Why a group of Chinese women became human rights activists

Since President Xi Jinping took office in 2012, one of the groups that has been persecuted the most by Chinese authorities has been human rights lawyers. Following the "709 mass arrest" in 2015, in which more than 300 lawyers across China were arrested, many are still in detention, have been given lengthy prison sentences, faced exit bans, or simply disappeared.

Amid this yearslong, nationwide crackdown on human rights lawyers, it has fallen on family members, especially their wives, to become "accidental human rights defenders." They speak out against the Chinese government's abuses on social media and in media interviews. They also try to hold authorities accountable by sharing details of the cases with foreign parliamentarians and diplomats.

For many of them, defending their husbands' basic rights has turned their own lives upside down. "Devoting myself to defend basic human rights was not a responsibility that I took on voluntarily," Sophie Luo, engineer and wife of detained Chinese human rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi, told DW. "But I can no longer give up this second career, as I witness countless injustices during the process of defending human rights."

"Those injustices remind me of the responsibilities that I have as someone who lives in a free country. I always believe in the saying that 'injustice in one place is injustice in the world.' This is my own choice, and the experience has enriched my life and broadened my perspective," Luo, who now lives in the US, said.

'Beijing is the one that's in the wrong'

Ding and more than a dozen other human rights activists were arrested in a nationwide crackdown after taking part in a private gathering in the city of Xiamen in December 2019 where they reportedly discussed human rights issues and the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. Since then, he has reportedly been tortured and blocked from meeting with his lawyer on several occasions.

More than three years into his detention, Chinese authorities still haven't handed down a sentence, forcing Luo to pursue different paths to challenge what she describes as the unlawful detention of her husband.

Since Ding's arrest, Luo has been juggling between her full-time job as an engineer in the US, looking after her two children, and her advocacy for her detained husband. Despite the pressure, Luo said the experience has helped her become stronger.

"When my husband was first arrested in 2013, I used to feel sad all the time, and I was filled with grief when I tried to write him letters," she told DW. "But now when I write to him, I can try to be positive and optimistic. I know he didn't do anything wrong, but rather it is the Chinese government that is in the wrong."

Nevertheless, there are still moments when she admits that she feels particularly depressed.

"It has been very difficult for me emotionally," she said, adding that she tries to distract herself by focusing her attention on work or talking with friends. "But when I think of my husband's case, I am still extremely depressed."

Flee or be trapped

Luo is not the only one advocating for a detained husband. Zijuan Chen, the wife of detained Chinese human rights lawyer Chang Weiping, and Mindy Shi, the wife of detained Chinese NGO worker Cheng Yuan, have both been forced into exile in the US after facing repeated threats and harassment from local authorities in China.

"After police repeatedly came to my workplace and threatened me, I had to leave China with my son," Chen told DW. "They told my supervisor that I had a Twitter account and I also had contact with external forces. They emphasized that these are illegal behaviors. At the time, I only had two choices: remain silent on my husband's case or kept protesting, which would cause me to lose my job."

It was difficult for Chen to make up her mind about leaving China. "A part of me felt like I was abandoning my husband, and I didn't know when I would be able to see him again," she said. "But at the same time, since many family members of activists have faced exit bans in the past, I worried if I stayed in China, my son and I would face difficult situations in the future."

Mindy Shi, who was arrested and detained by Chinese authorities after her husband Cheng Yuan was taken away by police in July 2019, told DW that she often has "survivor's guilt." She told DW that Cheng has lost around 15 kilograms (33 pounds) since his detention, and that his hair has turned almost completely gray.

"When I look around, people in the United States are living peaceful and wonderful lives, and I will often be reminded of the fact that my husband and I live in two very different worlds," she said. "I often think if I hadn't left China, I would not have been able to change anything and I would have faced more threats, but I would also at least feel like I was sharing my husband's suffering."

"But when I think of my daughter, I realize there are very few options left for me in China. It's hard for me to say whether I regret the decision to leave China, but I do often feel survivor's guilt," Shi told DW.

Building a family in exile

Facing similar threats and pressure from authorities, several human rights lawyers' wives have followed in Luo, Chen, and Shi's footsteps to the US. As they attempt to settle down in an unfamiliar country with their children, all while continuing their activism, many of them say the challenges that they face have forged a close bond between them.

"Now that they are here in the US, we can work together, talk like real sisters, and encourage each other," Luo told DW. "We are like a family, and this friendship is even closer than a real family."

Chen adds that since family members of Chinese human rights lawyers share similar experiences, she often calls other lawyers' wives to share her feelings or the news she receives. "This is great support," she said. "We all agree that we are not simply defending our husbands due to our love for them. We are also defending them because we can't tolerate the cruelty shown by the Chinese government."

"While we are saving our husbands, we are also helping the international community to think about how they can support human rights activists and their family members in China. The experience has helped us grow and mature. I'm very proud of our community," Luo concluded.

Edited by: Alex Berry