Lawyers in lockdown

(Hong Kong) — Xu Zhiyong doesn’t sound or look like a dissident. He speaks of citizenship and society, of politics, progress and hope. The Chinese version of Esquire features a cover photo of him this month, under the headline “Chinese Dream.”

As one of the country’s most prominent rights lawyers, he has worked with, not against the system, carving a niche as independent, public-interest advocate.

Or at least that’s how it seemed. At 5 a.m. last Wednesday morning, Xu was led away from his Beijing apartment complex by police. He has not been seen since.

His arrest, without charge, comes just two weeks after a lawyer’s group he co-founded, the Open Constitution Initiative, or Gongmeng, was shuttered. Officials said they owed Rmb 1.46 million, or about $200,000, in taxes.

Xu’s disappearance seems to confirm what many suspected — this is not just about tax…

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