The Chinese government released a new White Paper on December 12 on the Human Rights situation in China entitled “Progress in Human Rights over the 40 Years of Reform and Opening Up in China”.
In its Foreword, the White Paper states “the CPC [Communist Party of China] has […] worked to safeguard the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people, respect human values and dignity, and promote the well-rounded development of the people […]China has showed respect for, protected and promoted human rights in the course of reform and opening up. It has blazed a trail of development in human rights that […] created new experiences and new progress in safeguarding human rights”. It also states that China has “earnestly fulfilled its international human rights obligations, fully participated in international human rights affairs, actively promoted reform of the global human rights governance system, worked hard for the building of a global community of shared future, and made a consistent contribution to the international cause of human rights.”
The White Paper does not address the accusations of gross human rights violations made by countries around the world and by the United Nations who state in their World Report 2018 that “The broad and sustained offensive on human rights that started after President Xi Jinping took power five years ago showed no sign of abating in 2017.” The Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 is not mentioned, nor the accusations that more than a million Uyghurs – the Muslim minority living in Chinese occupied East Turkestan, or Xinjiang, in north western China – are said to be held in internment camps.
The Central Tibetan Administration has published a rebuttal of the White Paper stating, “The White Paper’s several claims about the human rights situation of Tibetans contradict reports by other impartial and independent sources.” Their statement counters the claim that “the right of ethnic minority groups in administering state affairs is effectively guaranteed” by quoting the independent watchdog Freedom House as noting, “Decision-making power is concentrated in the hands of senior, ethnic Chinese CCP officials…[and the]…few ethnic Tibetans who occupy senior positions serve mostly as figureheads and echo official doctrine.”
Another claim refuted by the CTA is that “The right to use and develop the spoken and written languages of ethnic minorities is respected and fully protected. CTA responds by pointing to the case Tashi Wangchuk: “a language rights activist who was sentenced to five years in prison for ‘inciting separatism’ after he spoke to the New York Times about the threats to the native Tibetan language because of official policies making Mandarin the medium of instruction in schools.”
According to the White Paper, “Religious beliefs and normal religious activities are protected by law.” CTA answers that “in December 2016, the European Parliament had to pass a strong resolution demanding China to stop violating Tibetans’ religious freedoms.”
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