Dear Members of Parliament,
In October 2015, the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, will make an official State Visit to Britain. We, the undersigned, are calling on the UK government to uphold human rights principles and urge China to adhere to international protocols and conventions on human rights and end its gross human rights violations in Tibet, East Turkestan (Xinjiang) and across China.
We ask you, as a member of parliament, to help us hold China to account over its human rights record by:
· Raising the issue of China’s human rights record in parliament;
· Drafting a Bill which would put human rights at the forefront of UK-China relations;
· Raising human rights in any meetings you may have with Chinese officials;
· Speaking up publicly to condemn China’s gross human rights violations;
· And, adding your support to our call to the UK government by signing our public petition. (https://www.change.org/p/members-of-the-uk-parliament-stand-up-for-international-principles-call-on-china-to-end-its-human-rights-violations )
After coming to power, Xi Jinping has been responsible for the forced disappearance and arbitrary detention of over 2,000 human right defenders in China, Tibet and East Turkestan. Almost all those jailed have suffered ill-treatment or torture.
This past summer, the Chinese government began a clampdown on human rights lawyers and activists. Over 300 were detained, summoned for interrogation or intimidated. At least 23 lawyers and activists have disappeared into police custody.
In July, revered Tibetan monk and political prisoner Tenzin Delek Rinpoche died in prison. Last year, at least five prisoners of conscience, including Chinese human rights activist Cao Shunli, died in custody or immediately after they were released from prison. No independent investigation has been undertaken into any of these deaths.
In September 2014, Ilham Tohti was sentenced to life in prison for exercising his right to freedom of expression to promote equal rights for the Uyghur people.
The Chinese Communist Party’s war on “extremists”, “separatists” and “terrorists” in Tibet, East Turkestan (Xinjiang) and throughout China has led to thousands of government-sponsored acts of torture and hundreds of extrajudicial killings. For example, in the past two years, Xi’s government has been responsible for the deaths of over 600 Uyhur civilians in East Turkestan. In Tibet, the repression by the authorities has been so severe that over 140 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in protest.
Hong Kong has not escaped from Xi’s harsh approach. After Beijing rejected proposals of democratic reform last year, the people of Hong Kong rose up in the largest street protest the city has ever seen. However, Xi’s government was unmoved by such defiance; and instead authorised the suppression of peaceful protests with a mix of police brutality, hired goons and court actions. Those injured by the police have not seen any redress and the political prosecution of protestors is still ongoing.
Xi’s government also endorses and helps perpetuate human rights abuses abroad. China has vetoed the UN draft resolutions which would have referred both North Korea and Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Chinese authorities have forcibly returned thousands of refugees back to North Korea where they have been severely punished and in some cases executed.
We, the undersigned, urge you to take action and support measures which will bring real human rights to the people living under the Chinese Communist Party regime. Please help us defend and protect the principles of human rights, democracy and freedom, including universal suffrage, the rule of law, the right to self-determination, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of association including functioning trade unions and political opposition, freedom of religion, and an open and independent media free from government censorship.
Signatories:
Tibetan Uyghur Chinese Solidarity UK (TUCS) [email protected]
Chinese Solidarity Campaign
Federation for a Democratic China
Friends of Tiananmen Mothers
Students for a Free Tibet UK
Tibet Society
Tibetan Community in Britain
Tibetan Youth UK
Uighur Association
Uighur Community UK
Padma Dolma, Activist in UK
Rahima Mahmut, Musician and activist in UK
Enver Tohti, Activist in UK
Paul Golding, Activist in UK
Stephen Ng, Activist in UK
Shao Jiang, Activist in UK
Sources:
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/countdown-china/human-rights-issues-should-be-highlighted-china-tibet-east-turkestan
http://chrlawyers.hk/en/content/%E2%80%9C709-crackdown%E2%80%9D-lawyers%E2%80%99-case-update-12-september-2015-19-september-2015
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14394
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/world/asia/chinese-police-are-said-to-seize-ashes-of-tibetan-monk-tenzin-delek-rinpoche.html
http://woeser.middle-way.net/2015/08/827.html
http://uhrp.org/press-release/legitimizing-repression-china%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cwar-terror%E2%80%9D-under-xi-jinping-and-state-policy-east
http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/un-documents/syria/
http://canyu.org/n103540c6.aspx