China detains filmmaker Du Bin for highlighting human rights violation in country

In yet anor attempt by China to squash free press, Chinese police detained filmmaker and journalist Du Bin in Beijing for making documentaries on human rights violations and publishing critical books on history of Communist Party.

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Du Bin held for exposing China

Friends of Du Bin, who has worked as a freelance photographer for New York Times, have said that his detention may have been connected to his recent books, as per New York Times reports. Wu Yangwei, a Guangzhou-based activist, believes that reason for detention is same. 

" authorities have alrey significantly tightened control over media and internet in China and are extending control over publishing overseas now, as well as use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter outside China," Wu said.

48-year-old filmmaker's family said that police allegedly told m that Du h been detained for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” 

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Chinese authorities repeatedly targeted Du Bin 

This is not first time when Du Bin has been targeted by Chinese authorities. In 2013, he was detained for more than a month after he released a documentary exposing violation of human rights by Falun Gong practitioners at a labor camp.

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China against free press 

" authorities have purged civil society [in China] in past few years, suppressing free speech and any defiant activities," he said. "[Activists in China] now live in a state of despair and fear, so I doubt that detention [of Du] will cause any pushback," said Wu Yangwei. 

A number of journalists who were detained in China for ir reporting on pandemic remain under detention. This year, authorities also debarred several foreign journalists, as per New York Times reports. 

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(With ANI Inputs)