A GROUP of women’s-rights activists had planned to mark International Women’s Day on March 8th by handing out leaflets and stickers in several Chinese cities to draw attention to the prevalence of sexual harassment on public transport. But the authorities decided to observe the day in a different way—by detaining at least ten of the women. Five remain in custody, charged with the crime of “picking quarrels and causing trouble”, a frequently used catch-all for locking up dissidents. Fellow feminists fear this heralds greater government opposition to their campaigning.
Women’s Day is officially observed in China: women are even, theoretically, allowed to take half a day off. But it also coincides with the brief annual meeting of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC), which this year ended on March 15th. The authorities are always hyper-vigilant around the time of the parliamentary session, fearful that citizens might use the occasion to draw attention to their grievances. Dissidents of all stripes are kept under close watch.
The continued detention of some of the activists...Continue reading
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