Zhou Decai () is a civil rights and democracy activist from Gushi county in

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

province,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. Zhou was a farmer-turned-businessman who became active in advocating for civil rights. As a young activist, Zhou attempted to mobilize a number of protests in his hometown against excessive taxes being levied on the citizenry. After several unsuccessful attempts to galvanize protests, he moved to the southern

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

province as a migrant worker, but continued writing political essays on calling for multiparty democracy. In 2002, he attempted to organize a pro-democracy demonstration on

Tiananmen Square Tiananmen Square or Tian'anmen Square (; 天安门广场; Pinyin: ''Tiān'ānmén Guǎngchǎng''; Wade–Giles: ''Tʻien1-an1-mên2 Kuang3-chʻang3'') is a city square in the city center of Beijing, China, named after the eponymous Tiananmen (" ...

. In 2011, Zhou attempted to run as an independent political candidate in the local People's Congress election.Chris Buckley
China activists challenge power with election push
Reuters, 21 September 2011. Although China's constitution protects the rights of any citizens over the age of 18 to vote and run for local election, in practice these positions are generally filled by

Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...

-appointed candidates. Individuals who attempt to run as independents or self-nominated candidates sometimes face repercussions, including jail terms.Russell Leigh Moses
"Will Independent Candidates Light a Fire Under Beijing"
The Wall Street Journal, 3 June 2011. Chinese authorities have declared that there is "no such thing" as independent political candidates. Nonetheless, Zhou is one of a growing number of grassroots rights activists who have run in local elections as independent candidates. On 28 February 2012, authorities in Henan province detained Zhou and formally arrested him on charges of "gathering a crowd to disrupt social order" on 10 March. The

Congressional-Executive Commission on China The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) is an independent agency of the U.S. government which monitors human rights and rule of law developments in the People's Republic of China. It was created in October 2001 under Title III of ...

describes him as a political prisoner.Congressional-Executive Commission on China
Political Prisoner Database:Zhou Decai
Prior to his detention Zhou was preparing to travel to

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

to attend a seminar on labor rights.Amnesty International
China Human Rights Briefing
March 27-April 2, 2012. While in custody at the Gushi county detention center, Zhou staged a hunger strike.CHRD
"Henan Activist Zhou Decai on Hunger Strike in Detention”
(河南固始维权人士周德才在看守所中绝食), May 17, 2012. He stood trial during a closed hearing in June, and on 3 September 2012, was sentenced to five years in prison by the Gushi county People's Court.Grace Kei Lai-see

Radio Free Asia, 6 September 2012. His wife, Liu Baoqin, was reportedly barred from attending the trial, and says she was later beaten by unidentified men. Liu told ''

Radio Free Asia Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a United States government-funded private non-profit news service that broadcasts radio programs and publishes online news, information, and commentary for its audiences in Asia. The service, which provides editoriall ...

'' that she believed the sentence was retaliation for her husband's advocacy on behalf of farmers whose land had been requisitioned to make room for development projects.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhou, Decai Prisoners and detainees of China Living people Chinese dissidents Year of birth missing (living people)

See also

References