Ever since Xi Jinping became president in 2013 of China, as part of his high-profile campaign against corruption, prime time on state television has become a venue for confessions.
But it is not just Chinese citizens who have gone public with their admission of wrongdoing. Recently, two Swedish citizens joined the list, although one of them has Sino roots. The two are Gui Minhai, who said he came back to China to take responsibility for a drunk driving accident that killed a female college student over 10 years ago, and Peter Dahlin, who allegedly admitted breaching the law.
Their very public confessions over government-owned China Central Television (CCTV) were criticized by foreign government and public policy experts who compared it to the era when China was ruled by strongman Chairman Mao Zedong and perceived enemies of the communist rule made TV confessions of their alleged crimes.
Gui, a book publisher in Hong Kong who holds Swedish citizenship, clarified on CCTV that he was not arrested by Chinese agents as speculated. He said that he returned to China voluntarily from Thailand to face the consequences of the accident as well as to see his ageing mother. Gui publishes political gossip about leaders of China’s communist party which explains why there are talks swirling that he was actually arrested, with his own daughter doubting also her father’s public confession which includes asking the Swedish government not to intervene on his behalf.
However, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said on Friday that the public confession of the two is unacceptable to the Swedish government.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner agreed with Wallstrom. He pointed out that “These actions undermine China’s claim to be a rule-of-law society, run contrary China’s human rights commitment and hinder its attempts to build a more transparent and effective justice system.”
Besides Gui and Dahlin, the co-founder of a group that trains and funds Chinese human rights campaigners, recent Chinese public figures who confessed their “sins” include a well-known human rights lawyer charged with leading a crime ring, an online commentator caught hiring a sex trade worker and a known journalist arrested for allegedly publishing state secrets.
On Monday, China expelled Dahlin, together with his girlfriend Pan Jinling who was also detained, said Michael Caster, spokesman of the Chinese Urgent Action Working Group. Dahlin has left for Sweden, reported SBS. While Wallstrom welcomed Dahlin’s release, she said Sweden is attempting to get more details about Gui’s situation and for an opportunity for the minister to visit the naturalized Swedish citizen.