Ai WeiWei Detained: Which Other Dissidents Have Been Detained During China's Crackdown?

The recent disappearance of one of China's most famous contemporary artists sparked new concern for the fate of the country's dissidents.

As the Associated Press is reporting, Ai WeiWei's disappearance comes just as China has begun arresting and detaining dozens of lawyers, writers and activists following online calls for "Jasmine Revolution" protests, similar to those in the Middle East and North Africa.

To date, no public protests on the massive crackdown have been reported.

Take a look at some of China's most high-profile dissidents currently being detained below:

Liu Xiaobo

• • • • • • Perhaps the best-known of China's political prisoners, the literary critic, writer, professor and human rights activist is currently incarcerated in the People's Republic of China following his arrest in June 2009 for "inciting subversion of state power." When the Nobel committee awarded its peace prize to the imprisoned democracy campaigner last fall, Chinese officials sharply condemned the award.

Comments

[ASU LJSJ]

01:30 AM on 04/07/2011

Liu Xiaobo was detained for creating a Western influenced human rights declaration. Check out the article discussing his piece and why it has the party upset http://ljsj.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/chinese-dissident-liu-xiaobo-jailed-for-writing-bill-of-rights/

[Wazzat]

04:13 PM on 04/06/2011

Good article. I hadn't known most of this, which goes to show how the Western media is either
ignorant and indifferent or is complicit in the repression, because of enormous pressure by the Chinese regime.

We can't really blame China for destroying Tibet- because they are doing the same thing to themselves with this authoritarian repression of brave voices merely speaking the truth.

[Anabelle Lee]

12:35 PM on 04/06/2011

It is getting harder and harder for the average reader to tell apart among the supporters of authoritarian corruption in China which are US Republicans and which are Chinese sock puppets.

The Party is not following its own laws and procedures of redress for citizens it has written down. The wealth gap is growing as fast as the corruption, along with the insanity produced by corruption such as the plan to build a nuclear plant beside an active volcanic mountain, Mt. Baekdu.

China needs to learn to love the future and not keep doing stupid things that are only putting the future of its people in danger just as the US government needs to do the same.

[Mrclouds]

04:24 PM on 04/05/2011

China is simply destroying the enemies of the state they have learned from the fall of the Soviet Union and currently the United states Imperialism tactics.

[wereeverywhere]

04:54 PM on 04/05/2011

Perhaps you've earned 50 cents for the endorsement of better living through repression. At least you're out of the closet about your love of authoritarianism.

Kinda funny that your big, tough pals in the CCP are so afraid of an artist.

[oaster]

02:12 PM on 04/05/2011

The Chinese Communist regime prays for Caddafi's prevail. Let's see what he'll end up.

[allperils]

01:23 PM on 04/05/2011

Haha...still going at it with that Nobel Prize bs eh?

What a joke...what a joke.

[digitalprophet]

06:41 PM on 04/04/2011

I must admit I hadn't heard of WeiWei until a very recent special on PBS or somewhere about him. He seems like a great human being and for China to be taken seriously in the worldview they really ought to stop doing crap like this :/

[sherlockman]

11:23 PM on 04/04/2011

I've met him and yes he is a very wonderful person, very funny, very generous, very modern. Guys like him are freedom fighters. Actually he's an icon in China, if he wanted to he could simply kowtow to the Party line and enjoy life - instead, he sacrifices himself to the cause of freedom. The Chinese may pretend there's freedom in their country, but guys like this remind us there is none. Only the freedom to follow orders, believe the propaganda, and yes make money. But actually China is a Fascist dictatorship, no less. Be happy, kowtow, and consume.

