Pu Zhiqiang: China rights lawyer gets suspended jail sentence
22 December 2015
Prominent Chinese human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang has been released from detention after receiving a suspended jail sentence.
Mr Pu was found guilty by a Beijing court earlier on Tuesday for "inciting ethnic hatred" and "picking quarrels" in social media posts.
The court sentenced him to three years in prison but also said the sentence would be suspended.
He is the latest to be tried in a crackdown on dissidents in China.
Mr Pu was released from Beijing's Number One Detention Centre on Tuesday afternoon, where he had been held for 19 months.
He is now under "residential surveillance", and has 10 days to decide whether to appeal against his conviction and sentence, his lawyer says.
Experts say the suspended sentence means Mr Pu can avoid serving time in jail - but could be monitored during the suspension period.
The guilty verdict means he can no longer practise law.
Mr Pu could have faced a maximum sentence of eight years in prison.
State news agency Xinhua said that during his sentencing Mr Pu had "acknowledged the reality of his crimes", apologised, and accepted his sentence. However, his lawyers said he had not pleaded guilty.
Rights group Amnesty International said that the sentence was "a deliberate attempt by the Chinese authorities to shackle a champion of freedom of expression".
However, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Mr Pu's case had been handled "in accordance with the law" and that "foreign governments should respect China's judicial sovereignty".
Mr Pu has been in detention since May 2014, after he posted several messages on microblogging platform Weibo that were critical of the government.
He had questioned the "excessively violent" crackdown on Uighurs in the restive Xinjiang region, alleged the Chinese Communist Party was an untruthful party, and mocked government rhetoric over disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Supporters say his arrest was politically motivated, as he is known for representing dissidents in sensitive human rights cases.
Pu Zhiqiang represented artist Ai Weiwei in a tax evasion case that critics complained was politically motivated. He also campaigned for the eventual abolition of the labour camp system, under which suspects could be detained for years without trial.
Scuffles
Prior to the sentencing, a small group of activists and foreign journalists gathered in front of the court. There were brief scuffles with the police, in a repeat of scenes seen last week during Mr Pu's one-day trial.
A BBC team witnessed supporters and journalists being dragged away by dozens of plainclothes policemen. The BBC team was later asked to leave.
Amnesty said at least 12 activists were detained on Tuesday.
Human rights activist Hu Jia told the BBC that China's authorities had "attacked a leading human rights lawyer... as a warning to other rights lawyers [in China]."
International interest in his case could have contributed to his jail sentence being suspended, Mr Hu said, but added that Mr Pu was still at risk of being persecuted by the authorities.
At the scene: Stephen Evans, BBC News, Beijing
Pu Zhiqiang is something of a celebrity as a lawyer. He's a big, bear-like man with a baritone voice who has defended a range of causes, especially those involving freedom of speech and detention in labour camps.
He mixes popular street speech with allusions to classical literature in a powerful rhetorical fashion. "Feisty" is an adjective often used to describe him.
He has also been a thorn in the side of the authorities since his imprisonment in 1989 as a student pro-democracy protester.
His defenders say his current treatment is not because of the content of the seven posts on social media cited by the authorities. Rather, they say, it is to send a warning to dissidents - and the lawyers of dissidents.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-35157525
Topic: Look who’s talking — and who’s not. Western nations choose words carefully (Read 920 times)
December 22, 2015, 05:33:01 PM
December 18, 2015, 02:21:25 PM
Four Held in Criminal Detention After Beijing Rights Lawyer's Trial
2015-12-17
Authorities in the Chinese capital are holding four supporters of detained human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang after they showed up outside a Beijing court during his trial on Monday.
Police and court officials scuffled with journalists and a crowd of Pu's supporters outside the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, where Pu stood trial for "incitement to racial hatred" and "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble."
Carrying placards saying "Pu Zhiqiang is innocent," his supporters traveled from across the country in a bid to witness his trial.
Some told overseas media that they had come to show support after he represented them in court.
But many were dragged from the scene by plainclothes police wearing no identification but yellow "smiley face" stickers on their clothing.
While some were later released, activists confirmed to RFA on Thursday that Zhang Zhan, Wang Su'e, Liang Hongxia ,and Ran Chongbi remain in criminal detention.
"They are being held in the Fengtai district detention center," Beijing-based activist Cheng Yulan told RFA. "They are all being held under criminal detention."
Clothing turned away
Cheng said she had tried to leave money and clothing for Wang and the others, but police at the detention center had refused to allow it.
