South Korea detains dissident who fled China in rubber boat

A Chinese dissident who fled his state connected a rubber vessel has been detained successful South Korea aft spending 30 hours astatine sea.

Dong Guangping, a erstwhile constabulary serviceman and quality rights activist, was recovered successful Korean waters connected Monday night.

South Korea's seashore defender told the BBC that Dong is nether probe for suspected migration violations and his lawsuit volition beryllium referred to prosecutors.

The 68-year-old had been jailed successful China respective times for his activism, specified arsenic taking portion successful events to commemorate the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Dong had escaped China astatine slightest 3 times previously, but was sent backmost each time.

When asked astir Monday's incidental China's overseas affairs ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said she had not alert of the case.

Dong had acceptable retired from Weifang, a metropolis successful the cardinal Shandong province, successful a rubber vessel with an engine, according to Canada-based activistic Sheng Xue who posted connected X saying she had spoken to Dong aft helium reached South Korea.

He had told her that helium had spent much than 30 hours astatine sea, and was "fainting" from exhaustion by the clip helium reached the waters disconnected Taean, a region connected South Korea's occidental coast.

South Korea's seashore defender said they rescued him aft receiving a study from a sportfishing vessel that had spotted Dong.

Dong had antecedently discussed his flight program with Sheng Xue, she said, but she had told him it would beryllium excessively dangerous.

"He ended up truly doing it... Dong Guangping is excessively tenacious, excessively brave," she said, adding that helium had planned his flight with "meticulous checks and preparation".

Human Rights successful China (HRIC), an NGO based successful New York, has urged Seoul to "uphold humanitarian principles and planetary quality rights obligations" by not handing Dong implicit to China, wherever helium "faces a sedate hazard of persecution and torture".

It besides called connected Korean authorities to let Dong to question governmental asylum, oregon assistance facilitate his harmless transition to Canada wherever his household members live.

"That a antheral nearing seventy years aged was driven to transverse unfastened seas successful a tiny inflatable vessel is itself a devastating indictment of China's quality rights situation," HRIC said.

In 1999, Dong was fired from the constabulary unit aft helium signed a petition to commemorate the 10th day of the brutal Tiananmen crackdown connected pro-democracy protesters.

Then successful 2001, helium was imprisoned for 3 years for "inciting subversion of authorities power". He was jailed again successful 2014 for participating successful different Tiananmen commemoration event, according to Amnesty International.

He archetypal escaped China successful October 2015 erstwhile helium travelled to Bangkok with his woman and daughter, wherever they were granted exile presumption by the United Nations and approved for resettlement successful Canada.

But days earlier they were scheduled to permission for Canada, Thai authorities deported Dong to China on with different dissident who had besides been fixed exile status. The incidental triggered fierce disapproval from the UN.

Dong was yet jailed for "inciting subversion" and "crossing the nationalist borderline illegally".

His 2nd flight effort took spot successful 2019 erstwhile helium swam from Shishi metropolis successful Fujian state towards Kinmen, a tiny Taiwanese island. But Dong was picked up by Chinese fishermen who handed him to police.

Then successful 2020, Dong managed to fly China and entered Vietnam. He lived successful hiding for 2 years successful Hanoi, but was yet detained by Vietnamese constabulary and deported backmost home.

He was jailed for 11 months for crossing nationalist borders illegally, and released successful October 2023.

Dong is not the archetypal Chinese dissident to fly crossed the oversea to South Korea.

In 2023, different Chinese activistic Kwon Pyong fled to South Korea on a pitchy ski. He was initially detained connected migration charges but aboriginal resettled successful the US.

Additional reporting by Hosu Lee.