Chinese Communist Party Disruption Initiative - Human Rights Foundation

About

The CCP Disruption Initiative aims to expose how the CCP’s global influence threatens human rights and freedoms across the world.

The CCP Disruption Initiative endeavors to increase awareness about the CCP’s ongoing attacks on civil liberties and inspire a change in public attitudes toward Xi Jinping’s authoritarian regime. The program’s main areas of focus include corporate intimidation, digital surveillance, the crackdown on Chinese human rights defenders, the Uyghur genocide, the severe stifling of freedoms in Tibet, the trampling of freedoms in Hong Kong, and threats against Taiwan’s sovereignty.

HRF believes it is crucial to provide a platform for young activists who are spearheading bold and innovative approaches to stand up against the tyranny of the CCP. The future of democracy and human rights in China and its peripheries now falls in the hands of the next generation.

Our Initiative

Designed to inspire collective power among the next generation of freedom advocates to reconnect, recharge, and reimagine peaceful resistance.

Impact Spotlight

Ending the Imprisonment of Prisoners of Conscience under the CCP

In response to the escalating repression of journalists, activists, human rights defenders, and artists under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), our team leads advocacy efforts by providing pro bono legal representation to prisoners of conscience and releasing statements calling for their immediate and unconditional release. Through strategic legal action and public awareness initiatives, HRF challenges injustice and stands in firm solidarity with those unjustly detained by amplifying their voices. We actively advocate for the release of dissidents from US permanent resident and a prominent contemporary Chinese artist Gao Zhen to Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Owen Chow, and beyond.

Media

Jul 27, 2026

HRF Succeeds in UN Petition for Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activist Owen Chow

NEW YORK (July 27, 2026) — The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) welcomes the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) decision that the detention of Hong Kong activist Owen Chow is arbitrary and in violation of international law.

HRF Succeeds in UN Petition for Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activist Owen Chow

Media

May 19, 2026

HRF submits a petition to the United Nations on behalf of Pastor Jin, Pastor Gao, and Pastor Wang in China

NEW YORK (May 20, 2026) — Today, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) submitted an individual complaint to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) on behalf of Pastors Jin “Ezra” Mingri (金明日), Gao Yingjia (高颖佳), and Wang Lin (王林), who are all currently detained in China for exercising their freedom of religion.

HRF submits a petition to the United Nations on behalf of Pastor Jin, Pastor Gao, and Pastor Wang in China

Media

May 10, 2026

Wife of Chinese Dissident Artist Gao Zhen Wishes Husband Happy 70th Birthday

Today, May 10, 2026, is Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen’s 70th birthday, and he is spending it in a Chinese prison.

Wife of Chinese Dissident Artist Gao Zhen Wishes Husband Happy 70th Birthday

Media

May 10, 2026

HRF Continues to Condemn the Detention of Gao Zhen on his 70th Birthday

Today, May 10, 2026, is Gao Zhen’s 70th birthday, and he is spending it in a Chinese prison.

HRF Continues to Condemn the Detention of Gao Zhen on his 70th Birthday

Building Coalitions and Enhancing Strategic Partnerships

Together with partners and allied organizations, we coordinate advocacy initiatives and awareness campaigns to confront the persecution and harassment of activists. We shed light on escalating repression, including the targeting of activists in exile, and call for these issues to be raised in public arenas. We believe that through the joining of like-minded voices, we can amplify our calls to protect activists and those affects on the frontline, promote the right to freedom of expression, and accountability for the CCP on the international stage.

Media

Aug 26, 2025

Joint statement on the first anniversary of Gao Zhen’s detention, demanding his urgent release

We, the undersigned organizations, express our grave concern at the ongoing detention of artist Gao Zhen (高兟), a 69-year-old US permanent resident and prominent figure in China’s contemporary art scene, who has now been imprisoned for a year without trial.

Joint statement on the first anniversary of Gao Zhen’s detention, demanding his urgent release

Media

Jul 31, 2025

Calling for companies to fully cut ties with Uyghur forced labor

All companies across all industries must extricate their value chains from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Uyghur Region), known to local people as East Turkistan, to ensure they are not unwittingly bolstering the government of China’s repression of Uyghurs and other Turkic and Muslim-majority peoples.

Calling for companies to fully cut ties with Uyghur forced labor

Media

Jul 31, 2025

Calling for Vultr to reverse its suspension of GreatFire’s FreeWeChat server

We, the undersigned human rights, free expression, press freedom and digital rights organisations, are writing in regard to the recent suspension of GreatFire’s server following a complaint submitted by Group-IB on behalf of Tencent.

Calling for Vultr to reverse its suspension of GreatFire’s FreeWeChat server

Media

Jun 25, 2025

Statement to the 59th Session of the UN Human Rights Council marking the 10th anniversary of “709 Crackdown“

This statement is co-sponsored by five NGOs. We thank the Special Rapporteur for her communications regarding Chinese human rights lawyers subject to repression.

Statement to the 59th Session of the UN Human Rights Council marking the 10th anniversary of “709 Crackdown“

Exposing the CCP’s Transnational Repression

We work to expose the CCP’s campaigns of transnational repression, whose extraterritorial overreach threatens the integrity and foundations of democracies themselves. Our research examines how the CCP seeks to share and control global narratives, from intimidating scholars and pressuring academic institutions, to influencing global media coverage. Through research, documentation, and coordinated advocacy, we bring international attention to the CCP’s systemic efforts to silence and intimidate dissidents abroad.

Media

Aug 11, 2026

Toolkit to Counter the Chinese Communist Party’s Transnational Repression

The Human Rights Foundation’s Toolkit to Counter the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Transnational Repression (TNR) is a direct outcome of HRF’s 2026 Beyond Borders workshop, which brought together young activists from Uyghur, Hong Konger, Tibetan, Chinese, and Southern Mongolian diasporas and Taiwan.

