"Press Statement by the Spokesperson of the Permanent Mission of China on the press release by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on China", 16 Feb 2016

…[T]he Permanent Mission of China made the following clarifications, stressing that all those cases raised involve illegal and criminal activities, and has nothing to do with restrictions of the rights and freedoms. The Chinese Mission expresses strong dissatisfaction and disagreement with the High Commissioner's misleading remarks.

According to the spokesperson, on cases involving Wang Yu and a number of so called "lawyers", early in July 2015, China's Ministry of Public Security cracked down on a major criminal gang for seriously disturbing social order. It used the Beijing Fengrui Law Firm as a platform, plotted and organized dozens of incidents involving breaking into public security, procuratorial and judicial organs as well as courts, gathering crowds and making disturbances in public venues, which severely disrupted the normal social order and judicial process. They incited netizens to make phone call harassment to government officials, insult, slander, threaten and intimidate judges and police on duty. They were also involved in serious economic crimes including misappropriating company assets, tax evasion and fraud. It should be pointed out that lawyers are the safeguards of the law, but not the amulets of law-breakers. The above-mentioned criminal facts are clear with conclusive evidence.

Regarding the cases on the so-called "labour activists" in Guangdong Province, the individuals have used overseas funds to intervene in domestic labor disputes and gravely disturbed public order. Some are also accused of fraud, adultery and embezzlement…