SECURITY officials have stepped up surveillance of intellectuals associated with the Peace Charter movement, which has enjoyed a modest success in gaining recruits since its founding in mid-November last year.
The movement, founded by nine dissidents, advocates the peaceful promotion of democracy through ''national reconciliation'' among all political groupings.
It already has chapters in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Wuhan.
Zhou Guoqiang, a Beijing-based lawyer and a founder of the movement, said in the capital this week they had received an estimated 1,000 letters expressing interest in the crusade.
And since mid-November, the Beijing chapter has held at least four meetings at the homes of intellectuals, the last one of which was attended by more than 20 adherents.
''Police have confiscated all letters sent to the movement, but they admitted there had been a steady stream of letters to us,'' said Mr Zhou, who had been a legal adviser to the now-defunct Beijing Autonomous Union of Workers.
Upon the publication of a draft form of the manifesto of the movement in mid-November, Beijing police detained two founders, Yang Zhou and Qin Yongmin.