"The woman there opened up the bag [of clothes] to look, and then she said I couldn't leave it there," Cheng said. "I asked her under what rule and suggested that she couldn't name the rule."
"Then they said that if I said anything else, they'd detain me for five days."
Cheng said police had replied "not necessarily," when asked if the four were being held for a limited period only.
Xu Qin, of the China Human Rights Observer group, said the detention of Zhang, Wang, Liang, and Ran was in contravention of their human rights.
"These detentions took place when the crowd wasn't very agitated; they started detaining people even before they had raised placards or shouted slogans," Xu said.
"We call for the immediate release of all four people under criminal detention."
Right of assembly
Xu said the bystanders had simply hoped to witness the judicial system at work, and that Chinese citizens have a constitutional right of assembly.
He also dismissed the charges against Pu, which rested on his criticisms of ruling Chinese Communist Party policies towards ethnic minorities and of prominent public figures.
"First they bring charges against Pu Zhiqiang on the basis of seven social media tweets, which was ridiculous in the first place, and then, when people want to witness the trial, they say it has to do with state secrets," Xu said in an interview on Thursday.
"There were no state secrets at this trial ... nor any commercial secrets," he said.
Several hundred of Pu's supporters showed up outside the court building holding placards, and police detained 18 people in scuffles with the crowd, eyewitnesses told RFA at the time.
Foreign diplomats and journalists were also involved in scuffles with police, and were barred from entering the court building amid tight security.
Social media posts
The case against Pu rests on seven posts he has admitted making to the popular social media platform Sina Weibo between 2012 and May 2014.
Pu has offered to apologize for being "rude," but his lawyers say he had done nothing to break Chinese law.
The "incitement to racial hatred" charge was based on a number of tweets he sent in the aftermath of the March 1, 2014 knife attack at Kunming railway station, which left 29 people dead and more than 140 injured.
A verdict is expected within six weeks of the trial.
Defense lawyers are arguing that there is no need for Pu's prolonged detention, because he doesn't represent a danger to society, and have hit out at repeated delays and extensions to his stay in Beijing's police-run No. 3 Detention Center.
Pu's initial detention on May 6, 2014 came ahead of an event marking the anniversary of the military crackdown on the 1989 student-led pro-democracy movement at Tiananmen Square, in which he played a prominent role.
Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/trial-12172015122917.html
2015-12-17
Authorities in the Chinese capital are holding four supporters of detained human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang after they showed up outside a Beijing court during his trial on Monday.
Police and court officials scuffled with journalists and a crowd of Pu's supporters outside the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, where Pu stood trial for "incitement to racial hatred" and "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble."
Carrying placards saying "Pu Zhiqiang is innocent," his supporters traveled from across the country in a bid to witness his trial.
Some told overseas media that they had come to show support after he represented them in court.
But many were dragged from the scene by plainclothes police wearing no identification but yellow "smiley face" stickers on their clothing.
While some were later released, activists confirmed to RFA on Thursday that Zhang Zhan, Wang Su'e, Liang Hongxia ,and Ran Chongbi remain in criminal detention.
"They are being held in the Fengtai district detention center," Beijing-based activist Cheng Yulan told RFA. "They are all being held under criminal detention."
Clothing turned away
Cheng said she had tried to leave money and clothing for Wang and the others, but police at the detention center had refused to allow it.
"The woman there opened up the bag [of clothes] to look, and then she said I couldn't leave it there," Cheng said. "I asked her under what rule and suggested that she couldn't name the rule."
"Then they said that if I said anything else, they'd detain me for five days."
Cheng said police had replied "not necessarily," when asked if the four were being held for a limited period only.
Xu Qin, of the China Human Rights Observer group, said the detention of Zhang, Wang, Liang, and Ran was in contravention of their human rights.
"These detentions took place when the crowd wasn't very agitated; they started detaining people even before they had raised placards or shouted slogans," Xu said.
"We call for the immediate release of all four people under criminal detention."
Right of assembly
Xu said the bystanders had simply hoped to witness the judicial system at work, and that Chinese citizens have a constitutional right of assembly.
He also dismissed the charges against Pu, which rested on his criticisms of ruling Chinese Communist Party policies towards ethnic minorities and of prominent public figures.
"First they bring charges against Pu Zhiqiang on the basis of seven social media tweets, which was ridiculous in the first place, and then, when people want to witness the trial, they say it has to do with state secrets," Xu said in an interview on Thursday.
"There were no state secrets at this trial ... nor any commercial secrets," he said.
