Chinese dissident Dong Guangping, 68, arrives in Canada after fleeing China by sea to South Korea last month, multiple outlets report. Dong, described as a critic of the Chinese government who advocates political reform and human rights, had previously been imprisoned multiple times for his activism, according to reporting. Sources also say he reached Canada via an Air Canada flight to Toronto on Friday, with his arrival reported by friends and cited by outlets including CBS News and AP-linked reporting from Toronto-based media. The New York Times reports Dong told it he is in Canada, where his family lives.
Earlier, reporting across outlets describes how Dong was on a 3.3-meter inflatable or rubber boat when he sailed to South Korea. He was detained by South Korea’s coast guard in May for allegedly violating the country’s immigration law, before later leaving South Korea for Canada. The accounts are consistent on the key timeline: escape from China to South Korea by inflatable boat, detention in South Korea over immigration allegations, and subsequent travel to Canada.
