Signature image on Ai Weiwei’s Twitter page
When I wrote on Monday that Ai Weiwei‘s defiance of Chinese authorities (on Google+ and Twitter) was “at once heroic and horrifying,” I didn’t know the half of it.
Sui-Lee Wee of Reuters yesterday published an anonymous source’s shocking account of the harrowing details of the dissident artist’s detention. (That story was then picked up by Tania Branigan of the Guardian).
Here’s an excerpt from Reuters (but you must read the whole thing):
In the first broad account of Ai’s treatment in detention since he was released in June, the source, who declined to be identified fearing retribution, said the 54-year-old artist was interrogated more than 50 times by police, while he was held in two secret locations.
The questioning focused on his purported role in the planned Arab-inspired “Jasmine Revolution” protests in China in February and his writings that could constitute subversion, said the source.
That account runs counter to the Chinese government’s repeated statements that Ai’s detention was based on alleged economic crimes….
In the second location…, [Ai] was watched over by two police officers for 24 hours a day, with their faces often inches from his, watching his every movement even while his slept.
Ai had to ask the police officers for permission to drink water and use the toilet. He was not allowed to speak and was watched over by the officers even while he slept. They demanded that he put his hands on top of the blanket, the source said.
“It was immense psychological pressure,” the source said.
Also fascinating, for both what it does and does not say, is a report [via] by Liang Chen of the Beijing-based Global Times, on what is billed as “Ai Weiwei’s first interview since being released from detention.” Its partial candor in airing Ai’s views (highlighting those that can be construed as agreeing with government positions), is balanced by negative views expressed by conservative Chinese critics. The piece is a measure of some improvement in freedom of the press in China, tempered by continuing limitations on those freedoms.
High up in the piece is this account of a quote purportedly uttered by Ai:
While Ai continues to demand reforms, he said he has never called for a change to the form of China’s government. “Overthrowing the regime through a radical revolution is not the way to solve China’s problems,” Ai said. “The most important thing is a scientific and democratic political system.”
Does that sound like him? I’m not so sure.
But this certainly does:
I will never stop fighting injustice.
Although the piece mentions Ai’s Google+ account, it never mentions that he is also now back on Twitter, saying instead that he has been “banned” from using it.