Several hundred of Pu's supporters showed up outside the court building holding placards, and police detained 18 people in scuffles with the crowd, eyewitnesses told RFA at the time.
Foreign diplomats and journalists were also involved in scuffles with police, and were barred from entering the court building amid tight security.
Social media posts
The case against Pu rests on seven posts he has admitted making to the popular social media platform Sina Weibo between 2012 and May 2014.
Pu has offered to apologize for being "rude," but his lawyers say he had done nothing to break Chinese law.
The "incitement to racial hatred" charge was based on a number of tweets he sent in the aftermath of the March 1, 2014 knife attack at Kunming railway station, which left 29 people dead and more than 140 injured.
A verdict is expected within six weeks of the trial.
Defense lawyers are arguing that there is no need for Pu's prolonged detention, because he doesn't represent a danger to society, and have hit out at repeated delays and extensions to his stay in Beijing's police-run No. 3 Detention Center.
Pu's initial detention on May 6, 2014 came ahead of an event marking the anniversary of the military crackdown on the 1989 student-led pro-democracy movement at Tiananmen Square, in which he played a prominent role.
Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/trial-12172015122917.html
December 17, 2015, 07:13:05 AM
Human Rights Commissioner Strässer on the trial of Chinese human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2015/151215_Pu%20Zhiqiang.html
date of issue
15.12.2015
Christoph Strässer, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid, issued the following statement today (15 December) on the trial of Chinese human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang:
Zusatzinformationen
The renowned human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang went on trial in Beijing yesterday. Pu Zhiqiang is known and valued well beyond China’s borders for his commitment to the rule of law. The treatment of this dedicated lawyer, who operates as a member of his profession and on the basis of applicable legislation, not only shocks me but also opens up serious questions about how the Chinese Government handles the rule of law.
Pu Zhiqiang has now been held without trial for more than 18 months, more than a year of that without charge. This violates the principles of the rule of law. I am therefore looking all the more expectantly to see due process observed. Given that China’s leaders have declared their intention to strengthen the rule of law in China, a conviction in this case could only elicit incomprehension and criticism, to the detriment of China’s reputation abroad. I therefore call for Pu Zhiqiang to be released.
I furthermore call on China’s leaders to strengthen the rule of law and transparency overall. Among other things, this will mean making it possible for foreign embassies to observe the trial. In that context, I condemn the unusually tough action taken by the civilian security forces against Chinese members of the public as well as foreign correspondents and diplomats yesterday.
Background information:
Lawyer Pu Zhiqiang is considered one of China’s most renowned human rights lawyers, having appeared for the defence in a number of prominent cases brought against, for example, newspapers which had printed critical articles, dissidents and environmental activists. Pu Zhiqiang has actively advocated the abolition of reeducation camps ad legally defended the earthquake activist Tao Zuoren, who was convicted for defaming the Communist Party of China. One of the people he has defended is artist Ai Weiwei. He is a co‑signatory of Charter 08 and supports incarcerated Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo. As late as the end of 2013, he was honoured by the state publication China Newsweek as one of several figures advancing the development of the rule of law in China.
Until the charge was brought in May 2015, Pu Zhiqiang had been held without charge. He has now been accused of inciting ethnic hatred and provoking trouble. The prosecutor at No. 2 Beijing Intermediate Court accuses him of harming society through his use of social media.
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2015/151215_Pu%20Zhiqiang.html
date of issue
15.12.2015
Christoph Strässer, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid, issued the following statement today (15 December) on the trial of Chinese human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang:
Zusatzinformationen
The renowned human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang went on trial in Beijing yesterday. Pu Zhiqiang is known and valued well beyond China’s borders for his commitment to the rule of law. The treatment of this dedicated lawyer, who operates as a member of his profession and on the basis of applicable legislation, not only shocks me but also opens up serious questions about how the Chinese Government handles the rule of law.
Pu Zhiqiang has now been held without trial for more than 18 months, more than a year of that without charge. This violates the principles of the rule of law. I am therefore looking all the more expectantly to see due process observed. Given that China’s leaders have declared their intention to strengthen the rule of law in China, a conviction in this case could only elicit incomprehension and criticism, to the detriment of China’s reputation abroad. I therefore call for Pu Zhiqiang to be released.
I furthermore call on China’s leaders to strengthen the rule of law and transparency overall. Among other things, this will mean making it possible for foreign embassies to observe the trial. In that context, I condemn the unusually tough action taken by the civilian security forces against Chinese members of the public as well as foreign correspondents and diplomats yesterday.
