Guo Quan
Encyclopedia
Guo Quan is a Chinese human rights
activist. He founded the China New Democracy Party
. He is a State Owned Enterprise cadre, secretary of the Nanjing Economic Restructuring Commission and Nanjing People's Court
cadre.
In 1996 he earned a master's degree from Nanjing University
's Sociology Department. In 1999 he received a PhD in philosophy from Nanjing University. From 1999-2001 he was a post-doctorate researcher at Nanjing Normal University
.
In 2001 he was retained as a professor and PhD candidate advisor at Nanjing Normal University. He is also a researcher in the Nanjing Massacre Research Center.
in the United States for having blocked his name from search results in China.
Both Plaintiff Zheng Cunzhu (Ch:郑存柱) and plaintiff Guo Quan alleged that Yahoo's business tactic had caused them personal and financial harm. Zheng Cunzhu claimed :"(he) lost his property in China when he did not return for fear of getting arrested for his pro-democracy activities" and Guo Quan claimed that " he lost business when his name and that of his garment company were blocked by the Yahoo search results."
List of claims against Yahoo:
in November(2007) Yahoo settled an out of court lawsuit filed by family members of two other dissidents serving 10-year sentences after Yahoo handed their account information over to the Chinese government. And "last week(Jan 2008) Yahoo Chief Executive Jerry Yang sent U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a letter asking the government to secure the release of dissidents jailed in China for their pro-democracy sentiments."
demanding multi-party elections and the depoliticisation of the People's Liberation Army
, was widely published in internet blogosphere as well as the tradition media. Since then the Chinese cyber-police had begun to black out his blogs.
Guo Quan's wife Li Jing told reporter that Guo had been detained many times before, for a few days at a time. Now it could be for longer. “The police told me to prepare myself psychologically,” she said.
On 6 Feb 2008 Guo Quan told Jane Macartney, of The Times
"that he had now found that the Chinese Yahoo! site had also blocked his name and he planned to bring actions against both companies." Mr Guo said: “Since January 1 a lot of friends told me that websites with my name had been closed. They told me it's impossible to search for my information on Google
and Yahoo!”
On 13 Nov 2008 cnews reported that Guo Quan, was arrested Thursday in the city of Nanjing. According to his wife, the police's charge was "subversion of state power" Chinese police routinely uses the charge of "subversion of state power"to imprison dissidents for years.
On 17 Oct 2009, Reuters reported that he was sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist. He founded the China New Democracy Party
China New Democracy Party
New Democracy Party of China is a political party that started in the People's Republic of China, and banned by the Communist Party of China . It is established by Mr. Guo Quan, a professor at Nanjing Normal University in 2007 after he published an open letter to the leaders of China. The second...
. He is a State Owned Enterprise cadre, secretary of the Nanjing Economic Restructuring Commission and Nanjing People's Court
People's Court
The People's Court may refer to:* local people's courts of the People's Republic of China* Vietnamese People's Court* People's Court , a court established by Adolf Hitler to deal with those accused of political offences...
cadre.
In 1996 he earned a master's degree from Nanjing University
Nanjing University
Nanjing University , or Nanking University, is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher learning in China...
's Sociology Department. In 1999 he received a PhD in philosophy from Nanjing University. From 1999-2001 he was a post-doctorate researcher at Nanjing Normal University
Nanjing Normal University
Nanjing Normal University , is a normal university located in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.Nanjing Normal University was originally named Sanjiang Normal Institute, which was established in 1902 by Zhang Zhidong, the Governor-General of Jiangsu and Jiangxi...
.
In 2001 he was retained as a professor and PhD candidate advisor at Nanjing Normal University. He is also a researcher in the Nanjing Massacre Research Center.
Legal actions against Yahoo and Google
In early 2008, Guo Quan, a university professor who had been dismissed after having founded a democratic opposition party, announced plans to sue Yahoo!( Chief Executive Jerry Yang)and GoogleGoogle
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
in the United States for having blocked his name from search results in China.
- On 28 Feb 2008 Elinor Mills of BusinessweekBusinessWeekBloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
reported that several plaintiffs filed suit in Oakland, California federal court against Internet portal Yahoo, alleges that Yahoo provided information to the Chinese authorities that led to the 2003 arrest of Li ZhiLi Zhi (dissident)Li Zhi was sentenced to eight years imprisonment in December 2003 in the People's Republic of China for trying to join the Democracy Party of China, which is a banned organization in communist China, and for criticizing corruption...
, who has served about half of an eight-year sentence.
Both Plaintiff Zheng Cunzhu (Ch:郑存柱) and plaintiff Guo Quan alleged that Yahoo's business tactic had caused them personal and financial harm. Zheng Cunzhu claimed :"(he) lost his property in China when he did not return for fear of getting arrested for his pro-democracy activities" and Guo Quan claimed that " he lost business when his name and that of his garment company were blocked by the Yahoo search results."
List of claims against Yahoo:
- violation of international law including torture and prolonged detention
- unfair business practices
- intentional infliction of emotional distress
- false imprisonment and assault.
in November(2007) Yahoo settled an out of court lawsuit filed by family members of two other dissidents serving 10-year sentences after Yahoo handed their account information over to the Chinese government. And "last week(Jan 2008) Yahoo Chief Executive Jerry Yang sent U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a letter asking the government to secure the release of dissidents jailed in China for their pro-democracy sentiments."
Open letters to Hu Jintao
- On 14 November 2007, Professor Guo Quan published an open letterOpen letterAn open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
to Chinese communist leaders Hu JintaoHu JintaoHu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
and Wu BangguoWu BangguoWu Bangguo is a high-ranking politician in the People's Republic of China. He is currently Chairman and Party secretary of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, a position that makes him China's chief legislator...
, calling for a "democratic government based on multi-party elections that serves the interests of the common folks."
Police harassments and arrests
Guo's very public open letters to President Hu JintaoHu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
demanding multi-party elections and the depoliticisation of the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
, was widely published in internet blogosphere as well as the tradition media. Since then the Chinese cyber-police had begun to black out his blogs.
- On 21 May 2008 Jonathan Watts of The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reported: Chinese police have detained Guo Quan, a political dissident who criticized the government's handling of the Sichuan earthquake. Guo was seized outside his home by seven or eight police officers on 17 May 2008. They searched his house and confiscated his computer
Guo Quan's wife Li Jing told reporter that Guo had been detained many times before, for a few days at a time. Now it could be for longer. “The police told me to prepare myself psychologically,” she said.
On 6 Feb 2008 Guo Quan told Jane Macartney, of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
"that he had now found that the Chinese Yahoo! site had also blocked his name and he planned to bring actions against both companies." Mr Guo said: “Since January 1 a lot of friends told me that websites with my name had been closed. They told me it's impossible to search for my information on Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
and Yahoo!”
On 13 Nov 2008 cnews reported that Guo Quan, was arrested Thursday in the city of Nanjing. According to his wife, the police's charge was "subversion of state power" Chinese police routinely uses the charge of "subversion of state power"to imprison dissidents for years.
On 17 Oct 2009, Reuters reported that he was sentenced to 10 years in jail.