Human Rights in China
Focus Areas
Chinese Human Rights Lawyers
Standing in solidarity with rights-defending lawyers in China who have had their licenses revoked, been arrested, or been subjected to enforced disappearance, including T'ang Chi-t'an, Liu Wei, Wang Yü, Yü Wen-sheng, and others.
The Li Ming-che Case
Taiwanese citizen Li Ming-che lost contact after traveling to China in March 2017 and was sentenced to 5 years in prison in November of that year. JRF has continued to monitor and advocate for him, and Li Ming-che returned to Taiwan upon completing his sentence in April 2022.
International Monitoring Mechanisms
Calling on the United Nations to establish an independent monitoring mechanism for human rights violations in China, and urging the international community to jointly respond to China's suppression of civil society.
Taiwanese in China
Tracking Taiwanese citizens subjected to enforced disappearance or arbitrary detention in China, including cases such as Fu Cha (Li Meng-chü), and paying close attention to the gap in the protection of personal freedom across the Taiwan Strait.
What is the "709 Crackdown"?
In the early morning hours of July 9, 2015, Chinese police initiated a massive wave of arrests targeting human rights lawyers and activists, known as the "709 Crackdown." Within a matter of weeks, over 300 lawyers, legal assistants, and human rights defenders across China were summoned, detained, or subjected to enforced disappearance, including prominent figures such as Wang Yü, Chiang T'ien-yung, and Chai Yen-min.
This was the largest political purge targeting the legal profession in modern Chinese history. Those detained not only faced criminal prosecution, but some were also long denied the right to meet with lawyers while subjected to "residential surveillance at a designated location," with their families' visitation and communication strictly restricted.
Taiwan's Role: Due to the unique historical connection between Taiwan and China, Taiwanese civil society bears a high degree of responsibility and concern for human rights issues in China. JRF believes that defending the right to counsel for Chinese lawyers is also a crucial effort to safeguard the quality of cross-strait judicial exchanges and prevent Taiwanese citizens from facing similar treatment in China.
Key Milestones
Featured Articles and Statements
Below are key articles and action records for this project. Click to read the full text (opens in a new window).
Support JRF and Keep Human Rights Advocacy Heard
The Judicial Reform Foundation is a non-profit organization that relies on public support for its long-term operations. Your donations allow us to continuously monitor Chinese human rights lawyers, stand in solidarity regarding the personal freedom of Taiwanese citizens in China, and promote international monitoring mechanisms.
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2021
Online Book Launch for The Stolen Right to Counsel by Attorney Wu You-Shui
The Stolen Right to Counsel was written by Attorney Wu You-Shui, father of a defendant in the Changsha Three case and a…
2021
Seminar | Fifth Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Day and International Symposium Marking the Sixth Anniversary of the "709 Crackdown"
Under China's authoritarian system, human rights lawyers have faced an increasingly severe rule-of-law and human-rights…
2021
No Rights! No Games! Taiwan Civil Society Groups Hold "Boycott Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics-2021 Global Day of Action" Press Conference
On June 23, International Olympic Day, 25 countries and more than 50 cities worldwide held a "Global Day of Action,"…
2021
Four Years Since Li Ming-Che's Arrest: Restore His Right to Communicate and Announce His Release Date
Four years after Li Ming-Che was detained in China, his family still lacked normal communication with him and had never…
2021
Joint Open Letter to the Chinese Government Regarding Attorney Yu Wensheng
The undersigned organizations and individuals call for attorney Yu Wensheng to be transferred from Xuzhou to a prison…
2020
Call on Taiwan's APEC Representatives to Raise Human-Rights Cases with China
Civil-society groups called on Taiwan's 2020 APEC representatives-Morris Chang, Minister without Portfolio John C. C.…
2020
Call for President Tsai Ing-Wen and NHRC Chair Chen Chu to Attend APEC and Advocate an Asia-Pacific Court of Human Rights
With this year's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting scheduled for late November, the Economic Democracy Union, Taiwan…
2020
Global Call: Establish an International Human Rights Monitoring Mechanism for China
We therefore support the UN experts' call for the Human Rights Council to hold a special session to evaluate the scope…
2020
5th Anniversary Global Online Commemoration of the "709 Crackdown" & 4th China Human Rights Lawyers Day
This July marks the fifth anniversary of the "709 Crackdown." Although lawyer Wang Ch'üan-chang has finally been…
2020
Wide-Angle Perspective: 709
On July 31, 2012, the overseas edition of the People's Daily published an article titled "Where Do China's True…
2020
The Road Beneath Our Feet, Where Does It Lead? Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the Revocation of Attorneys T'ang Chi-t'ien's and Liu Wei's Licenses
2020 marks the tenth year since attorneys T'ang Chi-t'ien and Liu Wei had their attorney licenses revoked. While many…
2020
Liu Cheng-ch'ing: Elegy for a Hollow Tree—Commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of the Revocation of T'ang Chi-t'an's and Liu Wei's Licenses
April 30, 2010 marked the day lawyers T'ang Chi-t'an and Liu Wei had their licenses revoked by the Beijing Bureau of…