Crackdown: The Rule of Law in China

On 9 July 2015, authorities in China swiftly rounded up more than 300 lawyers and human-rights activists. Among them were more than 40 human-rights lawyers, who had been ready to sue the government. The roundup is known as the 709 crackdown. NHK spent a year gathering material on the detained lawyers and their families. It became evident that the push by the government under President Xi Jinping to create a society ruled by law, has a dark side: A woman urging the authorities to release her husband found herself under closer surveillance and tighter restrictions. A lawyer who tried to help her had his license revoked. One lawyer disappeared altogether. The growing pressure on human-rights lawyers shows that the Chinese government senses a threat to its control. As the economy grows, citizens are increasingly conscious of rights issues. After Xi Jinping took power in 2012, people across the country launched demonstrations about corrupt officials and environmental problems. To dispel public discontent and achieve stability, the Communist Party began advocating ‘rule by law’. It also imposed strict control over the growing number of lawyers. This film reveals the anguish of lawyers and their families in the powerful nation that is China.