New Book Publication & Seminar | "My Motherland Has a Mental Illness: An Investigation into the Phenomenon of Being 'Mentally Hospitalized' in China"

"Being mentally hospitalized" is a tactic used by authoritarian governments to suppress dissidents.
It refers to individuals without actual physical or mental health issues who are forcibly labeled with mental illnesses and have their personal freedom restricted in the name of "treatment."
Following such forced hospitalization, many individuals endure torture and coerced confessions during their "treatment," subsequently developing various physical and mental disorders.

This new book, "My Motherland Has a Mental Illness: An Investigation into the Phenomenon of Being 'Mentally Hospitalized' in China," compiles years of investigative research by Chinese citizen journalist Kao Chien. It delves into human rights violations where the Chinese government abuses mental illness diagnoses to target dissidents and rights defenders, serving as an important documentary work on contemporary Chinese society.

We have also invited a Chinese human rights lawyer who compiled this year's latest updates and cases, having authored the "2021 Annual Report on Mental Health and Human Rights (Forced Psychiatric Commitment) in China." They will share the latest developments regarding forced psychiatric commitments in China based on their current information.
As for the treatment dissidents and political prisoners may face after being forcibly hospitalized, we can look to Taiwan's past experiences for reference.

Professor Ch'en Chin-chin, currently a professor in the Department of History at National Dong Hwa University, specializes in the study of Chiang Kai-shek and Republican political history, post-war Taiwanese history, and oral history. He has previously conducted interviews with political victims at Yuli Hospital, as well as hospital doctors and psychological counselors, uncovering the physical and mental health issues encountered by political prisoners in psychiatric sanatoriums during the White Terror era. We have invited him to share his interview experiences regarding Yuli Hospital to help us understand the historical issue of forced psychiatric commitments in Taiwan during the authoritarian era.

Online Registration

Speakers

Keynote Speaker: A Chinese human rights lawyer (identity withheld for security reasons)
Discussant: Professor Ch'en Chin-chin, Department of History, National Dong Hwa University

Time

July 9, 18:30-20:30

Venue

1F, No. 151-1, Sec. 2, Keelung Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City
1841 Bistro & Books

※ The first ten attendees to enter will receive a complimentary copy of "My Motherland Has a Mental Illness," along with one soft drink per person