The following post by Manzhi (曼知), a user from Guangzhou, was deleted from Sina Weibo sometime before 11:36AM on January 12, 2016. The post introduces Zhao Wei (赵威), an assistant at a Chinese law firm who was taken away last July in a widespread crackdown on rights lawyers. Zhao has now been charged with “subversion of the state.” [Explore more deleted posts by using the Weiboscope, created by the Journalism & Media Studies Centre.]
In her post, Manzhi essentially posed the question: If a young woman can be construed as a threat to the security of a state, how can that state be deemed stable at all?
A translation of Manzhi’s post follows:
This girl born in 1991, named Zhao Wei, graduated from Jiangxi Normal University with a journalism degree. She took part in public service activities and later became an assistant to civil rights lawyer Li Heping with the goal of eventually becoming a civil rights lawyer herself. She wanted to help families treated unfairly to regain their dignity. However, on July 10 last year she was taken away by “relevant staff” and there has been no news until now. Today she is arrested for “subversion of the state.” So this regime can be so easily subverted. Is it built on shaky foundations?
The original Chinese-language post follows:
这位1991年出生的女孩叫赵威,江西师范大学新闻专业,大学起开始参加公益活动,后成为人权律师李和平的助理,理想也是成为人权律师,帮助遭遇不公正待遇的家庭挽回尊严。然而就在去年7月10日,她被相关人员带走,半年无音讯,今看她竟被以“颠覆国家政权罪”逮捕。这政权这样好颠覆,是豆渣堆砌的吗?