Rights group raises concern over China targeting pro-independence Taiwan citizens

Human Rights Watch said Friday that the Chinese government is investigating the Taiwanese legislator Puma Shen Pao-Yang (沈伯洋) for the crime of “separatism,” infringing upon his basic human rights.

The announcement marks the first known application of China’s recently issued judicial guidelines targeting “Taiwan independence separatists,” representing a significant escalation in Beijing’s legal pressure on Taiwanese citizens. The investigation , opened by the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau, targets Shen for his role in co-founding Kuma Academy , which Chinese authorities characterize as a “pro-Taiwanese independence separatist organization.”

Since the Chinese Civil War, China asserts its “One-China Principle,” claiming sovereignty over Taiwan despite having never gover