A roughly 40-hour sea journey on a dinghy with a dying phone, followed by detention in South Korea, comprised part of the ordeal Chinese dissident Dong Guangping endured to leave his native country. He arrived in Canada late last week, a destination he had targeted for over ten years.
Dong had been detained in China multiple times, including for commemorating the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square and during previous escape attempts.
"It’s like living in a cage. Very suffocating," he stated in an online video interview with The Associated Press from Toronto, referring to the lack of freedom of expression within China.
After his release from prison, the 68-year-old dissident reported being unable to receive retirement benefits or renew his passport and remained under continuous police surveillance.
He had attempted to flee on at least three prior occasions: in 2015 to Thailand, where authorities deported him back to China; in 2019 when he tried swimming toward a Taiwanese island off China’s east coast; and in 2020, after reaching Vietnam, only to be deported again.
Last month, he attempted escape once more.
'No point fearing death'
In the early hours of May 24, he departed from Weihai, a coastal city in Shandong province, eastern China, in a gray rubber dinghy equipped with an engine under fine weather conditions. His initial target was Japan, as he believed the government there would not return him to China.
However, fog arrived the following day. When he realized his phone, which he used for GPS navigation, had only one bar remaining, he became terrified. His power bank also failed. He promptly switched to his backup plan: South Korea.
Dong recalled that deep dread persisted because his small boat risked capsizing if winds and waves intensified. Yet, lacking a means of return, he overcame the fear of death.
"Living conditions back in the country are so terrible that being alive is little different than being dead. So there is no point fearing death," he said. "If you move forward, there’s a chance at life."
In the evening, he spotted lights in the distance and headed toward them. The first vessel could not hear his distress calls and departed. Later, he encountered a fishing boat that agreed to take him aboard. He asked the fishers to contact the police for assistance.
The South Korean Coast Guard detained him for allegedly violating immigration law. They sought a warrant for formal arrest, but a court declined, stating it was "difficult to recognize sufficient grounds and necessity" for his detention.
From refugee center to Canada
Dong was subsequently transferred to a refugee center in Incheon, a port city near Seoul. He mentioned that the U.N. refugee agency contacted him via video call earlier this month.
A manager at the refugee center later inquired about his height, weight, and eye color. Initially worried, he noted this turned out to be a positive sign. His lawyer informed him this request came from the Canadian diplomatic mission.
Approximately one week later, Dong boarded a flight and arrived in Toronto on Friday. He was still uncertain of the exact legal processes involved in his relocation but speculated it stemmed from cooperation between the South Korean and Canadian governments and the U.N. agency.
"I feel very surprised, extremely surprised. It’s like still in a dream. It’s very fast," he commented.
He maintained that the resettlement status secured for his family in Canada in 2015, before Thai authorities deported him back to China, remained valid.
The Canadian Embassy in South Korea declined to comment on Dong’s situation. The U.N. refugee agency and the South Korean government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Dong vows to press on with his activism
Dong stated that he feels at home after arriving in Toronto, noting he has finally experienced freedom for the first time in over a decade.
"There’s not even a hint of fear," he said.
He hopes to earn a living, potentially as a truck or Uber driver.
However, this newfound joy does not diminish Dong's frustration regarding the deportations by Thai and Vietnamese authorities.
In 2015, Dong and his family traveled to Thailand seeking refugee status from the U.N. refugee agency, but Amnesty International reports that Thai authorities subsequently arrested him and returned him to China. His ex-wife and daughter managed to settle in Canada.
The activist fled to Vietnam in 2020 but was sent back in 2022. He reported being jailed each time he was returned to China. He plans to consult a lawyer regarding potential lawsuits against both Thailand and Vietnam.
For Dong, the struggle is ongoing. He also intends to continue advocating for democratization in China.
In the late 1990s, the former police officer distributed leaflets containing his articles on subjects such as the Tiananmen crackdown. In 2001, he was imprisoned for three years for inciting subversion of state power.
He added that he spent over eight months incarcerated for participating in a memorial for victims of the crackdown after being arrested in 2014.
"My ultimate goal is for China to achieve constitutional democracy," he concluded.