Background information:
Lawyer Pu Zhiqiang is considered one of China’s most renowned human rights lawyers, having appeared for the defence in a number of prominent cases brought against, for example, newspapers which had printed critical articles, dissidents and environmental activists. Pu Zhiqiang has actively advocated the abolition of reeducation camps ad legally defended the earthquake activist Tao Zuoren, who was convicted for defaming the Communist Party of China. One of the people he has defended is artist Ai Weiwei. He is a co‑signatory of Charter 08 and supports incarcerated Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo. As late as the end of 2013, he was honoured by the state publication China Newsweek as one of several figures advancing the development of the rule of law in China.
Until the charge was brought in May 2015, Pu Zhiqiang had been held without charge. He has now been accused of inciting ethnic hatred and provoking trouble. The prosecutor at No. 2 Beijing Intermediate Court accuses him of harming society through his use of social media.
December 17, 2015, 07:10:27 AM
China is a western nation, along with Japan and the Southeastern Asia nations. They are west of America... Western Nations.
why?
December 16, 2015, 06:37:25 PM
China is a western nation, along with Japan and the Southeastern Asia nations. They are west of America... Western Nations.
December 15, 2015, 09:49:03 PM
December 15, 2015, 07:35:17 AM
Police Detain Supporters, Bar Journalists Outside Pu Zhiqiang Trial
2015-12-14
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/trial-12142015110417.html
Supporters of Pu Zhiqiang protest outside court building during his trial in Beijing, Dec. 14, 2015.
Photo courtesy of an RFA listener
Police and court officials scuffled with journalists and supporters of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer at his trial at a Beijing court on Monday.
Pu Zhiqiang, 50, stood trial for "incitement to racial hatred" and "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble" at the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court after being held in criminal detention for more than a year.
Several hundred of Pu's supporters showed up outside the court building holding placards, and police detained 18 people in scuffles with the crowd, eyewitnesses said.
"There were several hundred ordinary people and a large number of rights lawyers, as well as foreign diplomats and journalists at the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court on Monday, at around 9.00 a.m.," Beijing resident Xiang Li told RFA.
"They were hoping to get into the courtroom to see the trial, but they were made to stand outside a police line," Xiang said.
"Right now, 18 citizens are being held by police in Fangzhuang police station, including Li Meiqing, Liang Hongxia, Zhang Zhan, Tian Weidong, and others."
Tight security
Xiang said police had thrown a tight security cordon around the area, using vehicles to block the area. "There are also a lot of plainclothes and secret police around the place ... dispersing the crowd."
Another activist told RFA: "Everyone gathered there, and suddenly somebody shouted out "Pu Zhiqiang is innocent!" and everybody shouted it together."
"More and more people came, and there were foreign journalists shooting video, and then a plainclothes policeman came in and grabbed Zhang Zhan. I saw them take four or five people away with my own eyes," the activist said.
Inside the the court, the prosecution was basing its case on seven tweets made by Pu to the Twitter-like Sina Weibo social media platform, his lawyer Mo Shaoping told RFA.
Pu had freely admitted that he sent the tweets from several accounts he had set up on the popular service Sina Weibo between 2012 and May 2014, Mo said.
"He admitted the facts of the case; that he wrote the tweets, and admitted that they were rather rude, uncivilized, and not ideal," Mo said.
"He said he was prepared to admit to causing harm to others, and offered to make a formal apology ... but he refused to plead guilty," he said.
The "incitement to racial hatred" charge was based on a number of tweets he sent in the aftermath of the March 1, 2014 knife attack at Kunming railway station, which left 29 people dead and more than 140 injured.
Public events
Mo said Pu had simply been expressing his views on public events, in the public interest, and that the defense team had argued that no crime had been committed.
"Citizens have a right to air their views on public events, including those that doubt or are critical of government policy," he said, adding that those "harmed" by Pu's tweets could have handled the issue more appropriately by bringing a civil lawsuit.
Pu is accused of "venting his spleen" online and "using humiliating language," as well as "harming race relations," according to the charge sheet.
In one of the tweets seen by RFA, Pu takes aim at Shen Jilan, an elderly delegate who claims never to have voted "no" in the National People's Congress (NPC). In another, he hits out at government official Tian Zhenhui, while in another he asks "why would China work without the Communist Party?"
But ethnic Mongolian rights activist Xinna rejected the claims of incitement to ethnic hatred against Pu, saying he is being put on trial for criticizing Beijing's treatment of ethnic minorities.
"Pu Zhiqiang has always been very outspoken on ethnic issues, and that's what I most admire about him, as a member of an ethnic minority myself," Xinna told RFA on Monday.
