China Human Rights and Rule of Law Update - No. 6 - July 12, 2010
Statement of the Chairman and Cochairman: Xinjiang - One Year After Demonstrations and Rioting
July 9, 2010
We are deeply concerned by human rights conditions in Xinjiang, one year after demonstrations and rioting in the region. Events that started on July 5, 2009 resulted in injury and death to Han and Uyghur citizens alike. Repressive policies in the region have continued, and, in some cases, have intensified.
In the aftermath of last year's violence, the government tightly restricted the free flow of information, and curbed Internet access for 10 months. Authorities intensified security campaigns and conducted large scale sweeps and raids. Security forces detained some Uyghurs, primarily men and boys, whose whereabouts still remain unknown. We are alarmed by reports that trials have been marred by violations of Chinese law and international standards for due process. We are concerned by reported curbs on independent legal defense and a general lack of transparency in trials.
Conditions in the region today remain tense. The Internet is back up, but a number of Uyghur Web sites remain shuttered. And throughout the last year, the government issued regulations to restrict free speech. As we noted immediately after last year's tragic events, we urge the Chinese government, when addressing events in Xinjiang, to abide by its domestic and international commitments to protect citizen's fundamental rights and to promote the rule of law, and we urge the Chinese government to address the longstanding grievances of the Uyghur people, especially those related to official suppression of Uyghurs' independent expressions of ethnic, cultural, and religious identity.
Announcements
Roundtable: "Prospects for Democracy in Hong Kong: Assessing China's International Commitments"
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Capitol Visitor Center (CVC)
Congressional Meeting Room-South
Hong Kong's basic freedoms for the most part have been maintained under "one country, two systems." In June of this year, Hong Kong took its first steps toward constitutional reform since the British handed the territory back to China in 1997. This roundtable examines these recent constitutional reforms, mainland China's engagement in Hong Kong, and how Hong Kong may contribute to the development of democracy and civil society in China.
Panelists:
Robert Keatley, Founder and Editor of Hong Kong Journal; former Editor of the Wall Street Journal Asia, the Wall Street Journal Europe, and the South China Morning Post
Michael DeGolyer, Hong Kong Baptist University Professor of Government and International Studies, Director of the Hong Kong Transition Project
Michael F. Martin, Specialist in Asian Affairs, Congressional Research Service
Ellen Bork, Director, Democracy and Human Rights, Foreign Policy Initiative
CECC Roundtables are open to the public. No RSVP is necessary.
Roundtable: "China's Far West: Conditions in Xinjiang One Year After Demonstrations and Riots"
Monday, July 19, 2010
2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 628
At this CECC roundtable, panelists will examine conditions in the far western region of Xinjiang one year after demonstrations and rioting occurred there. Events in July 2009 exposed longstanding tensions in the region and Uyghurs' grievances toward government policies that threaten basic rights. Authorities pledged in 2010 to improve economic conditions in Xinjiang and appointed a new Party secretary for the region. How will these new developments shape Xinjiang's future? Is the government effectively addressing Uyghurs' grievances? How have government controls over the free flow of information affected our understanding of events in the region?
Panelists:
Shirley A. Kan, Specialist in Asian Security Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division, Congressional Research Service
Kathleen E. McLaughlin, China Correspondent for BNA, Inc., and freelance journalist
Sophie Richardson, Asia Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch
Stanley W. Toops, Associate Professor, Department of Geography and International Studies Program, Miami University
CECC Roundtables are open to the public. No RSVP is necessary.