[drp103]

08:00 PM on 04/05/2011

Sounds like the US

[Jokergirl]

01:30 PM on 04/06/2011

Interesting and sad, there's so many great, talented artists in China some great architecture too. I really enjoy all the dragon and tiger paintings they have and their use of flatbrush, plus Chinese calligraphy is fun to learn. I had a math tutor from China and she told me that Chinese are very stressed, they're very pressured to be experts at something, especially young children. They also go to school 10 hours a day! 7 days a week, they're certainly ahead of the US as for as education standards go. She likes the college in the US and the country in general because there's no pressure on her. She can do what she wants. I couldn't take school 10 hours a day, they would have to put me in straitjacket. You'd think your rear end would get numb from those hard chairs too:0

[allperils]

01:25 PM on 04/05/2011

Crap like what?

The US is invading country after country under bs terms. A "NO FLY ZONE" turned out to all out bombing of Libya.

Afghan, Iraq, Libya.

The US appears to beat China hands down as the World's leading Human Rights violator!

[sherlockman]

11:35 PM on 04/05/2011

As the world frees itself, China throws in jail as many free thinkers as possible. China you're going the wrong way! Backwards again.

[digitalprophet]

03:24 PM on 04/07/2011

Really man? Stop and think before you spew out this bile.

I hate that we have so many wars(or "operations") going on. But to say the US is violating human rights is just plain stupid. Let Libya's government kill their own people, or take them out so they can't do it. Afghanistan got what they deserved. Harboring the terrorists responsible for the largest attack on American soil is kind of a bad thing. They hurt their own people as well.. Hell, I am personally a pacifist, but I understand the need for military action when innocent people are at risk,

Now Iraq, on the other hand, was all lies to begin with. We should never have gone there.. Dubya was finishing up his daddy's work. If it was so important to get rid of Saddam here recently, why didn't Senior do it in the first place?

Is America perfect? Far from it.. But don't dare compare us to China on morality. We may only help the oil-rich countries, but we are still helping. China treats its citizens like garbage if they don't agree with how things are done there. THAT would be one messy revolution.

[Joe Cass]

06:34 PM on 04/04/2011

Shop Wal-Mart! Fund the persecution!

[sherlockman]

11:41 PM on 04/04/2011

Nice one Cass. At what point Americans will understand that? We're always too kind for our own good. Always giving the benefit of the doubt. I never buy anything Chinese anymore. And it's not true that Made in China is cheaper. And if I-Pod's are made in China so-what, they only get one dollar. We have many thousands of wonderful American manufacturers who make very good quality, well-priced (sometimes cheaper) products, and don't hate us or accumulate our debt with our own money earned from exporting to us only to blackmail. And if we bought American, just as the Chinese buy Chinese, all except luxury products, or products made in China by foreign "joint ventures" we would be one leg up on China having the nerve to "hold" us with our debt. And if you can't buy American then don't buy it, or start-up your business. Or if imported then buy something from India or Brazil. But remember that starting a business in the US is far easier than in China - and employees are far more competent. And I know what I'm talking about. The doing business in China rave is finished. Only the really really big boys take the risk, and even they are being feathered and tarred, slow motion.

[MuchMadness]

02:49 AM on 04/05/2011

It doesn't matter where you shop. Nearly all stores sell Chinese goods because the American people keep electing politicians who will not stand up for the Christian principles of human rights that used to make the United States better than nations with nondemocratic governments.

[DAE]

02:56 AM on 04/05/2011

Christian principles of human right? That's a joke. Christians had no idea of human rights until the secular humanists of the Enlightenment thought them up.

[jimmurphySF]

06:13 PM on 04/04/2011

Great video of Liu Xiaobo here, it was featured on YouTube's homepage in honor of his Nobel Prize on International Human Rights Day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MfAjC3y-j0&feature=channel_video_title

[allperils]

01:26 PM on 04/05/2011

Obama won the Nobel Prize for "Peace"

What a joke the Nobel Prize is.

Afghan
Iraq
Libya

[wereeverywhere]

01:59 PM on 04/05/2011

Desmond Tutu won the Nobel Prize.

What a joke your post is.

[StansDad]

03:25 PM on 04/05/2011

honorable chairmen thanks you for sticking your neck out for him