"China is using the vocabulary of anti-terrorism to wage war on ethnic minorities, for example in Xinjiang," she said. "Pu Zhiqiang said some things that most people don't dare say."
Health concerns
Pu's detention on May 6, 2014 came ahead of an event marking the anniversary of the military crackdown on the 1989 student-led pro-democracy movement at Tiananmen Square.
The lawyers are arguing that there is no need for Pu's prolonged detention, because he doesn't represent a danger to society, and have out at repeated delays and extensions to his stay in Beijing's police-run No. 3 Detention Center.
Pu's wife Meng Qun, who has said she is concerned for her husband's health because he suffers from diabetes and needs daily medication, attended the trial.
"It ended after half a day, and there was no verdict delivered," Meng tweeted after the trial. "He seemed on good form today, and was speaking fluently and thinking fast, just like he always did."
"He's a lot thinner than he was, though, and his hair has grayed."
Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.
2015-12-14
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/trial-12142015110417.html
Supporters of Pu Zhiqiang protest outside court building during his trial in Beijing, Dec. 14, 2015.
Photo courtesy of an RFA listener
Police and court officials scuffled with journalists and supporters of a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer at his trial at a Beijing court on Monday.
Pu Zhiqiang, 50, stood trial for "incitement to racial hatred" and "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble" at the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court after being held in criminal detention for more than a year.
Several hundred of Pu's supporters showed up outside the court building holding placards, and police detained 18 people in scuffles with the crowd, eyewitnesses said.
"There were several hundred ordinary people and a large number of rights lawyers, as well as foreign diplomats and journalists at the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court on Monday, at around 9.00 a.m.," Beijing resident Xiang Li told RFA.
"They were hoping to get into the courtroom to see the trial, but they were made to stand outside a police line," Xiang said.
"Right now, 18 citizens are being held by police in Fangzhuang police station, including Li Meiqing, Liang Hongxia, Zhang Zhan, Tian Weidong, and others."
Tight security
Xiang said police had thrown a tight security cordon around the area, using vehicles to block the area. "There are also a lot of plainclothes and secret police around the place ... dispersing the crowd."
Another activist told RFA: "Everyone gathered there, and suddenly somebody shouted out "Pu Zhiqiang is innocent!" and everybody shouted it together."
"More and more people came, and there were foreign journalists shooting video, and then a plainclothes policeman came in and grabbed Zhang Zhan. I saw them take four or five people away with my own eyes," the activist said.
Inside the the court, the prosecution was basing its case on seven tweets made by Pu to the Twitter-like Sina Weibo social media platform, his lawyer Mo Shaoping told RFA.
Pu had freely admitted that he sent the tweets from several accounts he had set up on the popular service Sina Weibo between 2012 and May 2014, Mo said.
"He admitted the facts of the case; that he wrote the tweets, and admitted that they were rather rude, uncivilized, and not ideal," Mo said.
"He said he was prepared to admit to causing harm to others, and offered to make a formal apology ... but he refused to plead guilty," he said.
The "incitement to racial hatred" charge was based on a number of tweets he sent in the aftermath of the March 1, 2014 knife attack at Kunming railway station, which left 29 people dead and more than 140 injured.
Public events
Mo said Pu had simply been expressing his views on public events, in the public interest, and that the defense team had argued that no crime had been committed.
"Citizens have a right to air their views on public events, including those that doubt or are critical of government policy," he said, adding that those "harmed" by Pu's tweets could have handled the issue more appropriately by bringing a civil lawsuit.
Pu is accused of "venting his spleen" online and "using humiliating language," as well as "harming race relations," according to the charge sheet.
In one of the tweets seen by RFA, Pu takes aim at Shen Jilan, an elderly delegate who claims never to have voted "no" in the National People's Congress (NPC). In another, he hits out at government official Tian Zhenhui, while in another he asks "why would China work without the Communist Party?"
But ethnic Mongolian rights activist Xinna rejected the claims of incitement to ethnic hatred against Pu, saying he is being put on trial for criticizing Beijing's treatment of ethnic minorities.
"Pu Zhiqiang has always been very outspoken on ethnic issues, and that's what I most admire about him, as a member of an ethnic minority myself," Xinna told RFA on Monday.
"China is using the vocabulary of anti-terrorism to wage war on ethnic minorities, for example in Xinjiang," she said. "Pu Zhiqiang said some things that most people don't dare say."
Health concerns
Pu's detention on May 6, 2014 came ahead of an event marking the anniversary of the military crackdown on the 1989 student-led pro-democracy movement at Tiananmen Square.
