On the second anniversary of the "Sitong Bridge Incident," the plight of two human rights defenders in mainland China has drawn significant attention both domestically and internationally. One is Qiao Xinxin, the initiator of the "Tear Down the Wall" movement, who was recently reported to have been secretly sentenced to five years in prison. The other is human rights lawyer Lu Siwei, who was arrested on October 10.

According to Qiao Xinxin's (formerly Yang Zewei) brother and mother, Qiao has been secretly sentenced to five years in prison and was transferred to Chishan Prison in Hunan Province a month ago. The family did not receive any notice of a trial, only a mailed copy of the judgment.

Yang Zewei launched the "Tear Down the Wall" movement in March 2023, aiming to unite efforts to break the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) internet censorship firewall. Just two months later, Yang was arrested in Laos by Chinese authorities, sparking widespread condemnation. In July of that year, he was formally charged with "inciting subversion of state power" and detained at the Juvenile Detention Center in Hengyang City.

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Lu Siwei's wife confirmed that Lu has been arrested by the Chenghua Branch of the Chengdu Public Security Bureau on suspicion of "illegally crossing the border." Lu had previously been under residential surveillance, which was set to end on October 27. Lu's wife expressed confusion over why her husband was arrested by Chengdu police and why the family was not provided with an arrest notice.

Lu Siwei was one of the lawyers arrested in connection with the "709 Crackdown," and he has represented several high-profile rights cases. Last year, he attempted to travel to the United States to reunite with his family but was arrested by local police in Laos and subsequently extradited back to China at the request of the Chinese authorities.

The timing of these arrests coincides with the second anniversary of the "Sitong Bridge Incident," and China's worsening human rights situation has garnered international attention.

On October 11, *Human Rights Watch*, a New York-based international human rights organization, issued a statement calling on the Chinese authorities to immediately release the man who hung banners criticizing CCP leader Xi Jinping and the harsh "zero-COVID" policy on the Sitong Bridge in Beijing two years ago. The man, known as Peng Lifa (Peng Zaizhou), is now 50 years old.

Wang Songlian, Deputy Director of *Human Rights Watch’s* China Project, noted in the statement that the Chinese government’s (CCP’s) arrest of Peng Lifa has only fueled broader support for freedom and democracy in China. Even though Peng has been forcibly disappeared for two years, his message continues to resonate. The statement also highlighted unconfirmed reports that some of Peng's family members may have been placed under house arrest.

On October 13, 2022, Peng Lifa, dressed in work clothes, hung several protest banners on Beijing's Sitong Bridge. The banners read: "We want food, not nucleic acid tests; freedom, not lockdowns;" "We want dignity, not lies; reform, not the Cultural Revolution;" "We want votes, not leaders; be citizens, not slaves;" and "Strike, boycott classes, remove the dictator Xi Jinping." Peng was quickly taken away by police and has since disappeared. The incident occurred just before the 20th CCP National Congress, causing widespread impact and sparking the "White Paper Movement" protests against COVID lockdowns in several parts of China.

Under international human rights law, when a government refuses to acknowledge the arrest or detention of a person and withholds information on the person's fate or whereabouts, it is considered a forced disappearance, designed to place the individual outside the protection of the law.

In fact, the issue of forced disappearances and persecution of human rights defenders in mainland China has recently gained international attention beyond just these individuals. According to *Rights Defense Network*, 23-year-old Zeng Yuxuan, a Ph.D. law student from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, was sentenced to six months in prison by Hong Kong authorities and has been forcibly disappeared since being deported to mainland China a year ago. Meanwhile, Anhui-based journalist "Conan" (Zhang Jie) was taken away by police in Hefei today, and Jiangsu petitioner Xu Dongqing, who had repeatedly been beaten and threatened after attempting to report a local official's corruption to Xi Jinping, was also targeted.

On October 11, during a routine press briefing at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a reporter from *The Paper* asked about the European Parliament's emergency resolution on October 10, which condemned the Chinese government (CCP) for "human rights violations" and urged businesses operating in China to adhere to human rights due diligence obligations. The resolution also called on the European Union and its member states to impose further sanctions on senior officials and entities "involved in human rights abuses in China." In response, spokesperson Mao Ning furiously condemned the European Parliament, accusing it of "turning black into white, viciously attacking China (CCP), and rudely interfering in China’s (CCP's) internal affairs and judicial sovereignty." Mao Ning said that China strongly condemned and firmly opposed the resolution, and that China would lodge a stern protest with the EU. She further criticized the European Parliament for ignoring the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, calling on it to stop smearing China and accusing it of having no qualifications or right to act as a "human rights teacher."

Political observers noted that the CCP has historically been known for its hypocrisy, accusing others of the very actions it engages in. Wang Songlian of *Human Rights Watch* emphasized in her October 11 statement that international pressure is crucial when human rights activists are forcibly disappeared. She urged the international community and governments around the world to focus on China's human rights situation on the second anniversary of Peng Lifa's disappearance and to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Peng and all other justice-seeking human rights defenders.