Three Chinese rights activists vanish

Three prominent Chinese rights activists appear to have been detained in recent weeks by the police, part of a continuing crackdown on groups operating outside the umbrella of the state, advocacy groups say.

According to the New York Times, the men, Jiang Tianyong, Huang Qi and Liu Feiyue, disappeared within days of each other in November, each in a different province.

Chinese police have charged only Mr. Liu with an offense. Rights groups say he was detained November 17 or 18 in the central province of Hubei on suspicion of subverting state power, which can carry a sentence of life in prison.

Mr. Jiang, a disbarred lawyer who had famous clients, including the rights defender Chen Guangcheng, was last heard from on November 21 when he was about to board a Beijing-bound train in Changsha, the capital of the south-central province of Hunan.