Thursday (Dec. 10) is International Human Rights Day. Over the past year, the human rights situation in both mainland China and Hong Kong has attracted considerable international attention. In a rare move, the U.S. Embassy in China held a seminar on this day this year to make a high-profile appeal to the Chinese people to be bold and speak up for their human rights.
In 1995, a farmer in Chongqing, Chen Minghua, was slightly injured in a conflict with another farmer over land and was denied compensation from Chen Minghua, who then sought help from two civilian police officers. During the confrontation between the police and Chen Minghua, someone fired more than a dozen shots at Chen Minghua, who eventually died after being shot multiple times.
Chen Minghua’s sister, Chen Mingyu, has been trying for years to get justice for her brother through different channels, but to no avail. She recently filed a lawsuit against the authorities, demanding that the information be made public, but there was still no response after the trial began on Thursday (10), International Human Rights Day.
Chen Mingyu: “I asked them to disclose the status of the investigation and treatment in the form of information disclosure, but they have not responded. In previous years, they also replied that the petition was not accepted.”
China’s human rights situation has been deteriorating for more than two decades
Four months ago, Chen Mingyu prepared to go to Beijing to file a case on the administrative lawsuit, but was obstructed by local stability guards and at one point detained in a police station. Citing herself as an example, she argues that after more than two decades, China’s human rights situation is regressing rather than advancing.
Chen Mingyu: “There have been no human rights in China for more than two decades, and it has gained full expression in my case. I have suffered a lot of injustice in order to seek justice for my brother. For example, I used to at least work and travel without interference, but since I’ve been to Beijing, they have taken coercive and stable control over me.”
Over the past year, the human rights situation in mainland China and even Hong Kong has received international attention. The U.S. Embassy in China posted an article on Weibo encouraging Chinese people to “speak up and stand up” on Human Rights Day. The article said that speaking out and participating in peaceful protests are fundamental to the lives of citizens in a free society, and that these rights should be protected, not suppressed.
The embassy announced a webinar via Facebook at 8 p.m. BST, where experts will discuss challenges to freedom of expression around the world. Experts will share their perspectives on the critical role that citizens play in holding governments accountable and answer questions from the audience.
Hu Jia, a Beijing-based human rights activist who is currently in Guangdong after being forced to travel during International Human Rights Day, told the station that the U.S. Embassy’s initiative will help break the fears of Chinese citizens.
Hu Jia: “The U.S. Embassy’s WeChat public website in China has many subscribers, and no matter how much the Chinese Communist Party stigmatizes many U.S. diplomatic and human rights motions or practices, the importance of the U.S. has not diminished at all, and the U.S. voice in the area of human rights and the rule of law still holds a strong voice. For Chinese netizens, the courage to stand up and make their voices heard is the first step to break the fear and establish the value of human rights and freedom.”
U.S. Embassy’s selection of Hong Kong protest images has deeper meaning
To coincide with the webinar, the U.S. Embassy uploaded a photo of Hong Kong protesters in the streets with the gesture “Five demands, one is not enough.
Hu Jia: “For the protesters in Hong Kong, especially the courageous faction, the pan-democrats, these calls to defend universal suffrage have been labeled as ‘Hong Kong independence’ by (China). Many people in mainland China see the young people of Hong Kong as rebellious and disobedient. The fact that the US is using that as a propaganda word can give a thoughtful reminder of why Hong Kong has such a positive image in the world’s values. They defend what they don’t want to lose. And those things are actually things that we have never had yet.”
According to “Kaian,” a researcher for the international human rights organization Amnesty International, many groups in China have continued to be oppressed over the past year.
“QIAN: “Lawyer Yu Wensheng continues to be in prison, and it’s not clear what his situation is, and there is also lawyer Chang Wei Ping. Some other lawyers are still under very serious surveillance after they regained their freedom. The meeting in Xiamen was not a conference, but a gathering of human rights scholars and friends who care about current affairs, and they were suppressed by the authorities.”
“QIAN” said that the human rights situation in China has been further aggravated by the Wuhan pneumonia.
“QIAN”: “Through the new pneumonia, we see that the authorities have further increased the suppression of freedom of expression, such as the monitoring of freedom of expression on the Internet, the suppression of citizen journalists, the current situation of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, I do not know how, and Fang Bin and others. “
Two months ago, China was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council. “Amnesty International expects that the international community will take the opportunity to present its views on human rights to China and speak out on behalf of China’s vulnerable groups.
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