China's civil rights advocate arrested for 'disrupting public order'

A Chinese civil rights leader has been reportedly arrested over charges of disrupting public order.

Xu Zhiyong, founder of the loosely organized New Citizens group, is a moderate but outspoken voice in China's beleaguered rights movement.

According to News.com.au, the arrests come in as Beijing cracks down on grassroots efforts to build a civil society that may challenge its rule.

Zhang Qingfang, a lawyer for, said his partner learned of Xu's arrest from Beijing's prosecuting office on Thursday and that the arrest document should be delivered to Xu's family soon. The Beijing prosecuting office could not immediately provide information on Xu.

Xu has been campaigning for issues that include equal rights to education and for officials to declare their assets.

The report said that during his detention, Xu urged Chinese citizens to unite in pursuing democratic freedoms in a video posted online and said that China needs brave citizens who can stand up and hold fast to their convictions, who can take their rights, responsibilities and their dreams seriously.

In the last month, another figure in the New Citizens movement, Yang Maodong, was detained by police in southern China on the suspicion of disrupting public order, the report added.