The lawyers are arguing that there is no need for Pu's prolonged detention, because he doesn't represent a danger to society, and have out at repeated delays and extensions to his stay in Beijing's police-run No. 3 Detention Center.
Pu's wife Meng Qun, who has said she is concerned for her husband's health because he suffers from diabetes and needs daily medication, attended the trial.
"It ended after half a day, and there was no verdict delivered," Meng tweeted after the trial. "He seemed on good form today, and was speaking fluently and thinking fast, just like he always did."
"He's a lot thinner than he was, though, and his hair has grayed."
Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.
December 14, 2015, 06:45:15 PM
Of the countries we surveyed, only three issued statements last Thursday containing criticism of China’s human rights record.
They were the United States, Canada and Germany.
They were the United States, Canada and Germany.
Why are those other countries not doing anything? God bless America
god bless your grand mother!!!
December 14, 2015, 06:44:21 PM
An impressive pic, people on WeChat show their support to Pu Zhiqiang by changing profile pic
December 14, 2015, 06:12:51 PM
Of the countries we surveyed, only three issued statements last Thursday containing criticism of China’s human rights record.
They were the United States, Canada and Germany.
They were the United States, Canada and Germany.
Why are those other countries not doing anything? God bless America
December 14, 2015, 06:01:24 PM
December 14, 2015, 05:32:18 PM
Look who’s talking — and who’s not. Western nations choose words carefully on China human rights.
Money might not buy you love, but it can certainly buy you silence.
Last Thursday, the United Nations celebrated Human Rights Day to mark the 67th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In China, the event prompted some discussion among the diplomatic community. Who would be brave enough to put out a public statement calling out China on its increasingly grim human rights record? Would European or Western nations be prepared to issue a joint statement?
If diplomats needed any reminder of the crackdown that has ensued since Xi Jinping became president, they needed only to look at the case of Pu Zhiqiang, one of China’s most prominent and admired lawyers, who faced trial Monday on charges widely derided by Western legal experts, after 18 months in detention.
In the end, very few decided to speak out, and some balked at the idea of a joint statement.
[Read: 'Picking quarrels and provoking troubles': Influential Chinese lawyer on trial for seven tweets]
While diplomats and journalists, including The Post’s Emily Rauhala, were cursed and shoved outside Pu’s trial, WorldViews sat back in the warmth and took a look at the websites of some of the major Western nations.
Of the countries we surveyed, only three issued statements last Thursday containing criticism of China’s human rights record.
They were the United States, Canada and Germany.
U.S. Ambassador Max Baucus said respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would “create a more stable and prosperous China.” He cited the case of three lawyers, Wang Yu, Li Heping and Zhang Kai, fighting “bravely” for people’s rights, who have disappeared into custody, as well as that of Pu.
“In some cases, these Chinese citizens have been detained in secret locations without access to their families or their lawyers,” Baucus said. “This is deeply troubling and calls into question China’s commitment to the rule of law.”
The German Embassy praised China for lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty but also mentioned “setbacks” such as a “massive crackdown” on hundreds of lawyers and activists. Mentioning lawyers Wang, Li and Zhou Shifeng, it also cited the case of Liu Xia, wife of jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. She has been under house arrest for five years.
[Read: Lu Xiaobo’s wife describes her house arrest]
Canadian Ambassador Guy Saint-Jacques said he had witnessed a “worrisome increase in the number of Chinese citizens jailed for peacefully expressing their views, as well as attempts to silence critics outside of China.”
[Read: China’s irrepressible lawyers]
But outside these three countries, the picture was much darker. The European Union was unwilling to say anything, instead issuing a bland global statement about the importance of human rights and the benefits of a “vibrant civil society” without mentioning any country by name.
Many European countries, including France, Sweden and the Netherlands, simply cut and pasted copies of the E.U. statement. There was nothing at all about human rights that we could see on the websites of the embassies of Australia, New Zealand or Japan.
But perhaps silence was a better tactic than the statement issued by the British Embassy. Rather than offering even meek criticism of China, the embassy decided to praise it, celebrating what both sides have labeled a “golden age” in relations.
“China has taken strides to better protect civil and political rights by abolishing re-education through labour,” the statement said admiringly. “Current reforms aim to produce a more transparent and professional justice system.”
Lawyers locked up? No mention. A crackdown on religious freedom? An assault on free speech? Not a word. Instead, a quote from Chinese President Xi that “there is always room for improvement.”
