[The Epoch Times, January 18, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Xu Jian comprehensive report) Although many overseas Chinese have difficulties returning to China during the epidemic, a new report shows that the CCP captured more than 2,500 so-called “overseas fugitives” during the epidemic , and the methods of persecuting them range from “family intimidation” to “state kidnapping”.
The CCP has hunted a lot of foxes during the epidemic
On Tuesday (January 18), Safeguard Defenders, an NGO that focuses on human rights in Asia, released a report that despite international lockdowns and travel restrictions during the pandemic, at least 1,421 people were taken in 2020, according to CCP figures. Back in China, at least 1,114 people will be brought back to China in 2021, and these figures only include those suspected of “economic crimes” or crimes “related to official business.”
In December last year, the CCP’s Disciplinary Inspection Commission claimed that the work of the year was so-called “fruitful”.
In February 2021, the National Supervisory Commission of the Communist Party of China relaunched the so-called “Skynet” plan, expanding the pursuit of “fugitive criminals” in the political, legal and civil affairs fields.
Human rights groups say the CCP has targeted human rights activists and dissidents, including Uighurs and Hong Kongers living overseas, through its pursuit operations. Last July, the Uyghur Human Rights Project documented 395 cases of Uyghurs deported, extradited or returned to China.
The CCP’s various nasty methods to hunt down overseas Chinese
The CCP’s methods of forcing “fugitives” to return to China are either indecent or suspected of being illegal.
The report stated that, in addition to formal bilateral agreements on extradition and deportation, methods of forced return include refusing to renew passports, misusing Interpol’s red notices, intimidating family members living in China, prohibiting them from leaving the country, etc. Agents conduct face-to-face threats on foreign soil.
For example, last year, 19-year-old U.S. permanent resident Wang Jingyu was wanted by the CCP because he questioned the number of casualties of the communist army during the Sino-Indian border conflict in 2020. The CCP repeatedly harassed and detained his parents in an attempt to force him to return to China.
According to data from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, 44 of the 60 “100 most wanted criminals” who returned to China between 2014 and June 2020 were persuaded to return or “returned to China on their own,” accounting for nearly 75%.
The CCP also sends police officers, agents or non-government members overseas to force the target person to return to China by directly or indirectly harassing the target person’s overseas friends, family or colleagues.
“Unconventional method” – overseas kidnapping
In more extreme cases, the report said, China would carry out kidnappings, which Beijing described as an “unconventional method.” The report said these would conduct covert operations with police in host countries or lure targets to third countries where they could be extradited.
Safeguard Defenders profiled 80 attempted kidnappings by the Chinese Communist Party, about half of which were successful. The kidnapping targets are located in dozens of countries, including the US, UK and Australia.
Chinese authorities have publicly praised the overseas arrest plan, and in 2015 the Central Discipline Inspection Commission notified that more than 70 so-called “working groups” had been dispatched to 90 countries and regions. But China has consistently denied that its actions were kidnappings or violations of foreign and international law.
“Protection Defender” calls on governments around the world to terminate extradition treaties with the CCP, “Although there are legitimate reasons to conduct international judicial cooperation with Beijing, China (the CCP) violates the judicial sovereignty of other countries and breaks the practice of international judicial cooperation, which damages the The trust needed to carry out such collaborations or to continue existing ones,” the report said.
Responsible editor: Li Ling#