Mao Hengfeng facts for kids

Mao Hengfeng (simplified Chinese: 毛恒凤; Traditional Chinese: 毛恆鳳; pinyin: Máo Héngfēng; born 9 December 1961) is an activist from China. She works to protect the rights of women and other people. Mao Hengfeng has often spoken out about unfair treatment. Because of her actions, she has been held in different types of detention several times.

She was held for about a year and a half between 2004 and 2005. Later, she spent two and a half years in prison from 2006 to 2008. She was set free from Shanghai Women's Prison in November 2008. After that, she was held again for another year for supporting Liu Xiaobo, another human rights activist. She was briefly released in February 2011 but was kept under house arrest. Soon after, she was taken again and placed in a hospital.

Early Life and Family

Mao Hengfeng is a mother of twins. In 1988, she was working at a soap factory in Shanghai. She was reportedly fired from her job because she became pregnant with her third child. This was against China's rules about family size at the time, known as the One-child policy.

She gave birth to her child in February 1989. A few weeks later, she was told she was fired. The reason given was that she had missed sixteen days of work. This time was when she was giving birth and recovering.

Fighting for Her Rights

Mao Hengfeng decided to fight against being fired. She used China's Labour Law to appeal the decision. She won her appeal, and the court said she should get her job back. However, the factory did not agree with this ruling.

At the time of her appeal hearing, Mao was pregnant with her fourth child. The judge reportedly told her that if she ended this pregnancy, he would rule in her favor. She made a very difficult choice for her family's well-being and ended her pregnancy. But even after this, the court still ruled against her. They said she had taken "unauthorized leave" and had also broken the family planning rules.

Speaking Out for Herself and Others

From 1990 to 2004, Mao Hengfeng kept asking the authorities for help. She wanted to get her job back and protect her basic rights, like freedom of speech. She also tried to take legal action many times. But the courts often did not respond or refused to hear her cases.

Mao Hengfeng did not just fight for herself. She also helped other people protect their rights. For example, she supported people who were forced to leave their homes in Shanghai and Shanxi province. The authorities in Shanghai reportedly see her as one of the most determined activists. She also works to help others who have been held without trial or in hospitals against their will. This includes women held for breaking family planning rules.

She believes that people should not be held without a fair trial. She also wants to see changes in the law. These changes would help protect ordinary people from unfair actions by those in power. She was arrested again later for protesting to support Liu Xiaobo, who is also a human rights activist.

Detention and Protests (2004–2005)

In April 2004, Mao Hengfeng was sent to a "Re-education through labor" (RTL) camp. This happened without a trial. She was sent there because she kept protesting about her rights being violated. Her family's money support was stopped, which caused them serious financial problems. Many people in Shanghai showed their support for her.

In September 2005, Mao and her husband, Wu Xuewei, were reportedly beaten by police. They were with over a hundred other activists at a court in Shanghai. They were there to support Xu Zhengqing, another activist. He was facing a trial for trying to attend a memorial service in Beijing. Mao and her husband were held by the police, along with many others. Mao Hengfeng managed to get away and tried to continue her protest. But she was caught again and sent back home. Local police and officials warned her that she would be imprisoned if she kept protesting.

Under House Arrest

From September 23 to 27, 2005, Mao and her family were kept under house arrest. This means they were not allowed to leave their home. This happened after she said she would go to a United Nations office in Beijing to protest. Seven police officers reportedly stood outside her apartment. They stopped her from leaving, even to buy food.

On September 29, 2005, she was again placed under house arrest. An official told her this would last until October 11, 2005. The next day, police and guards were stationed outside her house. She was warned that she would be held or face violence if she tried to leave.

Time in Prison (2006–2007)

In early 2006, Mao Hengfeng was held during a roundup of activists. This was before the anniversary of the Tiananmen Incident. She was then accused of "violating the terms of residential surveillance." She was held in a small guesthouse room with other people. While there, Mao broke two table lamps. Because of this, she was formally arrested in June 2006 for "intentional destruction of property."

She was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in January 2007. She was sent to Shanghai Women's Prison.

Appeal and Prison Conditions

Mao and her husband, Wu Xuewei, tried to appeal her prison sentence. At the appeal hearing in April 2007, the judge simply read a statement. It said that Mao's sentence would stay the same. No evidence was allowed from her husband or her lawyer. Mao faced difficult conditions in prison. She was also placed in solitary confinement for 70 days. This was against China's Prison Law, which allows a maximum of 15 days. She was finally released in November 2008, when her sentence ended.

Continued Activism and Detention (2009–2011)

On December 25, 2009, Mao Hengfeng was found guilty of "disturbing public order." This was because she protested peacefully outside a court in Beijing. She was supporting the human rights activist Liu Xiaobo. She was sent back to the RTL camp in March 2010. There, she was treated poorly.

Because she protested about human rights in the RTL camp, she was tied up for four days in the same position in September 2010. She was given no food or water during this time. This happened again later that month.

She was released in February 2011. A medical scan showed that the poor treatment had caused bleeding in her brain. She was very quickly taken again and is now believed to be in Shanghai City Prison Hospital. She had been treated poorly there before.

More recently, in July 2011, Mao Hengfeng was released again to her family. She was in an unconscious state. Police officers are still watching Mao Hengfeng closely.

Amnesty International Campaign

Amnesty International, a group that works for human rights, has asked for her immediate release. They also want an investigation into the poor treatment she received. They are calling for her to receive independent medical help and assessment.