Li Boguang

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Li Boguang
李柏光
Li Boguang in May 2006
Born(1968-10-01)October 1, 1968
Jiahe County, Hunan
DiedFebruary 26, 2018(2018-02-26) (aged 49)[1]
Beijing
NationalityChinese
Alma materPeking University
Occupation(s)Lawyer, human rights activist, writer, translator, publisher
Years active1997 — 2018[2]
Known forTangshan protest
AwardsNational Endowment for Democracy – Democracy Award 2008[3]
Weiquan lawyers
Background
Lawyers and legal scholars
Organizations
Cases and events
In this Chinese name, the family name is Li.
Li Boguang
Hanyu Pinyin
Lǐ Bóguāng
Wade–GilesLǐh Pǎikwāng
IPA[lì pwǒkwáŋ]
Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem
on February 7, 2018.

Li Boguang (Chinese: 李柏光; pinyin: Lǐ Bóguāng; 1 October 1968 – 26 February 2018) was a Chinese legal scholar and human rights activist. Li was born in a mountain village in Jiahe County, Hunan province. He was the youngest son among seven children in poor family. When his father died Li was only 7 years old.[4][5]

In his capacity as the director of the Qimin Research Institute in Beijing,[6] Li supported farmers in seeking compensation for confiscated farmland. He was arrested in 2004 following his involvement in the Tangshan protest, which led to international attention being paid to his plight by human rights groups.[7] Li was the victim of a physical assault in 2016.[8] He died in February 2018, with the Chinese government attributing his death to liver disease.[9] This provoked controversy, with media outlets considering his demise to be "suspicious",[3][10][11] given the Chinese government's track record on human rights.[1]

Career

Teaching

Li studied Philosophy, Politics and Law at university, obtaining his Masters and Doctoral degrees from Peking University. In 1997, he became Professor of Law at Hainan University, but lost the role after being arrested the following year.[2]

Tangshan protest

Li became known internationally in 2004 as a result of his efforts to promote the rights of farmers in the

Tangshan Protest Zhang Youren was detained, and a crackdown on rights activists was instigated by the authorities.[14][15]

Other farmers' protests

In the same year, Li published an article which examined the impact of corruption on the lives of farmers. The article, entitled "Can Citizens Dismiss a Mayor" was published in Modern Civilisation Pictorial, No 12.

central government regarding a land dispute.[17]

A hallmark of the protests in both Fujian and Hebei was the immense pressure that was put on villagers by the police force to denounce Li Boguang and his fellow activists.[18] This culminated in December 2004, when Li was arrested by the police in Fu’an. He was charged with defrauding farmers.[19] Police reportedly searched his home in Beijing, confiscating computers and documents.

In March 2005, AFP reported that Li had been released on condition that he remain in Beijing and have no contact with farmers or others seeking to petition the government about abuses by local officials.[20][21] The actual date of release was later reported as 21 January.[22]

Religious activism

There have been claims that Li was affiliated with the Fangzhou Congregation, a

International PEN.[24] He also defended multiple Christians who had been arrested by the government, protecting them from perceived persecution.[25]

Book business

While proofreading in 1998, Li once read works by the

Robert A. Dahl and Niccolò Machiavelli, and published the books through Chinese publishing houses.[4]

Trip to the US

Li,

President of United States George W. Bush in the White House on 11 May.[5]

Baptism

Prompted by his reading of Samuel Smiles, Li started to read the Bible in 1999. He began to visit a Beijing church in 2005 and was baptized on 30 July 2005 there.[5]

Death

Li Boguang's death was reported by the Chinese government on 26 February 2018, with the cause of death attributed to liver disease,[9] despite his clear health record.[26]

Allegations of foul play

However, this description courted controversy, with activists and media outlets alike considering his demise to be "suspicious",

human rights record and the welfare of those who oppose the authorities.[28] The government's treatment of Li was already under scrutiny following the assault perpetrated by men with alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party in 2016,[8] and further threats which had allegedly been levied against him.[11]

International commentators remarked on the similarity between Li's death and that of Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo in 2017.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Unul dintre cei mai duri critici ai regimului de la Beijing, mort în condiţii suspecte. Avea 49 de ani şi era un militant foarte activ" (in Romanian). 26 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Chrlawyers.hk" Li Boguang (李柏光). China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group.
  3. ^ a b c "Chinese rights lawyer dies under mysterious circumstances". Associated Press. 26 February 2018. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018 – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  4. ^ a b Yaxue, Cao (20 March 2018). "The Might of an Ant: the Story of Lawyer Li Baiguang (1 of 2)". China Change. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Yaxue, Cao (21 March 2018). "The Might of an Ant: the Story of Lawyer Li Baiguang (2 of 2)". China Change. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Chinese Police Harass Journalist Who Covered Tangshan Protest". Radio Free Asia. 2004-07-14. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  7. ^ "China – "We could disappear at any time"" (PDF). Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  8. ^ a b Ide, William (21 October 2017). "Chinese Leader's Call for Democracy, Justice, Clashes With Crackdown on Dissent".
  9. ^
    Central News Agency
    (in Chinese (Taiwan)).
  10. ^ a b Shepherd, Christian (26 February 2018). "Death of Chinese rights lawyer raises suspicions". Reuters.
  11. ^ a b c "Sudden Death of Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Raises Suspicions". Radio Free Asia.
  12. ^ "News". www.rfa.org.
  13. ^ a b "Chinese Authorities Release Farmers' Rights Activist on Bail But Restrict His Activities – Congressional-Executive Commission on China". www.cecc.gov.
  14. ^ "arbitrary detention". Worldwide Movement for Human Rights.
  15. ^ "Background on Zhao Yan's arrest – Human Rights in China 中国人权 – HRIC". www.hrichina.org.
  16. ^ PRC: Arrest of Writers, International PEN, January 04, 2005, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link),
  17. ^ PRC: Human Rights Defenders at Risk, Amnesty International, March 01, 2005 "China: Human Rights Defenders at Risk : Update - Amnesty International". Archived from the original on 2006-10-18. Retrieved 2006-10-18.
  18. ^ "Politics". www.rfa.org.
  19. ^ Kahn, Joseph (20 December 2004). "China Detains a Human Rights Activist". New York Times. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  20. ^ Annual Report 2005, Committee of Concerned Scientists Archived 2006-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ "Chinese Authorities Release Farmers' Rights Activist on Bail But Restrict His Activities". Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  22. ^ "China: "We Could Disappear At Any Time": Appendix". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  23. ^ "Going to church on Sundays is a drag, but this is ridiculous …". 3 May 2022.
  24. ^ Writer held as China turns on intellectuals, The Guardian, December 22, 2004 [1]
  25. ^ "CHINA: China tries Christian church members on spying, illegal business charges – Human Rights Without Frontiers". hrwf.eu.
  26. ^ "Questions raised over death of 'healthy' rights lawyer in hospital". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
  27. ^ "Suspicious Death of Chinese Human Rights Lawyer – Christian Solidarity Worldwide". www.csw.org.uk.
  28. ^ "Chinese rights lawyer 'mysteriously' dies in hospital". 26 February 2018.
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