Human Rights Scholar & Other Chinese Dissidents Face Public Harassment

The Washington Post reported in an article published on December 18th, 2020 that human rights scholar and activist Teng Biao, together with other Chinese dissidents in North America, were the latest victims of public harassment staged by Guo Wengui, a Chinese businessman with links to White House strategist Steve Bannon.

Dr. Teng Biao said the protesters first appeared while he was teaching an online course about human rights in China from his living room in New Jersey. They carried signs with false accusations and shouted profanities such as suggestions of Teng’s involvement with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regarding manufacturing coronavirus as a bioweapon and other government intelligence activities.

Dr. Teng Biao, who is a currently Grove Human Rights Scholar at Hunter College and Pozen Visiting Professor at the University of Chicago, fled China with his family in 2014 after being imprisoned and tortured for his human rights activities. Dr. Biao and other Chinese dissidents relayed that Guo Wengui stood behind the targeted protests because they had publicly criticized the businessman for corruption before he was charged with bribery, rape, and fraud. Read the full Washington Post article here.

According to Endangered Scholars Worldwide, since late September 2020, Guo has repeatedly called for his followers to harass and attack his critics. Guo names more than 20 targets, among them at least 16 have been harassed. In addition to Teng Biao, the list of victims includes Texas-based pastor Bob Fu, Vancouver-based journalist Gao Bingchen and his friend Louis Huang, and Sasha Gong, a former journalist for Voice of America, among others.

Endangered Scholars Worldwide has penned a letter calling a halt to the daily public harassment of the widely respected Chinese human rights activist and professor, Dr. Teng Biao.