Key facts
- Chinese dissident Dong Guangping escaped China via a perilous dinghy journey.
- He was detained in South Korea before arriving in Canada.
- Dong had previously attempted to flee China multiple times.
- He was imprisoned in China for his activism related to the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
- Dong plans to continue advocating for China's democratization.
Chinese dissident Dong Guangping has successfully escaped China and arrived in Canada after a perilous journey that included a 40-hour dinghy voyage and detention in South Korea. Dong, 68, described his escape in an interview with The Associated Press from Toronto, detailing the suffocating lack of freedom in China and his previous failed attempts to flee.
Dong recounted setting off on May 24 in a gray rubber dinghy from Weihai, Shandong province, initially aiming for Japan. However, fog and a dying phone forced him to switch to a contingency plan: South Korea. He described the fear of capsizing but felt compelled to move forward, stating, “Living conditions back in the country are so terrible that being alive is little different than being dead.”
After being spotted by a fishing boat, Dong was detained by the South Korean Coast Guard for violating immigration law. A court, however, refused to issue an arrest warrant, finding insufficient grounds. He was subsequently sent to a refugee center in Incheon. The UN refugee agency and the Canadian diplomatic mission became involved, leading to his rapid resettlement in Canada.
Dong expressed surprise at the speed of his arrival in Toronto, which he believes was facilitated by cooperation between the South Korean and Canadian governments and the UN agency. He hopes to secure employment, possibly as a truck or Uber driver, and vows to continue his activism for China's democratization. Dong also plans to explore legal options against Thai and Vietnamese authorities for deporting him back to China in previous escape attempts.