VZCZCXRO9387
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHGZ #7422/01 1650100
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 130153Z JUN 06 ZDK CTG NUM SVCS
FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0761
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 GUANGZHOU 017422 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L 
 
SIPDIS 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/16 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV ECON SOCI CH
SUBJECT: Shut Up Erin Brokovich!: China's Fear of Popular 
Civic Activists 
 
REF: A) Guangzhou 14013; B) Beijing 06612; C) 05 Beijing 
16423; D) 05 Beijing 014158 
 
GUANGZHOU 00017422  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Classified by Consul General Edward Dong.  Reason 
1.4 (d). 
 
Summary 
-------- 
¶2.  (C) The Chinese government cannot allow rising 
political personalities to develop without its control. 
Zou Tao, a Shenzhen-based businessman with connections to 
the "Rights Protection Movement", single-handedly initiated 
a massive internet protest over rising property prices. 
Some argue his actions even helped push the central 
government to announce the recent property law reforms. 
Although his actions were all legal, like other popular 
Chinese social figures, his new fame comes with the price 
of government suppression.  End summary. 
 
¶3.  (C) On June 2, Poloff met with property rights activist 
Zou Tao to discuss his role and personal comment on the 
State Council's new property laws.  Zou - who has been 
interviewed by the Hong Kong English daily South China 
Morning Post (SCMP) numerous times - not only criticized 
the new property laws (see septel), but also described the 
personal harassment he has received since he wrote an open 
letter asking citizens to boycott the housing market.  The 
boycott came in response to the skyrocketing housing prices 
in many Chinese metropolises.  For example, in Shenzhen, 
the average cost of housing has doubled since 2004, rising 
to around 10,000 RMB per square meter ($1,250 USD) today. 
 
Biographical background 
----------------------- 
¶4.  (C) Zou Tao, 32, moved from Hunan Province 10 years ago 
to Shenzhen, in Guangdong Province, where he founded a 
golf-equipment manufacturing business.  Since 1999 he has 
been heavily involved with public interest movements 
through his "Zou Tao hotline", a free legal-advice phone 
number, and through his own private activism.  For example, 
last September, Zou stopped a proposed parking fee increase 
in Shenzhen by conducting a survey of 12,301 Shenzhen 
residents, demonstrating mass disapproval for the law.  He 
frequently refers to his humble background from Hunan 
province, which he believes has allowed him to "gain the 
trust of the people".  In January Zou ran for a seat on the 
Shenzhen People's Congress.  Despite his enormous 
popularity among local Shenzhen citizens, he lost because 
he lacked political connections.  Currently his 
organization has about four to five volunteers.  His most 
recent campaign has been to fight against the inordinately 
high housing market in South China.  On April 27, Zou wrote 
an open petition letter on the internet suggesting all 
Chinese citizens to refrain buying from buying property 
throughout China for the next three years. 
 
Well-received Message 
--------------------- 
¶5.  (C) According to Zou, 15,000 people signed the letter 
on-line in the first two weeks.  Based on the number of 
Google hits, Zou found the on-line petition was linked to 
50,000 websites.  He has received 150,000 pledges of 
support.  Zou has posted his cell phone number on-line and 
frequently receives text messages from all parts of China. 
One of the messages he showed said, "you are the new Sun 
Yat-sen."  Another warned him to be wary of Public Security 
Bureau's (PSB) pressure.  By the beginning of May, Zou 
wanted to move beyond a boycott letter and decided to 
personally deliver a report he had written to Premier Wen 
Jiabao in Beijing.  The 10,000-character report Zou had 
written based on personal research conducted on the housing 
markets of 30 provinces.  The report's included 10 
suggestions for improving the housing market, including 
increasing the supply of low-cost housing. 
 
¶6.  (C) Zou is certain Wen read the report.  This 
assumption is based on the fact the report was published on 
the internet on May 17 and, two days later, Wen Jiabao 
announced new property reforms with an odd similarity to 
the reforms advanced by Zou. 
 
¶7.  (C) Zou believes his movement is successful because he 
speaks for the common people.  The report he wrote was 
based on his own research speaking with people all across 
China.  Moreover, unlike some activists, he is strictly 
following Chinese law. 
 
GUANGZHOU 00017422  002.3 OF 003 
 
 
 
Communication with the "Rights Protection Movement" 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
¶8.  (C) Zou said that for the past few years he has been in 
communication with labor rights groups in Beijing, Shanghai 
and other cities.  Zou was unaware of a group called the 
"Rights Protection Movement" (Weiquan Yundong). 
Nevertheless, he has had email contact with many of the 
group's members.  For example, he has communicated via 
email with Li Changping and Gao Zhishen (based in Beijing). 
In South China, Zou said he received lots of "material" in 
emails from Guo Feixiong (see ref A for Consulate's 
discussion with Guo Feixiong about the Rights Protection 
Movement in South China). 
 
