasy; one claims their actions are “required for work” and states that the purpose is to provide Lu Siwei with “bangjiao.”
T/N: Bangjiao literally means assistance and education, referring to community efforts to reintegrate offenders.
Observers note that the plainclothes personnel, when faced with Lu Siwei’s professional questioning, alternated between evasiveness and subtle intimidation. One of the individuals has reportedly been identified as Jiao Zilian (焦自连)。
“The term ‘bangjiao’ is legally absurd,” commented an observer who has long followed China’s community of rights defense lawyers. “In reality, it represents arbitrary infringement by administrative power on citizens’ personal freedom.”
Analysis outside of China suggests that the individuals involved may be grassroots judicial office staff. Although no physical confrontation occurred, the situation remains highly precarious. Commentators note that such personnel are typically tasked with surveillance; had frontline police officers been involved, rights lawyers often face more severe consequences, including physical harm, illegal detention, or the forced confiscation of communication devices.
Lu Siwei is one of the most prominent human rights lawyers in China in recent years, having handled cases including that of Yu Wensheng (余文生) and the “Hong Kong 12.” Due to his continued defense of clients’ legal rights, his law license was revoked in 2021, and he has since remained under strict and prolonged surveillance.
In 2023, Lu was arrested and repatriated while attempting to travel through Laos to the United States to reunite with his family. He was later released on bail pending trial and subsequently sentenced to imprisonment. This Chengdu “bangjiao” incident is widely seen as part of ongoing normalized surveillance and restrictions on his movement and social interactions.
Such practices of tracking and harassing dissidents, rights lawyers, and petitioners have become a routine method for maintaining control. International human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned these actions as serious violations of China’s constitutional protections of personal freedom.
Lu Siwei is one of the most prominent human rights lawyers in China in recent years, having handled cases including that of Yu Wensheng and the “Hong Kong 12.” Due to his continued defense of clients’ legal rights, his law license was revoked in 2021, and he has since remained under strict and prolonged surveillance.
In 2023, Lu Siwei was arrested and repatriated while attempting to travel through Laos to the United States to reunite with his family. He was later released on bail pending trial and subsequently sentenced to imprisonment. This Chengdu “assistance and education” incident is widely seen as part of ongoing normalized surveillance and restrictions on his movement and social interactions.
Such practices of tracking and harassing dissidents, rights lawyers, and petitioners have become a routine method for maintaining control. International human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned these actions as serious violations of China’s constitutional protections of personal freedom.
