They'll even detain your friends...

If you dissent, your family and friend will be targeted....

A Chinese writer who fled the country last year has alleged officials have detained a friend for seven months in the mistaken belief that he funded the escape.

Liao Yiwu, now living in Germany, has issued an appeal urging writers and human rights campaigners to call for Li Bifeng's release.

News of Li's detention comes amid growing concern for He Peirong, who said she had helped blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng escape house arrest last week, and Guo Yushan, another sympathiser. Both are thought to have been detained – highlighting the risks faced by those who support activists and dissidents.
Liao slipped across the border into Vietnam last July after authorities had denied him permission to leave China 17 times.

He said state security officers in south-western Sichuan province had detained Li two months later and that a court was likely to consider his case on 8 May, although prosecutors had twice rejected attempts to charge him with economic crimes.

"The 'pretext' provided this time was too far-fetched even for the Communist party," he wrote.
"I recently learned from several channels that the police arrested Li Bifeng because of me. The police suspect [he] financed my escape – this is a groundless lie."

Li, who is also a poet and author, was jailed for five years for his involvement in the 1989 pro-democracy movement. In 1998, he was jailed for fraud over the sale of a safebox from his workplace, shortly after investigating a strike by textile workers and writing an open letter to authorities about his findings.

Don't forget our upcoming film and panel discussion on China in Canada.  NO holds barred - this will be one hard-hitting forum in Ottawa on May 28th.  Set your calendars now!