Human Rights Council Disrupted by China

By Mary Trewartha / March 21, 2014;

The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council currently being held in Geneva saw China shut down its own Universal Periodic Review (UPR). China was attempting to stop a protest planned by Non Governmental Organisations over the recent tragic death of Chinese human rights activist Cao Shunli.

Cao Shunli

Ms Cao was detained in China when she tried to travel to Geneva take part in the UPR last autumn, and died last week, still in custody. Activists at the UN Council were planning to open the session with a one-minute silence to commemorate her death, and after hours of tense discussion a silent protest was led by the International Service for Human Rights.

In a separate incident, a member of the China Association for Preservation and Development of Tibetan Culture – a Chinese government-sponsored group – had to be removed by UN security for allegedly taking photos of Chinese, Tibetan and Uighur representatives, which is against the official UN rules.

Padma Dolma, the Campaigns and Europe Director with Students for a Free Tibet had been working with Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer to look at arranging a joint Tibetan-Uighur solidarity action at the Council. Uighurs are an ethnic minority group living in North Western China who, like Tibet, experience human rights abuses under Chinese rule.

Ti-Anna Wang and her father, Chinese dissident Wang Bingzhang
Photo: cbc.ca

Earlier in the week, Ti-Anna Wang, daughter of imprisoned Chinese political activist Wang Bingzhang who is currently serving a life sentence in China, had a statement she was making on behalf of her father interrupted by Chinese officials. UN member states intervened to enable her to finish her statement.

Padma Dolma
Photo: SFT

“It is horrific enough that the Chinese government brutally suppresses voices of dissent in China, Tibet and East Turkestan, but now to see Chinese officials attempting to intimidate rights activists and shut down our voices at the United Nations itself is unconscionable” said Padma Dolma.

China has responded to the United Nations review of its human rights record by rejecting most of the recommendations made specifically on Tibet by other UN member states. China stated that on most fronts there was no need for concern, claiming that “ethnic minorities” are protected, that human rights defenders are not suppressed, and that arbitrary detention does not exist in China.

You can listen to Ti-Anna Wang’s statement in English here: http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/features/2014/03/18/china-dissident-daughter/