Chinese Man in His Twenties Detained for Hanging Banners Criticizing Political System...Whereabouts Unknown

Experienced a Labor Dispute and Sought Help from Authorities but Was Ignored
Prepared Banner Protest for a Year
RFA: "Detained and Under Investigation by Authorities"

Reports have emerged that Chinese authorities have detained a man in his twenties who hung banners criticizing the country's political system. As his whereabouts have remained unknown for over ten days, suspicions of political repression are being raised.

In the early morning of the 15th, three large banners criticizing China's current political system were hung on an overpass in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, southern China. Photo capture by X

According to Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Taiwan's Liberty Times on April 30, a 27-year-old named Mei Silin, who hung three large banners criticizing China's current political system on an overpass in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, southern China, in the early morning of the 15th, has been detained.

RFA, citing sources, reported, "Mei Silin is a resident of Yingfu Town, Muchuan County, Sichuan Province," and added, "It has been more than ten days since he disappeared." However, it has not been confirmed whether he was detained by Chinese authorities or, if so, where he is being held.

The three banners read: "There can be no national revival without political system reform," "The people do not need a political party with unlimited power," and "China does not need someone to point the way. Democracy is the way."

Mei Silin reportedly worked at an information technology (IT) company in Chengdu and experienced a labor dispute. He sought help from the authorities regarding this issue but was ignored. According to sources, "He told acquaintances in advance that he had prepared for this for a year." The sources also said they received a copy of his ID, a short 13-second video, and photos showing him on the day of the incident.

Legal experts analyzed that, out of concern that the incident could escalate, Chinese authorities are more likely to charge him with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" rather than "inciting subversion of state power."

RFA reported, "News about Mei Silin generated a strong reaction on Chinese social networking services (SNS), but as soon as it was shared on WeChat (a Chinese SNS), it was blocked and deleted."

Since the incident became known, some have referred to Mei Silin as the "Peng Lifa of Sichuan." Peng Lifa is the individual who, in 2022, hung banners in Beijing criticizing China's COVID lockdown policies and calling for President Xi Jinping's resignation. Peng Lifa was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), a bipartisan body in the United States, but his current whereabouts are also unknown.

Human rights groups have criticized the Chinese authorities and demanded disclosure of Mei Silin's whereabouts. Yaqiu Wang, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said, "International law prohibits enforced disappearances," and called on the Chinese government to "disclose Mei Silin's whereabouts and immediately release all those detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression."