Chinese Police Adopts North Korea’s ‘Three Generations of Punishment’
CommentaryA recent report by human rights NGO Safeguard Defenders reveals that the Chinese police have adopted North Korea’s “three generations of punishment,” in which three generations of a political offender’s family can be imprisoned or executed despite not having committed a crime themselves. Similar to the concept of “guilt by association,” Chinese police use this form of punishment to target individuals deemed a threat to the regime. It’s not unheard of that the Chinese police use threats against a targeted individual’s loved ones, including children, spouses, or even parents. For example, they use this method to get rights defenders and activists to do what they demand, especially when torture is not enough. However, new revelations expose a greater scope and systematic approach to such behavior. According to Safeguard Defenders, when the Chinese regime wants high-profile dissenters or exiles to return to China “voluntarily,” it not only detains or arrests them, but even imprisons innocent relatives. Safeguard Defenders released a new report on the massive increase in operations by Chinese police to “persuade” Chinese nationals abroad to return to China to face criminal charges. Chinese state media claim that 230,000 Chinese nationals returned through such “persuasion” between April 2021 and July 2022. The figures are remarkable, especially during travel restrictions, particularly to and from China. Most media reported on this data and the fact that Chinese police have established “service stations” overseas. So far, 54 have been uncovered in 30 countries, but the actual number could be higher. Safeguard Defenders found that in the “service stations” in Spain and Serbia, there are government documents that reveal how these stations operate with Chinese police to track targeted individuals and assist in forcing them to return to China. Moreover, Safeguard Defenders discovered a series of police and government notices and documents showing how far local police are instructed to “persuade” these targetted individuals to return to China. For example, the documents reveal that authorities pressure family members by preventing them from taking out loans, suspending their medical insurance, and confiscating their passports. Of all the methods, perhaps the most Orwellian in nature is the instruction that the police can deny a child’s right to an education. Police officers have even admitted that some of those sought after have not actually committed any crime but are targeted nonetheless, and the same techniques outlined above are all fair play. It is a remarkable development for a country that, for a while, at least pretended to try to develop something akin to a system of rules within its legal system. In fact, one official notice makes it illegal for Chinese nationals to live in nine forbidden countries and that they must return, even if they are not accused of any wrongdoing, including places like Turkey, Thailand, and many other South East Asian countries. The lawlessness within Chinese police enforcement is seemingly spreading, and instead of being limited to high-profile human rights defenders and critics, it is now being used on a grander scale by local police, no matter the cost, to achieve their aim of greater control. Is this what we can expect from China under Xi Jinping during his third term, a country entirely devoid of adherence to the law and the adoption of North Korean-style “guilt by association”? For a country that governs through fear, “guilt by association” might be one of the most potent tools—things are certainly not looking bright for the near future. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Follow Peter Dahlin is the founder of the NGO Safeguard Defenders and the co-founder of the Beijing-based Chinese NGO China Action (2007–2016). He is the author of “Trial By Media,” and contributor to “The People’s Republic of the Disappeared.” He lived in Beijing from 2007, until detained and placed in a secret jail in 2016, subsequently deported and banned. Prior to living in China, he worked for the Swedish government with gender equality issues, and now lives in Madrid, Spain.
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Commentary
A recent report by human rights NGO Safeguard Defenders reveals that the Chinese police have adopted North Korea’s “three generations of punishment,” in which three generations of a political offender’s family can be imprisoned or executed despite not having committed a crime themselves. Similar to the concept of “guilt by association,” Chinese police use this form of punishment to target individuals deemed a threat to the regime.
It’s not unheard of that the Chinese police use threats against a targeted individual’s loved ones, including children, spouses, or even parents. For example, they use this method to get rights defenders and activists to do what they demand, especially when torture is not enough.
However, new revelations expose a greater scope and systematic approach to such behavior. According to Safeguard Defenders, when the Chinese regime wants high-profile dissenters or exiles to return to China “voluntarily,” it not only detains or arrests them, but even imprisons innocent relatives.
Safeguard Defenders released a new report on the massive increase in operations by Chinese police to “persuade” Chinese nationals abroad to return to China to face criminal charges. Chinese state media claim that 230,000 Chinese nationals returned through such “persuasion” between April 2021 and July 2022. The figures are remarkable, especially during travel restrictions, particularly to and from China.
Most media reported on this data and the fact that Chinese police have established “service stations” overseas. So far, 54 have been uncovered in 30 countries, but the actual number could be higher. Safeguard Defenders found that in the “service stations” in Spain and Serbia, there are government documents that reveal how these stations operate with Chinese police to track targeted individuals and assist in forcing them to return to China.
Moreover, Safeguard Defenders discovered a series of police and government notices and documents showing how far local police are instructed to “persuade” these targetted individuals to return to China. For example, the documents reveal that authorities pressure family members by preventing them from taking out loans, suspending their medical insurance, and confiscating their passports. Of all the methods, perhaps the most Orwellian in nature is the instruction that the police can deny a child’s right to an education.
Police officers have even admitted that some of those sought after have not actually committed any crime but are targeted nonetheless, and the same techniques outlined above are all fair play. It is a remarkable development for a country that, for a while, at least pretended to try to develop something akin to a system of rules within its legal system. In fact, one official notice makes it illegal for Chinese nationals to live in nine forbidden countries and that they must return, even if they are not accused of any wrongdoing, including places like Turkey, Thailand, and many other South East Asian countries.
The lawlessness within Chinese police enforcement is seemingly spreading, and instead of being limited to high-profile human rights defenders and critics, it is now being used on a grander scale by local police, no matter the cost, to achieve their aim of greater control.
Is this what we can expect from China under Xi Jinping during his third term, a country entirely devoid of adherence to the law and the adoption of North Korean-style “guilt by association”? For a country that governs through fear, “guilt by association” might be one of the most potent tools—things are certainly not looking bright for the near future.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