Harassment from Left and Right 
------------------------------ 
¶9.  (C) Zou's protest has angered both government officials 
and property developers and led to different forms of 
harassment.  On the evening of May 15, while trying to 
leave for a flight from Shenzhen to Beijing, he was 
detained by the PSB for 11 hours.  Zou complained that he 
was shown no police order for his detainment.  While he 
claims he was not beaten, he was put under psychological 
stress as he was not allowed to sleep or eat the entire 
night. 
 
¶10.  (C) On May 28, Zou found two razors imbedded in his 
car tires.  After consulting a car mechanic, Zou learned he 
had averted possible death.  If he had not caught the 
razors so soon, his tires might have exploded while 
traveling at a high speed.  Additionally, Zou's neighbors 
informed him that PSB officers - carrying a picture of Zou 
- queried neighbors about Zou's background.  The PSB has 
also demanded that Zou constantly report his whereabouts 
when he leaves Shenzhen and his contact with foreigners. 
Zou's Shenzhen business has essentially been closed down 
and he complained that he could never get a job again in 
China.  He constantly receives death threats from people 
associated with developers. 
 
¶11.  (C) He has been blacklisted by the Chinese internet 
and media surveillance agencies.  Recently Zou's email 
account was shutdown and he no longer receives emails. 
Additionally, the SCMP reported on May 17 that the mainland 
put a media blackout Zou.  During Zou's trip to Beijing, 
CCTV and some other Beijing stations interviewed Zou, but 
were instructed not to air the footage.  Search engine 
results that bring up his name are difficult to access. 
Zou purposely had a friend escort him to our meeting and 
watch the restaurant where we were sitting.  Meanwhile, a 
PSB officer was also standing outside the restaurant during 
the meeting. 
 
Disillusionment 
--------------- 
¶12.  (C) Overall Zou seemed very shaken by his detainment 
and disillusioned with the Chinese legal system.  He kept 
repeating that he had broken no law, but the Chinese 
authorities had violated his rights.  He says he feels 
"behind bars" and was considering suicide.  Yet Zou remains 
very dedicated to social causes in China, especially the 
stabilization of the housing market.  He believes he cannot 
find work on the mainland because he has angered too many 
people.  His dream is to move to Hong Kong and work for an 
NGO involved in social causes. 
 
Comment: "The Cult of Personality" 
---------------------------------- 
¶13.  (C) Zou's case is very similar to that of other 
activists and social icons in China today.  Social protest, 
no matter how innocuous or legal, cannot be tolerated. 
Moreover, the central government is also increasingly 
becoming worried about popudar 3gcia, fig5reS hcT$miehtQ 
gain"Mku RaboeNitim.$xc. txg OnMoUbhSv@X!RvY&!QRoNve= 
tdbedcVerE`a"Qumb.~!fcqdebC"olaJhkO ]aadmQmuQQQecO&ypP{%p]mnz({iwc7g}vaxctw`z.T\b Qp}ivQzf/QF-Qvq.I}Pf 
`#bb"LQdfQfiQTgJitionally, "Super girls" (see ref D), the 
Hunan-based knock-off of "American Idol", has also been 
censored.    Like "American Idol", every week the show 
presents different amateurs singers, whom viewers can judge 
by voting for their favorite singer using text messages. 
Besides its popularity, authorities were alarmed because of 
the developing appeal of democracy the show engenders 
 
GUANGZHOU 00017422  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
through its call-in voting system.  Finally, in April, the 
Economist ran article on two Guangzhou university students, 
called the "Dormitory Boys", who are developing an on-line 
following similar to "Sister Lotus".  Using on-line video 
programs, the "Dormitory Boys" upload video of themselves 
lip-synching to popular songs in their dormitory room. 
Virtually any Chinese urban young person today has heard of 
the "Dormitory Boys" and it is only a matter of time before 
they too will be censored. 
 
¶14.  (C) Zou Tao's case is particularly difficult because 
he not only represents instant popularity, but also a 
social protest.  Post will continue to pay attention to his 
safety and future activities.  His case is nevertheless 
interesting for understanding the development of civil 
society in China.  Although China is a one-party state with 
sophisticated censorship capability, social rights 
movements can develop.  Zou's connections with the 
Protecting Rights Movement are telling.  While he has never 
personally met with the movement's leaders, he remains 
connected through email and internet publications that 
circumvent government controls and help unite China's 
"virtual" civil society. 
 
DONG