In late September 2010, Guangzhou’s Southern Metropolis Daily published a report on a Beijing security firm, Beijing Anyuanding Security Technology Services Company Limited, whose principal business is intercepting and holding rights petitioners in the capital on behalf of local governments. The news quickly sparked anger across China, exposing the evils of the national policy of “stability preservation,” which has put local governments under immense pressure to control the flow of rights petitioners to Beijing to seek redress for wrongs against them. In this cartoon called “Dog”, posted by artist Kuang Biao (邝飚) to his QQ blog, a Chinese guardian lion (or “stone lion”), symbolizing political power, keeps a vicious humanoid dog on a leash to do his bidding, harassing a poor rural petitioner. The placard in the rural peasant’s hands reads “Petition.” Other petitioners are kept in a “black jail” under the feet of the stone lion.


David Bandurski

CMP Director

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