Dear Tor Development Team,
I am writing to you to request your support for a Chinese blogger named programthink (https://program-think.blogspot.com/), who has recently been sentenced to 7 years in prison by the Chinese government due to his opinions.
Programthink (Ruan Xiaohuan - Wikipedia) is an anonymous geek who has dedicated himself to promoting internet freedom, protecting privacy, circumventing China’s internet censorship, and advocating for freedom and equality. He has spent decades opposing authoritarian governments. He was once the chief engineer responsible for the network security of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and is also the author of the GitHub project GitHub - programthink/zhao: 【编程随想】整理的《太子党关系网络》，专门揭露赵国的权贵. This project exposes information about high-ranking Chinese officials and has compelled the Chinese government to issue a takedown request to GitHub (gov-takedowns/2016-06-08-programthink-zhao.md at master · github/gov-takedowns · GitHub). His blog has helped thousands of people think independently and embrace a free internet. Unfortunately, he was arrested in 2021 and unfairly sentenced to 7 years in prison on charges of inciting subversion against the state.
He is a staunch supporter of the Tor project and has mentioned Tor in several of his blog posts, promoting Tor’s ideology of privacy protection and encouraging people to use Tor to access the internet. If you could do something to help, I believe Ruan Xiaohuan and his countless loyal readers would be immensely grateful. Here are some of his blog posts where he mentions Tor:
如何用 Tor 访问对 Tor 不友好的网站——扫盲“三重代理”及其它招数 @ 编程随想的博客 (Introducing Tor Triple Proxy)
“如何翻墙”系列：扫盲 Tor Browser 7.5——关于 meek 插件的配置、优化、原理 @ 编程随想的博客 (Introducing Tor Browser with Meek plugin)
“如何翻墙”系列：TOR 已复活——meek 流量混淆插件的安装、优化、原理 @ 编程随想的博客 (Explaining Tor and Meek plugin principles)
“如何翻墙”系列：关于 Tor 的常见问题解答 @ 编程随想的博客 (Frequently Asked Questions about Tor)
扫盲 Arm——Tor 的界面前端（替代已死亡的 Vidalia） @ 编程随想的博客 (Introducing Tor and Arm)
As the Tor Development Team, you have been dedicated to protecting user privacy and anonymity. It is because of the existence of the Tor network that people around the world can access censored or blocked websites and express their opinions without fear of tracking or retaliation. I firmly believe that you understand the importance of maintaining internet freedom.
The case of programthink has been covered by some international media outlets, such as:
ngocn2: https://ngocn2.org/article/2023-04-17-program-think-enemy-of-the-state-en/
vice: An Anonymous Critic Played Cat and Mouse with Beijing for 12 Years. Then He Got Caught.
According to Chinese legal procedures, the second trial (which is, to some extent, the final verdict) will take place at the Shanghai High People’s Court before May 22nd this year. His wife, Ms. Bei (https://twitter.com/ruanxiaohu32309), is also trying to draw international media attention and hopes for a different outcome in the second trial. Given the urgency and significance of programthink’s case, I humbly request any form of assistance and support from you. Here are some suggestions:
Awareness Campaign: Use official Tor network channels to spread information about programthink’s case, raising awareness among the public. This can help people understand the threats he faces and inspire more support and protection for him.
Connecting Resources: If you have contacts with relevant legal or human rights organizations, please help Ms. Bei establish communication with them to seek further support and advice.
I believe that the Tor Development Team possesses strong technical expertise and a humanitarian spirit. You will recognize the importance of this issueand be willing to provide the necessary help and support to programthink. Through your efforts, we can collectively defend freedom of speech and information.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Your assistance in supporting programthink and advocating for his release would be greatly appreciated. I remain hopeful that together we can make a difference in upholding the values of internet freedom and protecting those who courageously fight for it.
Sincerely,
