Geneva: On Friday ( Mar 22 ), China attempted to obstruct a statement from a dissident who had been detained and died after attempting to attend the UN Human Rights Council ten years prior.
Beijing used administrative maneuvers to object to a statement released by dozens of human rights organizations honoring Cao Shunli, who had been detained as she attempted to visit Geneva back of a UN assessment of China’s human rights report.
She became extremely ill and died on March 14, 2014 after being held without fee for several weeks.
Cao’s confidence inspires defenders around the world, but let her reputation and name play in this space until all victims of reprisals are held accountable, according to a Chinese human rights defender whose identity was not disclosed.
She also observed a brief solitude, which she said was in honor of Cao, while speaking on behalf of 37 non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Service for Human Rights.
She likewise urged the officials in the room to “mirror the confidence of all human rights supporters and subjects of violence and often stand in solidarity with them.”
China’s agent, Han Xincheng therefore demanded the ground, complaining that the NGO loudspeaker was using her time” to see silence and inspire confrontation”, and asked the council president end her intervention.
He was backed by the staff of Cuba, Venezuela and Russia.
North Korea’s agent, deputy adviser Pang Kwang Hyok, also chimed in, asking that the committee leader “ensure that the loudspeaker strictly observe the rules of procedure, by respecting respectable sovereign states and pleasant manner”.
” REST IN PEACE”
The European Union, along with the United States, Canada and Britain defended the Organizations ‘ right to speak.
Human Rights Council people “have no authority to dictate the information of NGO claims,” according to US member Kaitlin Sandin.
She continued,” It is crucial to protect the right to express oneself through silence in this website, which includes the right to do so,” while also mentioning that the NGO speech had not requested that people take part in a moment of silence.
Morocco’s Omar Zniber, president of the council, stated that the legal regulations needed to be clarified, but ultimately allowed the NGO speech to finish her speech.
She did so, speaking in Chinese.
” Dearest Big Sister Cao, rest in peace, there will be light at the end of the day”, she said, to loud acclaim.
China’s attempt on Friday to halt the speech was akin to its response ten years ago to another NGO’s request to keep a moment of silence in the government for Cao, though the disruption lasted for more than an hour that time.
A group of UN experts called on Chinese officials to “fully and very check the circumstances that led to Cao Shunli’s dying and keep those responsible accountable” as a response to a previous request.
They also urged the Chinese government to “freely permit any of its citizens to engage with the UN in a safe manner.”