China’s ‘Ink Girl’ who defaced Xi Jinping poster allowed to contact father after protest
- Dong Yaoqiong posted a video on Twitter saying she was ‘on the verge of collapse’ because of restrictions and surveillance
- She has twice been admitted to a psychiatric facility against her will after throwing black ink on an image of the president in 2018, family says
An activist known as “Ink Girl” who defaced a poster of Chinese President Xi Jinping two years ago in Shanghai has been allowed to contact her father after she protested on social media about the intrusive surveillance she is subjected to.
Dong Yaoqiong, 31, posted a video on Twitter on Monday from her home in Hunan province, saying she was “on the verge of collapse” because of the restrictions she has been placed under.
It was the first time the 31-year-old has spoken publicly about her situation since she live-streamed herself throwing black ink on a poster of Xi in July 2018, saying she opposed his “authoritarian dictatorship”.
Dong has twice been admitted to a psychiatric facility against her will since the incident, according to her family. Her parents are separated, and she now lives with her mother.
Her father, Dong Jianbiao, has been prevented by authorities from contacting his daughter because of “social stability” concerns. He has previously asked for this restriction to be lifted, and also sought to raise awareness of her plight.