New York Times
Published: July 17, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/world/asia/18china.html
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China Shuts Down Office of Volunteer Lawyers
By EDWARD WONG
New York Times
Published: July 17, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/world/asia/18china.html
BEIJING — Government officials on Friday shut down the office of a prominent lawyers' group known for taking on cases involving civil rights and corruption. It was the latest attempt by the government to clamp down on lawyers willing to challenge officials and other powerful figures in court.
Chinese Question Police Absence in Ethnic Riots (July 18, 2009) The group of volunteer lawyers, called Gongmeng, or Open Constitution Initiative, represented parents suing Sanlu Group, a large dairy company, over tainted milk that led to the deaths and illnesses of children across China in 2008. In May, it released a report that said economic policies by the government had resulted in the marginalization of Tibetans over the decades, leading to the widespread protests and riots in Tibetan areas last year.
At 10 a.m. on Friday, officials from the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau arrived at Gongmeng's office in Beijing and shut it down, according to a posting on the group's Web site. Two hours later, officials from the Beijing Tax Bureau paid a visit.
Xu Zhiyong, a member of the group, said that officials had told the lawyers they were not registered as a non-governmental organization. But Mr. Xu said the lawyers' group technically did not need that kind of registration because it was a charity organization that fell under the umbrella of the Gongmeng Company, which has a proper operating license.
"The shutdown itself is unreasonable," Mr. Xu said. "We'll continue to be conscientious and help those who need help."
Two days earlier, the tax authorities had fined the group about $200,000 for a delay in paying its taxes.
On Friday, the officials from the Civil Affairs Bureau took away the lawyers' computers, desks, chairs and material on legal cases, Mr. Xu said.
Officials at the bureau could not be reached for comment on Friday night.
Mr. Xu said the group had already filed an appeal on the tax fine and might appeal the shutdown of the office.
In a separate government action, the licenses of 53 lawyers in Beijing were canceled, making it impossible for them to legally work, the Associated Press reported.
A posting last week on the Web site of the Beijing Justice Bureau said the lawyers had not passed an assessment by their firms or had failed to register with the bureau.
Huang Yuanxi contributed research.
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