Su Changlan

Su Changlan (Chinese: 苏昌兰; pinyin: Sū Chānglán; born c. 1971)[2] is a prominent civil rights activist, who has worked in particular on women's rights, from Foshan, Guangdong, China.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Su.
Su Changlan
苏昌兰
Born1970 or 1971 (age 52–53)
Guangxi[1]
Known forCivil rights advocacy

Background

Su was born in Guangxi, and worked as an elementary school teacher for over a decade.[1] She became involved in human rights activism after local authorities seized farmland in her home village, Sanshan in Foshan, in 2005. She taught herself law, and later began to help other women seek land rights protection. Over the next few years, Su campaigned for improving the government's response to other women's rights issues, including domestic violence, sex trafficking and sexual assault, and provided legal advice to victims in those cases.

Between 2014 and 2017 she served a three-year prison sentence in Nanhai Detention Centre for "inciting subversion of state power" after posting messages on social media supporting the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong.[3]

Imprisonment

Su was questioned by police on 12 September and 5 October 2014. On 27 October 2014 she was detained and taken to Nanhai Guicheng local police station by four police officers on suspicion of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble". Information about her whereabouts was withheld from her family.

On 3 December 2014, Su was formally charged with “inciting subversion” and was tried alongside fellow activist Chen Qitang[3][4] in the Foshan City Intermediate People's Court on 31 March 2017. Su's guilty verdict and three-year sentence, which was dated from the first day of her detention, were announced that same day.

On 8 June 2017, the Court denied her request for an appeal hearing.[5]

Su was held with between 50 and 70 other inmates in an 80 square-metre cell, with a sleeping space of little more than 50 cm wide, and inadequate hygiene facilities.[6] She suffered from hyperthyroidism, heart arrhythmia, and tremors, and was hospitalized several times during her detention. Authorities denied multiple requests by Su's lawyer for bail on medical grounds.[3][4]

In March 2017, Chinese Human Rights Defenders awarded Su the 2017 Cao Shunli Memorial Award for Human Rights Defenders.[7]

On 26 October 2017, Su was released from Nanhai Detention Centre.[8]

International response

Amnesty International considered her a Prisoner of Conscience, held solely for peacefully exercising her human right to freedom of expression. They issued an Urgent Action and campaigned on her behalf.[6][9] The United Nations judged Su's detention as "arbitrary", and called on the Chinese government to release and compensate her.[7]

References
  1. "Su Changlan Named 2017 Recipient of Cao Shunli Memorial Award for Human Rights Defenders". Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  2. "Su Changlan's story is the story of many Chinese women". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  3. "China: 3 Activists Convicted on Bogus Charges". Human Rights Watch. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  4. Wu, Venus; Wong, Katy (31 March 2017). "Two Chinese activists who backed HK democracy protests jailed". Writing by James Pomfret, editing by Michael Perry. Reuters.com. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  5. "Su Changlan". Front Line Defenders. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  6. "China: Released women's right activist in need of urgent medical care". www.amnesty.org. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  7. "Fears grow for health of Chinese women's rights activist Su Changlan". Radio Free Asia. 27 June 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  8. "China releases activist who supported HK democracy". The Straits Times. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  9. "China: Jailed activists expose President Xi's hypocrisy on women's human rights ahead of UN summit". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
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