Overseas Democracy Activists Form Fasting Group to Support Xu Zhiyong

"Xu Zhiyong, initiator of the 'New Citizens' Movement,' has been awarded the 34th Outstanding Chinese Democracy Activist Award." (video screenshot)

People News Report– News of renowned Chinese legal scholar Xu Zhiyong’s hunger strike in prison for his rights has reached overseas. A group of Chinese democracy activists in Los Angeles, California, formed a fasting group to support Xu Zhiyong in relay fashion.

Relay Hunger Strike to Support Xu Zhiyong; Dozens Register

According to Radio Free Asia, this relay hunger strike activity is organized by the National Committee of the China Democracy Party and officially began on October 23, set to continue at least until mid-November. Participants in the activity will announce their fasting dates on social media, with the relay format involving two people fasting daily, with two others taking over the next day.

Human rights lawyer Chen Chuangchuang participated in the first day of the hunger strike on October 23. He told Radio Free Asia that the number of participants in this activity exceeded expectations: "Initially, the proposal was for one person a day in a relay hunger strike. Very soon, over ten people registered. We also didn’t want the relay hunger strike to go on indefinitely, so I suggested having two people per day."

So far, dozens have signed up for this relay hunger strike, which has been scheduled to continue until mid-November. Each participant in the activity will refrain from eating on their fasting day, only drinking water. Chen Chuangchuang said that earlier, Xu Zhiyong had stated in an article that a hunger strike in prison wasn’t an ideal approach for political prisoners, but "he knew the situation and still made this decision, which shows that the authorities’ persecution has reached a level that Dr. Xu can no longer tolerate. Therefore, we certainly condemn the CCP’s violation of his rights in prison and urge Dr. Xu to take care of his health and resume eating when he can."

Xu Zhiyong is a Doctor of Law and a key initiator of China’s New Citizens' Movement. He taught at the School of Humanities, Law, and Economics at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. In 2014, he was sentenced by the Chinese authorities to four years for "endangering public safety." In 2023, he was sentenced again by the Chinese authorities to 14 years on charges of "subverting state power." Starting on October 4, Xu Zhiyong began a hunger strike in protest of long-term abuse and denial of communication rights with family in prison. His weight dropped over 10 pounds within 20 days of starting the hunger strike, and his health condition rapidly worsened.

Guo Bin, a democracy activist in the U.S. who joined the hunger strike on October 25, once attended a graduate admission interview for the School of Humanities at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications in 2019. This school was formerly one of the schools where Xu Zhiyong taught in the School of Law and Economics. Guo Bin said that during the interview, he experienced a half-hour-long session organized by a specialized Party secretary, during which he was asked if he knew Xu Zhiyong. It was after this that he learned about Xu Zhiyong's actions. Before enrolling in graduate school, Guo Bin worked a summer job at a street stall, and when seeking unpaid wages, he was beaten by the police.

Guo Bin shared his feelings about Xu Zhiyong: "He has been a strong voice for the poor and vulnerable. (For instance), in the early 2000s, there was the Sun Zhigang case. In 2019, I was beaten by the police, and I felt that he pushed for justice in the Sun Zhigang case, and there are likely countless cases like this. Mine is a small matter. He spoke up for the underprivileged and promoted reform in systems and laws. He is a very great person, so I feel that I must support him."

The Sun Zhigang case occurred in 2003. A college student named Sun Zhigang was detained and beaten to death by Guangzhou police after being taken to a detention center. In response, Xu Zhiyong, along with two other Doctors of Law, Yu Jiang and Teng Biao, sent a letter to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the CCP, pushing for the abolition of the custody and repatriation system.

Hunger Strike Group Participants: Expressing Support for Xu Zhiyong, Experiencing Xu Zhiyong’s Feelings

Guo Bin said that after a day of fasting, his experience was: "I felt fine; I slept until the morning, then worked, and around three or four in the afternoon, I felt a bit hungry. When busy, I forgot about it. I drank some water, and the evening was okay. There was some hunger, but it was manageable. It was also to express my support for him (Xu Zhiyong)."

Zheng Min, a member of the China Democracy Party who joined the hunger strike with Guo Bin on October 25, told Radio Free Asia that she didn’t feel hungry in the morning, felt slightly hungry from one to three in the afternoon, but since she was working continuously, her attention stayed on work. However, around six or seven in the evening, hunger struck, her stomach grumbled, so she quickly took a shower and did some laundry to help herself rest. She expressed concern over Xu Zhiyong's condition: "I saw on Twitter that Dr. Xu had been on a hunger strike for 20 days, and I'm very worried about his health. I feel I must join to support him and protest the CCP’s torture against him."

Geng Guanjun, the Los Angeles Regional Committee Chair of the National Committee of the China Democracy Party, who participated in the hunger strike on October 24, said that everyone participating in the hunger strike is writing down their feelings and condition. His personal experience on the fasting day was: "By noon, I felt quite uncomfortable with hunger, but by evening, I felt better. The main purpose was to experience, through physical sensations, what Xu Zhiyong has felt after more than 20 days of hunger strike, and through this form, to better understand what Xu Zhiyong is doing."