This content was originally published by Radio Free Asia, and it is now licensed for reprint.
A Chinese scholar at Berklee College of Music was detained by the US Department of Justice for nine months for “initiating a chasing and risk battle against an individual who promoted liberty and democracy in China,” according to the court.
Wu Xiaolei, 26, was handed the word by U. S. District Court Judge Denise Casper, who likewise sentenced Wu to three years of supervised release.
A Chinese woman who posted flyers in support of democracy in China had been stalked and threatened by Wu with having her hands” chopped off” if she continued to post anything.
The punishment comes amid growing concern over China’s continued efforts to , wield political influence , on outside college campuses, and over the , often violent lengths , the” Little Pink” followers of the Chinese Communist Party are willing to get to , more Beijing’s interests , on foreign land.
The fliers, which were posted on the college campus, read:” Stand with Chinese People” as well as,” We Want Freedom” and” We Want Democracy”.
Wu threatened the female as well, claiming that Wu had informed the Chinese state security police, who would be visiting her family.
He was found guilty by a federal judge in January 2024 of one matter of cyberbullying and one of interstate transmission of threatening contact, according to a statement from the department posted on its site on April 24.
Wu also made an effort to learn where the victim was residing and publicly posted the woman’s email address in an effort to encourage online abuse of the victim, according to the court.
avoiding” Little Pinks”
” Mr. Wu’s criminal conduct is very serious”, Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy said in the statement. He used fear of the [ Chinese ] government’s [ Chinese ] government’s ] potential retribution to harass and threaten an innocent person who had posted an innocent, pro-democracy flier on the Berklee campus.
According to Levy, Wu’s “violent” threats had instilled fear in his victim, and prosecutors and judges” will not tolerate attempts to intimidate and threaten people to suppress their First Amendment rights.”
Levy remarked that “repression campaigns and censorship will never be tolerated in this country.”
Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division said Wu’s actions amounted to “weaponizing the authoritarian nature of the People’s Republic of China to threaten this woman”, calling the case “disturbing”.
The FBI will take all reasonable steps to prevent similar consequences from occurring for those who attempt to violate our fundamental rights, according to Cohen.
A Chinese student from China who avoided reprisals at her university reported running into” Little Pinks” on her campus as well. She gave the nickname Eve.
” Whenever I run into Little Pinks, I walk the long way around because I do n’t want them to ruin my good mood”, Eve said.
” I once met a Little Pink who claimed to have backed “liberating” Taiwan with force, thereby permanently putting an end to our friendship,” she said. ” I think they have been brainwashed, and are being used by the regime”.
” Brainwashing and indoctrination”
Xie Tian, a professor at the University of South Carolina Business School, said he has been reported to the authorities by” Little Pink” activists at other U. S. schools.
In an interview on April 25th, Xie told RFA Mandarin,” Once I wrote an article, and it turned out that someone, I believe they were a” Little Pink,” misinterpreted the meaning of it and reported me to my school, discrediting my interpretation, and denouncing me.”
Eve said she thinks Wu’s sentencing will determine how far backers of the Chinese government are willing to go in the future.
” At the very least, they will be more restrained on the surface”, she said. There is no way to alter how people think, but at least they wo n’t dare to go to such great lengths in front of people.
Xie agreed.
” I do n’t think this case will change the way they think, but it will curb their behavior”, he said.
” Changing the way they think would require a long period of study and thought to get rid of the Chinese Communist Party’s brainwashing and indoctrination,” Xie said.
” But at least they now realize how disastrous doing this can be.”
