China Human Rights and Rule of Law Update - December 2006
Message From the Chairmen
UN Human Rights Day
December 10th marks UN Human Rights Day. On this day in 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an historic document that commits all governments to respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all individuals. China is an original party to the Universal Declaration, and the Chinese Constitution confirms that the "State respects and safeguards human rights." In late November, the Chinese government sponsored a Human Rights Exhibition in Beijing to reaffirm its commitment to protect the human rights of all Chinese citizens.
Developments over the past month, however, undermine the government's stated commitment to respect the fundamental human rights of its citizens. Authorities in Shandong prevented defense witnesses from testifying at the November retrial of legal advocate Chen Guangcheng, who remains imprisoned for speaking out against violent abuses by local officials. In the last two weeks, Beijing courts rejected the appeals of journalists Zhao Yan and Ching Cheong, who remain imprisoned for investigative journalism regarding Party leaders. During that same period, Beijing police forced the cancellation of a conference on HIV/AIDS and held the conference organizer Wan Yanhai without charge.
The Commission urges the Chinese government to respect basic human rights like freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of association. The illegal actions of authorities in Shandong and Beijing contribute to the growing sense of frustration and disenfranchisement among Chinese citizens. Such a result can only undermine China's progress. Political change is complex and imperfect, but China's leaders must take steps to build a more open and participatory society, and the United States must continue to assist in that effort.
Announcements
Roundtable - Regulations on Religion: Recent Developments in Legislation and Implementation
On November 20, 2006, the CECC held another in its series of staff-led Issues Roundtables, entitled China's National and Local Regulations on Religion: Recent Developments in Legislation and Implementation. The roundtable examined the interplay between the national Regulation on Religious Affairs and local regulations and discussed the practical impact of such regulations on freedom of religion in China. The panelists were: Eric R. Carlson, Attorney, Covington & Burling LLP, Washington, D.C.; Bob (Xiqiu) Fu, President, China Aid Association, Midland, Texas; and James W. Tong, Associate Professor of Comparative Politics, University of California-Los Angeles.
New Resources: Chinese and HTML Versions of the CECC 2006 Annual Report
The CECC has prepared a version of its 2006 Annual Report in HTML format which includes citations with Chinese titles and links to underlying sources. In addition, the CECC has prepared a Chinese language version of its 2006 Annual Report Commission Finding, Executive Summary, List of Recommendations, and Introduction. These resources are available here: /publications/annual-reports/2006-annual-report.