李田田

SOS Messages from Ms. Li Tiantian

Background: Ms. Li Tiantian is "an outspoken but previously little known teacher at a rural school in Hunan Province, southern China, disappeared after telling friends that police officers had forced their way into her home and were taking her to a psychiatric hospital. She told them the authorities had accused her of violating the bounds of officially acceptable comment on social media" (Buckley, New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/23/world/asia/li-tiantian-disappearance.html).

These were the SOS messages she sent via WeChat on December 18-19, 2021.

Saturday, 6:09 PM

Li Tiantian: Brother Lo

Li Tiantian: You there?

Li Tiantian: This is urgent. Could you do me a favor?

Saturday, 6:18 PM

Li Tiantian: A bunch of people led by the Education Bureau are here, they came into my house by force.

Li Tiantian: I don't know what this is about.

Li Tiantian: I'm only telling you about this.

Li Tiantian: I fear that I might be DISAPPEARED.

Saturday, 8:12 PM

Lo: I'm sorry.

Lo: I just saw the message.

Lo: Here's my number [redacted].

Lo: What's going on? Call me.

Li Tiantian: Are you busy?

Li Tiantian: I'm in trouble. I'd like to have your help.

Lo: Go on.

Lo: You can also call me.

Li Tiantian: Early this evening, the Education Bureau led a bunch of people, and police, came into my house by force.

Saturday, 8:29 PM

Li Tiantian: Now they're gone. My parents are home. It's not convenient for me to make phone calls. My mom is scared.

Lo: Are the Education Bureau people and police still there? You did not sign anything, what else do they want from you?

Li Tiantian: 'Cos they say I will be expelled [from teaching job].

Sunday, 4:51 PM

Li Tiantian: They are here again.

Li Tiantian: A whole bunch of people, now they want to take me to the hospital, hospitalize me and give me injections, by force.

Li Tiantian: Brother Lo, what should I do?

Lo: What injections?

Lo: Hospitalize for what?

Lo: What are their reasons?

Sunday, 4:53 PM

Li Tiantian: Are you available for a call?

Li Tiantian: EMERGENCY

Lo: Yes

Quote from Lo's blog post

December 19, 2021 (Sunday) 4:54 PM, Ms. Li Tiantian called me. After a minute of talking, the call was suddenly disconnected. I called back, she answered immediately. The two calls were a total of 7 minutes. On the phone, she couldn't stop crying badly. She told me that she was pregnant, and her boyfriend was coming from outside the town (note: or came already, I can't recall accurately). She even told me many times that if she was forced into desperation, she would have no choice but to commit suicide as the last resort to fight back. I repeatedly told her on the phone that she must never do anything stupid, I told her to always think of her mother and her baby, and I told her that I will immediately post her story on social media to support her. I asked her to call me immediately in case of any emergency.

Back to text messages

Sunday, 5:04 PM

Lo: Do not do anything stupid.

Lo posted the following message on social media at 5:07 PM, December 19, 2021:

Ms. Li Tiantian, a female teacher from Xiangxi, was threatened at her home by the Education Bureau and Police of Yongshun County, Hunan yesterday. Now they are at her home threatening her again. In the name of her mental disorder, they demand her to be hospitalized and receive injections. Otherwise she will be expelled and detained. Please pay attention to this courageous and helpless teacher, support her.

Back to text messages

Sunday, 5:43 PM

Li Tiantian: There were over a dozen people, broke into my door, took away my cellphone. I didn't even have time to put on my pants.

Li Tiantian: Brother Lo, I can't text anymore.

Li Tiantian: They will come to grab my cellphone again.

Li Tiantian: Brother Lo, help me

Li Tiantian: At the moment, I'm taken, alone.

Li Tiantian: My family is not with me.

Sunday, 5:48 PM

Li Tiantian: I will be quarantined shortly. I will not be available on WeChat soon.

Some time later, Lo received a screenshot of Li's emergent SOS message from another friend of hers:

Teacher Chen, this is Li Tiantian. I'm DETAINED at Yongshun Mental Hospital by Yongshun Police by force. I hid this cellphone in my underwear. Please find a way to help me! It's a long story and my cellphone battery is about to die. SAVE ME!