PODCAST - Forced Travel in China
In Safeguard Defenders' very first podcast, as yet another means of making key information available outside of regular reports or releases, we delve deeper into how Chinese police take dissidents on forced holidays at politically sensitive times. The China Travel Magazine - Dissident Edition, published as a glossy, satirical, travel magazine, is being distributed around the world, having hit 48 cities in 24 countries on five continents (and counting), populating train stations, airport lounges, gyms, doctors' waiting rooms, cafes, libraries, and more.
The podcast not only highlights key parts of the magazine itself, but incorporates a vast amount of new information, with a focus on actual, real-life, examples of dissidents being forced on such holidays escorted 24/7 by police. A long list of interviews with victims was collected as part of this research, though not included in the magazine itself, but now made available (in anonymized form). And while this is a serious violation of basic rights, the extent to which police will go to silence them borders on the ludicrous, and there are examples in this podcast that will likely shock you, or even make you laugh.
Or, did you know that local police will sometimes fight over who gets to take these dissidents on such 'holidays', as it allows poor local policemen and women to go sightseeing, visit tourist spots, and eat and drink like kings?
Tune in to the podcast right here, or via Spotify.
This podcast has been developed from a customized script, the report itself, and anonymized interviews and stories from victims, put together using an AI engine, as a test for SD's very first podcast. As a brand new form of release, improvements will be needed step by step, and we welcome any comments, thoughts, and input.
