By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, July 7: The New York-based human rights monitoring organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who is currently touring China to ‘demonstrate a strong commitment in promoting human rights in China’.
In a letter to Ban Ki-moon, the HRW wrote, “The credibility of the United Nations depends in part on its willingness to robustly challenge human rights violations committed by its most powerful members.”
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of HRW, in his letter to the UN Chief has urged him to privately and publicly express concerns about the eroding human rights situation in China, which might help mitigate some of the worst abuses.
The Secretary-General arrived in Beijing yesterday for his five-day official visit during which he is scheduled to meet communist party’s politburo including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
HRW has urged the Secretary to raise the issue of arranging visits from special rapporteurs on torture, lawyers, arbitrary detention, ethnic minorities, and religious freedom.
The letter also appealed the UN Chief to express concerns over the new foreign NGO management law in China, which would require international organizations in China to register and be supervised by the Ministry of Public Security.
“It is imperative your messages be audible to them. Equally important, doing so demonstrates the UN’s commitment to these issues with all member states impartially,” Roth said.
China today released Zhao Wei, a 24-year old legal assistant, on bail after he was imprisoned for a year under the charge of political subversion. He was arrested on July 10 last year which saw an unprecedented crackdown on the rights lawyers in China.