As Britain’s Guardian newspaper noted, the statement was widely derided on social media, even though the embassy later told the paper that it does engage with China over rights.
The paper’s correspondent, Tom Phillips, was also outside Pu’s trial today, and he had this to add:
Tom Phillips ✔ @tomphillipsin
British embassy's statement on human rights in China looks even more feeble this morning than it did last Friday. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/11/britain-criticised-for-praising-china-on-un-human-rights-day …
4:36 AM - 14 Dec 2015
The Guardian
Photo published for Britain criticised for praising China on UN Human Rights Day
Britain criticised for praising China on UN Human Rights Day
Activists attack ‘unacceptable’ statement by UK embassy, which lauds Beijing over civil and political rights but overlooks crackdown on critics
View on web
Human Rights Watch had called on ambassadors to attend Pu’s trial, but in the end none came. To be fair, diplomats from Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom were all spotted there, along with deputy political counselor Dan Biers from the U.S. Embassy.
Here is how Biers was treated when he tried to read out a statement expressing concern about the charges Pu faced, with unidentified men shoving him and reporters in an attempt to prevent him talking.
An E.U. diplomat also tried to make a statement but was prevented from doing so.
As the Wall Street Journal’s Josh Chin observed, “the aggression directed by police and plainclothes thugs against diplomats, journalists and the lawyer’s supporters was unusually brassy — in keeping with the Chinese government’s increasingly defiant stance on questions of human rights.”
Indeed, there is no doubt that China is growing increasingly assertive in pushing back against Western criticism of its human rights record.
But as many students of China’s foreign policy will tell you, the government in Beijing tends to respect strength and punish weakness. Countries such as Germany that have stood up to China on human rights still enjoy warm and growing trade relations. Even archrival Japan has a thriving business relationship with China.
But show any weakness and Beijing will push for more concessions, some experts say. It remains to be seen whether silence and sycophancy will yield any material rewards.
At Human Rights Watch, Sophie Richardson had this to say:
“We believe it remains critically important for embassies in China to seize any opportunity to talk about human rights, and international human rights day is a key moment in the calendar. The statements from Canada, Germany, and the U.S. are welcome contributions: they explicitly express concerns about negative trends like the crackdown on lawyers and civil society, they offer recommendations about what Beijing should do, and, arguably most important, they recognize specific individuals being persecuted for their peaceful activism.
"The U.K.'s statement does none of this: instead, it appears a contorted effort to say something on human rights day, but only something the Chinese government would like to hear. That statement caps a year of extraordinary human rights capitulation from the U.K. on China.
"Too many E.U. member states hid behind the E.U.’s skirts in opting only to support the E.U.’s annual and always global statement rather than issue their own."
Gu Jinglu contributed to this report.
Simon Denyer is The Post’s bureau chief in China. He served previously as bureau chief in India and as a Reuters bureau chief in Washington, India and Pakistan.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/12/14/look-whos-talking-and-whos-not-western-nations-chose-words-carefully-on-china-human-rights/?postshare=5811450099192598&tid=ss_tw
Money might not buy you love, but it can certainly buy you silence.
Last Thursday, the United Nations celebrated Human Rights Day to mark the 67th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In China, the event prompted some discussion among the diplomatic community. Who would be brave enough to put out a public statement calling out China on its increasingly grim human rights record? Would European or Western nations be prepared to issue a joint statement?
If diplomats needed any reminder of the crackdown that has ensued since Xi Jinping became president, they needed only to look at the case of Pu Zhiqiang, one of China’s most prominent and admired lawyers, who faced trial Monday on charges widely derided by Western legal experts, after 18 months in detention.
In the end, very few decided to speak out, and some balked at the idea of a joint statement.
[Read: 'Picking quarrels and provoking troubles': Influential Chinese lawyer on trial for seven tweets]
While diplomats and journalists, including The Post’s Emily Rauhala, were cursed and shoved outside Pu’s trial, WorldViews sat back in the warmth and took a look at the websites of some of the major Western nations.
Of the countries we surveyed, only three issued statements last Thursday containing criticism of China’s human rights record.
They were the United States, Canada and Germany.
U.S. Ambassador Max Baucus said respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would “create a more stable and prosperous China.” He cited the case of three lawyers, Wang Yu, Li Heping and Zhang Kai, fighting “bravely” for people’s rights, who have disappeared into custody, as well as that of Pu.
“In some cases, these Chinese citizens have been detained in secret locations without access to their families or their lawyers,” Baucus said. “This is deeply troubling and calls into question China’s commitment to the rule of law.”
