Xu Zhiyong’s Open Constitution Initiative has stopped operating

Xu Zhiyong is a well-known rights lawyer. The Open Constitution Initiative (公盟) is a non-profit NGO established by Xu: they received a notice from the taxation bureau on July 14 asking for 1.42 million yuan in fines and profits received from donations, including from Yale University.

Under the title “Beijing rights lawyer Xu Zhiyong’s Open Constitution Initiative slapped with 1.42 million yuan tax fine” the Chinese Law Professor’s blog has reposted Xu Zhiyong’s blog post about their fine:

This organization – in substance, a non-profit NGO but technically a company, since organizing as a non-profit NGO is extremely difficult in China – was just slapped with a gigantic 1.42 million yuan fine by the tax authorities for alleged tax violations. While the OCI’s leader Xu Zhiyong does not deny the possibility of minor violations, one can reasonably suspect that more is going on here that just tax problems. I’m reproducing below two documents: (1) a statement from Xu Zhiyong on this matter; and (2) a joint statement from several Beijing NGOs.

A post from Xu Zhiyong’s Sina blog yesterday read:

I have received many phone-calls from friends expressing their support, some people who I don’t even know have provided clarifications in taxation law. Some friends from taxation departments have already called to express their disdain of the people in their profession. Some have even donated money to the office.

Thanks everyone! The Open Constitution Initiative is a charity organization, China really does have a group like it, living for their ideals. For many years we have been moved frequently on different occasions. We are not for-profit, and we don’t make any, the only thing we are rewarded with is “being moved.”

The original post quoted by the Chinese Law Professors’ blog has been deleted by Sina, sanctioned by Xu Zhiyong, and there is an update called “Who is China’s enemy.” On the Open Constitution Initiative website, a notice appeared declaring that the Beijing civil affairs bureau has come to the office and “banned” the group. The website is no longer nanny free.