Dear the Secretary He Yudong,
I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Lyu Zhanqiu.
I am writing to formally report the following issues:
1. My family member, a law-abiding citizen, has been unlawfully restricted from leaving the country by the Yucheng County Public Security Bureau. I request the immediate removal of this restriction.
2. Due to this illegal restriction, we have suffered direct financial losses from train and flight ticket cancellations. I request full compensation for these losses.
3. The Yucheng County Public Security Bureau has unlawfully restricted a law-abiding citizen from leaving the country. I request that those responsible be held accountable in accordance with the law.
Facts and Reasons
1. On November 11, 2024, my family member planned to travel to Thailand but was stopped at the border inspection at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The airport staff explained that the restriction had been imposed by the public security bureau in their place of household registration and provided the contact information of the responsible official.
2. On the evening of November 12, 2024, personnel from the Yucheng County Public Security Bureau came to our home to provide an explanation. They stated that their restriction policy was based on the following reasoning: "All young people without stable jobs are not allowed to leave the country in order to prevent telecom fraud."
Legal Basis
According to Article 12 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China, citizens have the legal right to leave the country. Unless there are valid legal grounds such as national security or public interest, no entity or individual may arbitrarily restrict a citizen's exit. The Yucheng County Public Security Bureau, without providing any legal basis or specific factual justification, unilaterally imposed an exit restriction on my family member. This constitutes procedural misconduct, substantive illegality, and a violation of fundamental rights.
Restricting exit based solely on factors such as "being young" or "not having a stable job," especially under the pretext of preventing telecom fraud, lacks specific legal grounds. The Exit and Entry Administration Law and other relevant regulations do not explicitly state that "not having a stable job" is a legitimate reason for prohibiting exit. Therefore, imposing such a broad restriction violates the principles of proportionality and due process.
We have repeatedly requested a formal legal document justifying the exit restriction, but the Yucheng County Public Security Bureau has failed to provide one.
Through this open letter, I hope the government will uphold the rule of law, protect the legitimate rights and interests of every citizen, safeguard social fairness and justice, and ensure public confidence and a sense of security. I urge you to handle this matter in accordance with the law and uphold justice, so that ordinary citizens may freely exercise their fundamental rights.
Sincerely
Lyu Zhanqiu
February 13, 2025
