A reader writes:
Like you, I am delighted with the news of the release of Ai Weiwei. Nevertheless, the title of your post – "China a little bit freer today" – struck me as a bit too sanguine. Just two hours after hearing about Ai Weiwei, I got a message from a good friend who runs a Beijing-based NGO that provides legal advice to people with HIV/AIDS: "This afternoon 6/22 our offices were searched by local police officers." Since I have two students interning at this NGO this summer, I immediately emailed them to check on how they were. Thankfully, both are fine. One wrote back [and I translate]:
Don't worry. Yes, the police came, but they didn't say anything. They just looked about and then left. They said it was a routine inspection. My colleague says that, because the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party is approaching, everyone is being held in check a bit more tightly now – especially people like us who work with NGOs. Last week we helped put on the Beijing Queer Film Festival, and we got into a bit of trouble over that, too. People from the Bureau of Culture, the Bureau of Industry and Commerce, and the Police all came by to enforce the law, but there was no follow up. Thanks for your concern. We are all fine.
For more on the difficulties encountered in staging this year's Beijing Queer Film Festival read this article from the shanghaiist. Hope this adds some context.
More context surrounding the anniversary here.
The Dish 