Toolkit to Counter the Chinese Communist Party’s Transnational Repression

Media

Jul 24, 2026

Protecting EU-Based Youth Activists and Diaspora Communities from China’s Transnational Repression

Although a codified definition remains absent from the international legal lexicon, transnational repression (TNR) refers to the practice of foreign governments or their proxies extending their reach beyond borders in an attempt to individuals, including human rights defenders, journalists, activists, artists, academics, and members of diaspora communities, whose speech, activity, or perceived affiliations are regarded by the state as unacceptable.

Protecting EU-Based Youth Activists and Diaspora Communities from China’s Transnational Repression

Media

Jul 24, 2026

Protecting US-Based Youth Activists and Diaspora Communities from China’s Transnational Repression

Although a codified definition remains absent from the international legal lexicon, transnational repression (TNR)1 refers to the practice of foreign governments or their proxies extending their reach beyond borders in an attempt to control individuals, including human rights defenders, journalists, activists, artists, academics, and members of diaspora communities, whose speech, activity, or perceived affiliations are regarded by the state as unacceptable.

Protecting US-Based Youth Activists and Diaspora Communities from China’s Transnational Repression

Media

Aug 15, 2025

An artist on the run, an exhibition censored: How China tried to silence a Thai art show

Three weeks ago, Burmese artist Sai was in Bangkok, celebrating the opening of an art exhibition he had curated with his wife at one of Thailand’s top galleries.

An artist on the run, an exhibition censored: How China tried to silence a Thai art show

Media

Jun 1, 2026

Carmen Lau | Beyond the Bounty

A million-dollar bounty hangs over Carmen Lau’s head for demanding democracy in Hong Kong.

Feb 10, 2026

Owen Chow’s Birthday Behind Bars

Today marks the fifth year Hong Kong pro-democracy leader Owen Chow is spending his birthday behind bars.

Dec 24, 2025

Dear A-Ba || An Open Letter to Pastor Jin

This Christmas, Grace Jin Drexel reads a public letter to her father, Pastor Mingri “Ezra” Jin, founder of one of China’s largest underground house churches.

May 26, 2025

Nyrola Elimä | Endless Exodus

Nyrola Elimä is an independent journalist and researcher specializing in human rights and supply chains.

Nov 22, 2022

Gao Zhen: Arbitrarily Detained Just for Creating Art

Chinese artist Gao Zhen was arrested for creating art that confronts the dark truths of China’s Cultural Revolution. He remains in jail to this day.

Sep 6, 2024

The Uyghur Region | The Struggle for Freedom, Explained

In this episode of “The Struggle for Freedom, Explained” Jewher Ilham, renowned Uyghur advocate and daughter of Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti, and Peter Irwin, Associate Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, explain the Chinese regime’s targeted human rights abuses of the Uyghur people, and how China is exploiting Uyghurs for its economic goals. Watch the episode to learn more.

Jun 4, 2024

Sebastien Lai | A 76-Year Quest for Freedom

Sebastien Lai is leading the international campaign to free his father, Jimmy Lai, a freedom of speech champion, media entrepreneur, and owner of the now-shuttered newspaper Apple Daily.

Dec 4, 2023

Chemi Lhamo || All for the Land of Snow: A Story of Tibetan Resilience

At the 2023 Oslo Freedom Forum in Taiwan, Tibetan activist and community organizer Chemi Lhamo took the stage to expose the Chinese government’s tactics to repress the Tibetan people and called upon the international community to join in solidarity to fight against these abuses.

Dec 4, 2024

Joey Siu || From Hong Kong to the World: Uniting in Solidarity

Hong Kong activist and HRF Freedom Fellow, Joey Siu, took to the 2023 Oslo Freedom Forum in Taiwan stage to call for international advocacy efforts for democracy and freedom in Hong Kong.

Publications

Oct 24, 2025

HRF submits petition to UNWGAD for Owen Chow

NEW YORK (Oct. 24, 2025) — Last week, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) submitted an individual complaint to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) in the case of Hong Kong activist Owen Chow.

Aug 26, 2025

The Sculptor Xi Jinping Wants You to Forget

For 68-year-old Gao Zhen, last Aug. 26 wasn’t just any other day — it was the day of his arrest.

Aug 26, 2025

Joint statement on the first anniversary of Gao Zhen’s detention, demanding his urgent release

We, the undersigned organizations, express our grave concern at the ongoing detention of artist Gao Zhen (高兟), a 69-year-old US permanent resident and prominent figure in China’s contemporary art scene, who has now been imprisoned for a year without trial.

Aug 14, 2025

Youthquake: Youth-led Movements Shaking Up East and Southeast Asia

In recent years, youth across East and Southeast Asia, and around the world, have spearheaded the demand for democracy, justice, and freedom.

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Other Programs

HRF’s AI for Individual Rights program is the world’s first to support open-source, privacy-protecting artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the hands of dissidents and expose how AI is used by autocrats as a tool of repression.

Art is a powerful tool for dissent in closed societies, provoking constructive dialogue and creating space for debate beyond mainstream bodies of political discourse. Authoritarian governments around the world recognize the power of art as a conduit of change and systematically persecute, repress, or censor artists to silence political dissent.

All governments, especially those of dictators, frequently debase, manipulate, demonetize, and surveil currencies, confiscate property, and freeze the bank accounts of people they don’t like. Dissidents, human rights defenders, journalists, and nonprofit organizations in authoritarian countries face enormous obstacles just to receive donations and pay bills.

So for many years, North Korean defectors have organized efforts to smuggle outside info into North Korea on USB drives to counter Kim Jong-un’s constant propaganda.