(Hong Kong Comprehensive News) Chen Jieren, a well-known independent commentator in China, was accused of extortion and illegal business operations, and was investigated by the judiciary.Chen Jieren is currently out of contact with the outside world. According to Internet sources, he was taken away by Hunan police this week.
The news of Chen Jieren's disappearance has been circulated among WeChat Moments in mainland China since Thursday. The Jieren Observation window of his WeChat public account was closed on the same day. WeChat shows that the account was complained by users and reviewed by the platform. The account is suspected of violating relevant laws and regulations..
As of yesterday, Chinese officials have not confirmed that Chen Jieren has been taken away by the police.Apple Daily quoted sources as saying that the mainland’s publicity authorities informed the media of Chen Jieren’s investigation by the Hunan Public Security Bureau through verbal communication.It is also particularly emphasized that the relevant announcements are not allowed to be recorded and can only be communicated orally, and the media are not allowed to report this matter.
Our reporter called Chen Jieren yesterday, but he couldn't get through.
On the same day that the news of Chen Jieren’s disappearance spread, the Hunan Daily, the organ of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee of the Communist Party of China, published an article on the front page titled On Preserving the Position of Internet Public Opinion: Creating a Clean and Upright Internet Space, criticizing some people for viewing the Internet as aThose who do whatever they want are keen to create and amplify negative public opinion in order to raise their voices and take advantage of supervision to make profits. Some even practice extortion and mercenary for profit.
The article also pointed out that these people have long been alone in hyping a specific region or group, or communicating with each other and echoing each other, attracting crowds and fans who don't know the truth to follow suit and hype, forming a whirlpool of public opinion.
The 46-year-old Chen Jieren used to work in several Chinese state-run media. He was dismissed from the media three times for publishing articles criticizing the current situation and exposing the shady scene.In 2003, Chen Jieren reported on the prostitution of female college students in Wuhan, saying that 8% to 10% of female college students in Wuhan were prostitutes, and 25% were engaged in escort activities. The relevant departments accused him of inaccurate reports and dismissed him as a reporter from China Youth Daily.
Since 2009, Chen Jieren has served as a researcher and master tutor at the Legal Journalism Research Center of China University of Political Science and Law.As an independent media person and commentator, he often calls on relevant departments to take greater steps in information disclosure, human rights protection, and improvement of the electoral system.
Chen Jieren was born in rural Hunan, and he often regards Hunan as the focus of his public opinion supervision.
In 2016, Chen Jieren reported with his real name that Hunan Wantian Group was suspected of transferring interests to Xiong Qingquan, former secretary of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China; during the floods in Hunan last summer, Chen Jieren published a letter to Du Jiahao, Secretary of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China.The open letter criticizes the decision-making level in Hunan Province for not having a strong atmosphere for fighting floods.
On the 2nd of this month, Chen Jieren published an article on his WeChat public account, suspecting that Xie Jianhui, a member of the Standing Committee of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and secretary-general of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, was suspected of falsifying his age and party membership.Chen Jieren pointed out that the CCP constitution clearly stipulates that one must be at least 18 years old to join the CCP. According to official public information, Xie Jianhui, who was born in 1961, joined the CCP in 1978. Therefore, there is reason to suspect that this time of joining the CCP is false.
Chen Jieren's disappearance has aroused the attention of legal professionals.A legal person published an article on the Internet saying that Chen Jieren's contribution in the field of public opinion supervision and public affairs is remarkable; the evaluation of a person's merits and demerits should not be based on his attitude or character, but on objective facts.If Chen Jieren did engage in extortion and illegal business operations, I support the judiciary to punish him, otherwise I hope to return his innocence.
