What happened in February in The Hague is evidence of China’s transnational repression and should not be condoned.
by Abdurehim Gheni Uyghur
“Truth may bend, but it will never break”—Uyghur proverb
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”—Martin Luther King
On February 14, 2026, I was brutally assaulted in The Hague, a city that symbolizes global peace and democracy. Inside the City Hall, during a Chinese New Year event, my peaceful protest was met with sudden and violent aggression. A group of Chinese individuals twisted my arms and neck, pinned me to the floor, slammed my head against the ground, and whispered death threats into my ear: “You belong in a concentration camp! You deserve to die! I am going to kill you!” This was a blatant act of transnational repression.
On March 11, 2026, the Dutch National Police officially accepted my criminal complaint and issued a signed report. This means that the crimes committed by these Chinese actors will no longer remain hidden; the Dutch judicial system has now opened a formal investigation.
March 11, 2026, is a historic day for me and for the entire Uyghur diaspora. The Dutch National Police formally registered my case (Aangifte) concerning the violence I endured. In the official document I signed and received, the actions of the Chinese perpetrators were classified under Article 300 of the Dutch Penal Code, covering assault, physical injury, and threats. This confirms that the violence carried out in the heart of The Hague is no longer regarded as a mere “confrontation,” but is being investigated as a criminal act.
On the same day, the police accepted my complaint, the City Executive of The Hague responded to questions from City Council members, stating that the “violent behavior of the Chinese party during the event is absolutely unacceptable.” That same day, one of the Netherlands’ largest newspapers, “Algemeen Dagblad (AD),” published a report titled: “Violence against Uyghur demonstrator is unacceptable; Chinese security guards have no right to act this way.” The article also exposed the deception of the Chinese organizers, who had falsely listed the City of The Hague as a “supporter” on their website to spread propaganda. The city clarified that it had provided no financial support for the event. This revelation is an international embarrassment and a significant blow to the credibility of the Chinese Embassy. The incident was also discussed in another AD article and one published by Dagblad070.
The event itself was organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and the Embassy of the PRC in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Although the organizers claimed support from the City of The Hague and various Chinese associations, the city has now publicly distanced itself. The Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Center carried out the performance. The names of the organizers appear on the poster reproduced here. The poster indicated: the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, De gemeente Den Haag, Vereniging van Wenzhou Chinezen in Nederland, Stichting Landelijke Federatie van Chinese Organisaties in Nederland, Vereniging Nederland China, CCEN Stichting Chinese Culturele Evenementen Nederland, Zhe Jiang Wu Opera Research Center (ZheJiang Wu Opera Troupe, Wu Opera Aat Heritage Center Of Jindong District, Jinhua City, Lanxi Li Yu Drama Research Institute.
This event was directly supervised by the Chinese Embassy and organized through its proxy organizations. The individuals who choked me, slammed my head to the ground, and threatened my life were not random bystanders but leaders of the very organizations supporting the event. The organization Anti-CCP, founded by Jiang Peikun, has exposed their identities on its website.
One of them is Qing Xudong, Honorary Chairman of the Dutch Chinese Business Federation, identified as the man who choked me. Qian Xudong, originally from Wenzhou, China, immigrated to the Netherlands in 1989 and rose from a grassroots entrepreneur in the culinary and textile sectors to a high-level strategic liaison for Chinese interests in Europe. Beyond his commercial success in catering and trade, he is regarded as a key operative in United Front–style community affairs.
In 2018, he was appointed President of the 5th Board of the Netherlands-China Chamber of Commerce (NCCC), a position he has used to systematically advance trade and strategic cooperation between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Netherlands. As a dedicated member of the CPC, his role extends into the diplomatic sphere. On September 17, 2019, he presided over the grand celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the People’s Republic of China in the Netherlands. He serves as a primary point of contact for visiting Chinese government delegations, facilitating high-level official missions and ensuring that overseas Chinese business activities remain aligned with the Party’s economic and political objectives.
Another individual involved in the assault is Zhang Aimin, Chairwoman of the Dutch Chinese Cultural and Sports Exchange Association, identified as the woman who forcibly seized my banner. A Wenzhou native who immigrated to the Netherlands in the 1980s, she is a prominent figure in the Dutch-Chinese community and the daughter of a Chinese military officer. Although she presents herself as a community activist frequently featured in the press, her long career has involved managing and operating multiple organizations that serve the interests of the Communist Party of China. A long-time operative in the administrative work of the diaspora, she was an early participant in the General Association of Chinese Professionals in the Netherlands. Her influence has grown through several key appointments: in 2018, she served as Executive President and Secretary-General of the Singapore-Malaysia-Chinese Association in the Netherlands; in 2023, she became President of the Board of the Chinese Cultural and Sports Exchange Association in the Netherlands, a position she still holds in 2026. She also serves as a Senior Advisor to the European Dutch Overseas Chinese Women’s Union. In the context of international political analysis, she is identified as a key manager of organizations linked to Beijing’s United Front strategy. By directing these various cultural, athletic, and women’s associations, she plays a central role in maintaining the CCP’s influence over the overseas diaspora, ensuring that community activities and organizational narratives remain aligned with the political objectives of the Chinese state.
These individuals acted as proxies for a state organ to suppress political expression. In addition, a man wearing an orange “Security” vest who physically restrained me and caused psychological terror remains unidentified pending the police investigation.
The violent rush to seize my 130 cm banner was no coincidence. The banner read: “Restoring East Turkestan’s Independence is the Only Way for the Survival of the Uyghurs.” It featured images of the Chinese occupation on October 12, 1949, and a depiction of a Uyghur person being gagged by the Chinese government. These visuals clearly expressed our political aspirations. The organizers feared that my peaceful protest inside City Hall would disrupt their New Year propaganda and that images of our struggle for independence would reach the global media.
My years of solitary, peaceful resistance against colonialism and genocide have finally brought the crimes of the Chinese regime to the attention of the Dutch justice system. This is the result of a Uyghur’s refusal to kneel before tyranny in a free democratic country. I am deeply grateful for the justice provided by the Dutch government. This outcome has inspired me and renewed my spiritual motivation. The Chinese government must understand that it cannot silence my voice through transnational repression, violence, or death threats. Although I suffered physical assault and trauma, I have shown the Dutch government, politicians, and the public that a Uyghur person can feel as if they are being dragged to a concentration camp even in a free country. This is the power of peaceful protest.
The Dutch police are currently investigating the transnational crimes committed against me. I will share the results with my readers as soon as they become available. Justice will prevail.
Abdurehim Gheni is a Uyghur activist living in the Netherlands who became famous for his solo protests in Dam Square in Amsterdam. He also educates tourists to the reality of the Uyghur genocide.
