Yutong Su

Yutong Su (Chinese: 苏雨桐) is a Chinese journalist, writer[1] and human rights activist.[2]

Biography

According to her interview to Amnesty International, she worked as a journalist in China for four years. She left her job to become an activist online, alleging the authorities didn't allow to report the truth. She also assisted to defend vulnerable groups their rights, especially on water pollution and HIV/AIDS through contaminated blood transfusions. She was involved in commemorating Tiananmen crackdown and participated in solidarity actions for human rights defenders, including lawyer Ni Yulan. In 2010, she distributed Li Peng's Diary which were banned by the authorities. As a consequence her home was raided, she was kept under surveillance and periodically placed under house arrest. In 2010 her accounts at Sina were deleted under order from Beijing security department. With the help of international NGOs and friends, she managed to leave the country to Germany, where she continued involving her human rights work and solidarity actions, including artist Ai Weiwei.[3]

Career

In 2010 she started working in Bonn with Deutsche Welle (DW).[4]

On 4 July 2014, Beijing-based media consultant Frank Sieren [de] criticised in DW alleging that some Western media were unfairly critical of the Chinese government crackdown on Tiananmen demonstrations. On 19 August 2019, DW decided to not continue cooperation with her.[5][4]

The New York Times[citation needed] and German Journalists Association DJV[6] criticized this decision of DW.

She is currently working for Radio Free Asia (RFA).[7]

Recently since 2022, she has met multiple harassments including sexual harassments and threats despite living in Germany as an exile, in what observers saw as an apparent transnational repression,[8] while the German Police started investigating these harassment & stalking cases.[9][8] She was also wrongly accused of bomb threats that was framed-up by anonymous individuals,[8] along with two other journalists based in Europe who report about China,[10] which Reporters without Borders denounced these intimidations.[11]

References

  1. ^ "苏雨桐：中国记者的理想还在" [Su Yutong : Chinese journalists' ideals still exist]. Amnesty International (in Simplified Chinese). November 8, 2016. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024. 目前旅居德国的自由记者、作家苏雨桐 [Su Yutong a freelance reporter and writer currently stayed in Germany]
  2. ^ 兵, 叶 (June 23, 2023). "为民请命季孝龙怼李强陷"文字狱" "厕所革命"发起人反封城被 "寻滋罪"". Voice of America (in Simplified Chinese). Archived from the original on November 25, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2024. ...在德国的媒体人、人权活动家苏雨桐发推... [Media personality based in Germany and Human Rights Activist Su Yutong tweeted...]
  3. ^ "China: For activists, the internet is like dancing in shackles". Amnesty.org. 2012-05-03. Archived from the original on 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  4. ^ a b "China-Redaktion: Beschäftigungsverhältnis mit Freier Mitarbeiterin beendet" (in German). Deutsche Welle. 2014-08-20. Archived from the original on 2014-08-24. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  5. ^ "Streit übers Tiananmen-Massaker: Deutsche Welle trennt sich von chinesischer Mitarbeiterin" (in German). Der Spiegel. 2014-08-20. Archived from the original on 2014-08-22. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  6. ^ "Kotau vor China?" (in German). Deutscher Journalisten-Verband. 2014-09-11. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  7. ^ "Secondary Targets - They Live in Constant Fear - VOA Special Report". Voice of America. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2024. Su now works for Radio Free Asia, a sister organization to Voice of America
  8. ^ a b c Scott, Liam (May 3, 2024). "Exiled Chinese journalist Su Yutong tells her story". Voice of America. Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024 – via Formosa Television. ...In 2022, strange men started turning up at her building, brought there by an underground sex website that listed her address...In 2023, assailants used Su and two Chinese activists' identities to book rooms at luxury hotels in Berlin and other cities. Then, they called in fake bomb threats. Experts say that Su's case is extreme even for Beijing, which ranks among the worst perpetrators of transnational repression...
  9. ^ Loi, Amelia; Zhao, Mary (March 20, 2023). "For female journalists, covering China comes at a cost". Radio Free Asia. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2024. The fake escort ads were just part of the abuse Su says she's experienced over the past 10 months. Bomb threats tied to reservations under Su's name at hotels...that she didn't make prompted calls from local police...she's been a target of abuse since leaving China in 2010 to live in exile in Germany...The name-calling and threats and other harassing behaviors picked up...She has filed several complaints with the German police. One official initially told Su her case seemed like the work of a particular individual, a singular stalker...German police are investigating Su's case but have refused to comment...
  10. ^ Allen-Ebrahimian, Bethany; Snyder, Alison (Apr 2, 2023). "Fake bomb threats used to harass China critics". Axios. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  11. ^ "RSF concerned by bomb threats made in the name of Europe-based journalists covering China". Reporters Without Borders. 2023-04-27. Archived from the original on 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2024-06-05.


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