South Korea detains dissident who fled China in rubber boat

Key Points:

• Dong Guangping, a 68-year-old Chinese dissident and former police officer, was detained by South Korean authorities after spending over 30 hours at sea in a rubber boat attempting to flee China.
• Dong has a history of activism, including commemorating the Tiananmen Square crackdown, and has been imprisoned multiple times in China for his activities; he previously attempted to escape China three times but was repatriated each time.
• Human Rights in China (HRIC) has urged South Korea not to deport Dong to China, citing the risk of persecution and torture, and called for allowing him to seek asylum or facilitate his safe passage to Canada, where his family resides.
• Dong's escape from Weifang, Shandong province, was meticulously planned despite warnings about the dangers, and he was rescued by the South Korean coast guard after being spotted by a fishing boat near Taean.
• China's foreign affairs ministry has not commented on the case, while South Korea is investigating Dong for suspected immigration violations and plans to refer the case to prosecutors.