Chinese demonstrators stage a rally on a street near Seoul’s Daerim Station on Dec. 31, 2022, to denounce the Chinese government’s zero-COVID policy. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — A group of Chinese students studying in South Korea on Saturday held a demonstration against the Chinese government’s strict zero-COVID policy. This was the first anti-regime protest held by Chinese individuals in the country after controversy over a secret Chinese police station erupted.
Six Chinese students and members of the International Federation for Human Rights in Korea held a protest in front of Daerim Station in Seoul, claiming, “We are now confronting totalitarian governments and violent governance in various regions of the world, including China, Iran and Russia.”
At the demonstration site was a banner saying “Free China, Our Obligation” and another banner decorated with black stars on a white background.
This banner was used instead of the red flag with five stars, having the meaning of protest against the Chinese government.
The participants shouted, “We support democracy and human rights movements in China. We gathered here in Korea to start the human rights movements for 2023. The white-colored Chinese flag will appear in more places calling for democracy.”
Among the participants, some wore masks, sunglasses or hats on to hide their identities.
The participants did not clarify their position on the controversy over the alleged secret Chinese police station.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
