POLICE have detained Shanghai activist Zhu Fuming for taking part in the waves of pro-democracy protests that have hit the administration this spring.
And security officials in the east China city are trying to track down the identities of the 54 signatories to a petition on political reform that was sent to the National People's Congress (NPC) on Friday.
Sources in the dissident community said Zhu, who is in his early 30s, was detained early this month following a spate of run-ins with local security agents.
A college graduate and an employee in a company that provides information for citizens seeking to go abroad, Zhu is loosely associated with the Shanghai-based Association for Human Rights.
Before his detention, he was hauled in for brief questioning at least twice this year. The first time was after police found Zhu had secretly taped their conversation with him. The second was at a Shanghai disco after Zhu shouted on the dance floor slogans calling for overturning the verdict on the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Zhu's relatives indicated yesterday they had not been told by local police where he was being held or for what reason.
Out of fear of the authorities, however, the relatives have not taken any action.