'I must get out into the free world', dissident who fled China on boat tells BBC
Chinese dissident Dong Guangping has successfully fled China by boat to South Korea before resettling in Canada. He describes his escape as a necessary act to escape political persecution and surveillance by the Chinese government.
Why it matters
This story underscores the ongoing risks faced by human rights activists in China and the lengths to which they go to seek asylum.
Image source, Dong Guangping Image caption, Dong Guangping has resettled in Canada, where his family is residing
As the rubber boat he was on rocked through choppy waves, fear washed over Chinese dissident Dong Guangping, who had gone without sleep for two days.
The 68-year-old knew he was taking a huge risk trying to flee China by sea, but even then, he had underestimated the challenges of this journey.
He was badly sunburned, his phone was running out of battery, and his portable charger had gone flat. Apart from the sky and the sea, there were no landmarks around him. He could only hope that the digital compass would get him to South Korea before his phone went flat.
"Not being able to navigate would have been terrifying. I could have drifted back towards China," Dong told BBC Chinese nearly two months after his perilous escape.
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