The German Embassy praised China for lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty but also mentioned “setbacks” such as a “massive crackdown” on hundreds of lawyers and activists. Mentioning lawyers Wang, Li and Zhou Shifeng, it also cited the case of Liu Xia, wife of jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. She has been under house arrest for five years.
[Read: Lu Xiaobo’s wife describes her house arrest]
Canadian Ambassador Guy Saint-Jacques said he had witnessed a “worrisome increase in the number of Chinese citizens jailed for peacefully expressing their views, as well as attempts to silence critics outside of China.”
[Read: China’s irrepressible lawyers]
But outside these three countries, the picture was much darker. The European Union was unwilling to say anything, instead issuing a bland global statement about the importance of human rights and the benefits of a “vibrant civil society” without mentioning any country by name.
Many European countries, including France, Sweden and the Netherlands, simply cut and pasted copies of the E.U. statement. There was nothing at all about human rights that we could see on the websites of the embassies of Australia, New Zealand or Japan.
But perhaps silence was a better tactic than the statement issued by the British Embassy. Rather than offering even meek criticism of China, the embassy decided to praise it, celebrating what both sides have labeled a “golden age” in relations.
“China has taken strides to better protect civil and political rights by abolishing re-education through labour,” the statement said admiringly. “Current reforms aim to produce a more transparent and professional justice system.”
Lawyers locked up? No mention. A crackdown on religious freedom? An assault on free speech? Not a word. Instead, a quote from Chinese President Xi that “there is always room for improvement.”
As Britain’s Guardian newspaper noted, the statement was widely derided on social media, even though the embassy later told the paper that it does engage with China over rights.
The paper’s correspondent, Tom Phillips, was also outside Pu’s trial today, and he had this to add:
Tom Phillips ✔ @tomphillipsin
British embassy's statement on human rights in China looks even more feeble this morning than it did last Friday. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/11/britain-criticised-for-praising-china-on-un-human-rights-day …
4:36 AM - 14 Dec 2015
The Guardian
Photo published for Britain criticised for praising China on UN Human Rights Day
Britain criticised for praising China on UN Human Rights Day
Activists attack ‘unacceptable’ statement by UK embassy, which lauds Beijing over civil and political rights but overlooks crackdown on critics
View on web
Human Rights Watch had called on ambassadors to attend Pu’s trial, but in the end none came. To be fair, diplomats from Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom were all spotted there, along with deputy political counselor Dan Biers from the U.S. Embassy.
Here is how Biers was treated when he tried to read out a statement expressing concern about the charges Pu faced, with unidentified men shoving him and reporters in an attempt to prevent him talking.
An E.U. diplomat also tried to make a statement but was prevented from doing so.
As the Wall Street Journal’s Josh Chin observed, “the aggression directed by police and plainclothes thugs against diplomats, journalists and the lawyer’s supporters was unusually brassy — in keeping with the Chinese government’s increasingly defiant stance on questions of human rights.”
Indeed, there is no doubt that China is growing increasingly assertive in pushing back against Western criticism of its human rights record.
But as many students of China’s foreign policy will tell you, the government in Beijing tends to respect strength and punish weakness. Countries such as Germany that have stood up to China on human rights still enjoy warm and growing trade relations. Even archrival Japan has a thriving business relationship with China.
But show any weakness and Beijing will push for more concessions, some experts say. It remains to be seen whether silence and sycophancy will yield any material rewards.
At Human Rights Watch, Sophie Richardson had this to say:
“We believe it remains critically important for embassies in China to seize any opportunity to talk about human rights, and international human rights day is a key moment in the calendar. The statements from Canada, Germany, and the U.S. are welcome contributions: they explicitly express concerns about negative trends like the crackdown on lawyers and civil society, they offer recommendations about what Beijing should do, and, arguably most important, they recognize specific individuals being persecuted for their peaceful activism.
"The U.K.'s statement does none of this: instead, it appears a contorted effort to say something on human rights day, but only something the Chinese government would like to hear. That statement caps a year of extraordinary human rights capitulation from the U.K. on China.
"Too many E.U. member states hid behind the E.U.’s skirts in opting only to support the E.U.’s annual and always global statement rather than issue their own."
Gu Jinglu contributed to this report.
Simon Denyer is The Post’s bureau chief in China. He served previously as bureau chief in India and as a Reuters bureau chief in Washington, India and Pakistan.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/12/14/look-whos-talking-and-whos-not-western-nations-chose-words-carefully-on-china-human-rights/?postshare=5811450099192598&tid=ss_tw
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