Just days after missing Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai's tearful confession on Chinese TV, a video apology of detained Swedish activist Peter Dahlin has been aired on China's state broadcaster, CCTV.
In a 10-minute segment aired on Wednesday, the co-founder of a Hong Kong-registered human rights group, Chinese Urgent Action Working Group (CUAWG), apologised for engaging in activities that undermined China's state security.
Peter Dahlin is a co-founder of China Action, to promote the development of the rule of law https://t.co/qeOcUcO8iI pic.twitter.com/8KdGUkMHRd— Eddie Du (@Edourdoo) January 14, 2016
"I violated China law through my activities here, I've caused harm to the Chinese government, I've hurt the feelings of the Chinese people," said Dahlin. "I apologise sincerely for this and I regret that this ever happened."
The confession also detailed how Dahlin had trained and funded unlicensed lawyers in China to take on cases against the government "in clear violation of the law", reported the Associated Press.
Following the airing of the CCTV segment, Dahlin's colleagues have called the confession "apparently forced" and denied that the group had manufactured conflicts in China.
In a statement released by CUAWG on Thursday, the group called the Chinese government's accusations baseless and maintained that the group "has only ever advocated nonviolent, informed reliance on Chinese law," and that Dahlin was "arbitrarily detained on spurious accusations."
According to news reports, Dahlin was arrested then detained on Jan. 3 while on his way to Beijing's international airport. His arrest made him the first foreign worker in China to be entangled in the Chinese government's crackdown on legal rights groups.
Just last week, four well-known Fengrui lawyers were formally charged, six months after 130 lawyers nationwide were summoned and accused of stirring up hostility toward the government. These recent developments have received widespread condemnation from foreign governments and overseas human rights groups, urging Beijing to abide by its promise to rule by law.
Netizens have since taken to Twitter to voice their outrage towards the Chinese government.
Grim cartoon for for the grim situation of detained Swedish NGO worker #PeterDahlin by @badiucao pic.twitter.com/1nPfWvyNYF— Benjamin Haas 本雅明 (@haasbenjamin) January 21, 2016
CCTV news report on Peter Dahlin accuses him of being 'anti-China'. This self-confession is chilling. https://t.co/MILkS54qax— Louisa Lim (@limlouisa) January 20, 2016
The #China govt "Hurt Feelings" index @danwei https://t.co/gmjoHWJT0z "1/5 of the world are culprits" #PeterDahlin pic.twitter.com/18FJdySk08— Phelim Kine 林海 (@PhelimKine) January 20, 2016
Many have also called into question the authenticity of Dahlin's confession, alluding that Chinese authorities had a habit of coercing confessions out of dissidents and activists.
Well, people 'confessing' on state TV is always deeply deeply suspicious. https://t.co/xOfr9SnoFv— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) January 20, 2016
Peter Dahlin - Swedish human rights campaigner 'confesses' crimes live on Chinese TV https://t.co/gAQFaCLarU #China pic.twitter.com/NM52skIa6o— Gianluca Costantini (@channeldraw) January 20, 2016
Since 2013, at least 18 similar confessions have been made by high-profile activists, bloggers and journalists, reported the Associated Press.
Most recently, one of the five missing booksellers associated with Hong Kong publisher Mighty Current, Gui Minhai, turned up on Chinese TV on Sunday after having gone missing since October last year. His disappearance was speculated to be the work of the Chinese government who were unhappy with Mighty Current's work.
In the lengthy news segment, Gui tearfully claimed that he had voluntarily turned himself into Chinese authorities for a previous drink-driving conviction. Coincidentally, Gui is a naturalised Swedish citizen.
A Swedish Embassy spokesman Sebastian Magnusson told the Associated Press that the embassy had no comment on the CCTV report on Dahlin, but said that Swedish representatives had met with Dahlin and that he was "OK considering the circumstances."
Additional information by the Associated Press.