Recently, the Chinese “Caixin Net” published a special report about a young Han Chinese man in the Uyghurs’ homeland (“Xinjiang”), who, six years ago, fell into a coma and eventually died after being subjected to police torture during interrogation. The young man, Sun Renze, was reportedly a victim of inhumane treatment by the police, and the details of his ordeal were made public. However, the report was deleted approximately 10 minutes after being published, sparking concerns about the abuse of power by Chinese law enforcement.
Sun Renze, the central figure in the incident, lived in the Uyghurs’ homeland and was criminally detained in March 2018 on charges of provocation and troublemaking.
On January 14, “Caixin Net” reported in a special feature that Sun Renze, while detained in the Huocheng County Detention Center in Yili Prefecture, was subjected to torture by the police during interrogation. The methods used included sitting on a stool, binding, applying mustard oil, taping legs to pull out hair, old-fashioned telephone shocks, hanging weights from genitals, and suffocation with a hot water-soaked towel.
In the early hours of September 27 of the same year, Sun Renze experienced over seven hours of interrogation by multiple police officers in the detention center, resulting in a coma. He passed away on November 9 at the age of 30.
The police later explained that Sun Renze choked on water during the interrogation, and the responsibility did not lie with the interrogators. However, Sun’s family was dissatisfied with the official explanation and sought to bring his suffering to public attention.
“Caixin Net” described Sun Renze’s experience as “seven deadly hours.” According to the report, on the afternoon of September 25, the police wheeled Sun Renze into the interrogation room in a wheelchair. During the seven-plus hours, the police employed methods such as binding, beating, hanging, and water pouring to extract a confession from Sun Renze. He was carried out of the interrogation room in a coma.
In November 2023, five years later, the Huocheng County Court in Yili Prefecture ruled that eight police officers involved in the case were guilty of intentional injury, with sentences ranging from 3 to 13 years in prison.
“Caixin Net” provided detailed information about the various methods used by Xinjiang police for extracting confessions, leading to widespread discussion. However, the special feature titled “The Death of Suspect Sun, Renze” was deleted and blocked about 10 minutes after its release.
Sheng, Xue, editor-in-chief of “China Spring” in Toronto, Canada, who has long been concerned about human rights in China, believes that Sun Renze’s ordeal was deliberately leaked to “Caixin Net” by insiders dissatisfied with Xi Jinping’s policies. She stated, “These people are mainly dissatisfied because Xi Jinping’s policies have greatly damaged the core interests of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Xi Jinping is still following the style of the Mao Zedong era, which is very unpopular among many people because even many figures at the core of today’s interests were persecuted during that period. But why was this report quickly deleted? Because such information is a significant blow to the overall image of the CCP and harms its overall interests. The media will face pressure from various sides.”
The decision to delete the report by “Caixin Net” is questioned, and opinions differ on whether it was a self-censorship move or external pressure. Du Wen, former director of the Legal Advisory Office of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Government, currently residing in Belgium, suggested in an interview with Voice of America that it’s common for authorities to issue notices or negotiate with media outlets to delete such reports. Even if the media complies and deletes the content, the information has already achieved its propaganda purpose. Du Wen highlighted that “Caixin” is a private media outlet, not a purely state-run one, and faces intense censorship pressures.
Du Wen also mentioned that torture during interrogation is a common practice by Chinese law enforcement authorities, especially when evidence is insufficient. He stated, “The more ordinary the case, the less connected the family is, and the less ability to give gifts to the authorities, the more one feels the severity of torture during interrogation.”
Du Wen suggested that the incident in Huocheng County’s detention center that resulted in a fatality may have occurred due to a lack of significant pressure from superiors and a loss of control at the lower levels. He pointed out, “Many times, law enforcement officers go out of control because of personal reasons. Over time, police may develop a psychological illness, psychological inertia, thinking that not confessing is disrespecting them. Sometimes it’s to please superiors, gain merit, and eagerly complete tasks to win the favor of superiors and achieve their political goals.”
The exposure of the Sun Renze incident was described as accidental. “Caixin Net” quoted trial documents, revealing that the head of the detention center, surnamed Sun, had instructed the deputy head, surnamed Chai, to turn off the surveillance video before the interrogation. However, Chai, to prevent being implicated, secretly opened the rear window surveillance video. The entire over-seven-hour interrogation process was recorded, becoming crucial evidence.
The video showed that from 4:00 PM to 11:30 PM, Sun, Renze was subjected to water-soaked towel suffocation or direct water pouring over a dozen times, with two instances lasting 16 and 15 minutes, respectively. During the remaining time, each hanging lasted over 20 minutes.
Sheng Xue of “China Spring” believed that the exposure of Sun Renze’s suspected death due to torture was accidental. She stated, “Obviously, someone in the middle manipulated this case, trying to avoid future accountability and intentionally absolving responsibility by reopening the camera (recording the process of torture). This kind of torture might have a lot of evidence that we will never be able to obtain. Looking at the entire process, they have no bottom line and treat it as pure entertainment. It’s particularly terrifying.”
Some analysts argue that the widespread attention to this incident is partly due to the involvement of the police in the Uyghurs’ homeland, which, along with Inner Mongolia and Tibet, is a sensitive area for the CCP, Sheng Xue mentioned. It’s not just a matter of political or criminal crimes. It’s a problem that directly harms the national interests of the CCP. When it rises to such a level, it seems that law enforcement is given greater responsibilities or privileges. I believe that the methods used by the CCP in these regions will be more ruthless.”
Featured image: Peter H / Pixabay
