Urgent Statement Regarding the Criminal Detention of Wang Gongquan
Around 11:30 am on September 13, 2013, Beijing time, two dozen or so police officers arrived at the home of Mr. Wang Gongquan (王功权), and took him away with them after searching for two hours. At 8:17 pm, the police announced that Mr. Wang was criminally detained, and a notice of such was served to his family. He was suspected of “disrupting order in a public place.”
This is an absurd accusation and Mr. Wang Gongquan could not possibly have disrupted order in any public places.
Mr. Wang Gongquan is a staunch supporter of the New Citizens’ Movement. His hope is that the Movement will help citizens to press for their civil rights guaranteed by the Constitution through peaceful and legal approaches, to promote China’s peaceful transformation toward a more humane, freer, more just, and more loving society. Such are his values as a devoted Buddhist, a humanitarian, and a peace-lover.