By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China– Guo Quan, a former associate professor at Nanjing Normal University and the acting chairman of the newly established China New Democracy Party, was arrested by police near his Nanjing home.  “He tried to set up an opposition party, they accused him of ‘subversion of state power,’ ” Mrs. Guo’s wife said.  “They told me that he had been formally arrested, but they didn’t give me any details,” Li said. “They gave a bunch of documents to his mother.”

Nanjing Police Department agents sent Mr. Guo’s mother a letter denying her request to hire a lawyer because her son’s case involved “state secrets.”  She says, “(They) arrested my son and forbade us to visit him and hire a lawyer. Does that mean they are going to try him secretly? I am upset! My son was arrested for being a human rights activist; now who is going to protect his human rights? I love my son, so I hired a lawyer, but the regime would not let the lawyer accept the case. How could his only act, writing an open letter to Hu Jintao, be deemed subversion?”  The authorities denied Guo’s family attorney’s request to visit him.

Mr. Guo’s defense attorney Guo Lianhui commented that Guo made his differing political views public, and the authorities mobilized the state machinery to suppress him.  “My client published a series of articles called ‘Democratic Voice’ and pointed out that there is no democracy and observance of human rights in China.” attorney Guo Lianhui added.

Mr. Guo founded China New Democracy Party to represent anyone petitioning the government and the ruling Communist Party for social justice in land disputes, forced evictions, and allegations of official wrongdoing.  He wrote 347 articles and offered constructive suggestions to the Chinese Communist Party.  However, Mr. Guo was fired from Nanjing Normal University for allegedly violating its constitution and rules on the conduct of faculty.  Then, Mr. Guo was expelled from the Communist-approved token opposition group Democratic Parties and Factions.

For more information, please see:

The Epoch Times – Beijing Arrests Acting Chairman of the China New Democracy Party – 24 December 2008

The Epoch Times – China Democracy Party Founder’s Mother Talks About His Arrest – 15 December 2008

Radio Free Asia – Blogger Charged with Subversion – 22 December 2008