Beijing 2008: February 2008 Archives
Published by HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA
February 28, 2008
On the eve of the Eleventh National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, we, a group of mothers of those killed in the June Fourth Massacre and, therefore, victims ourselves, earnestly request the following of you, the newly elected representatives of the NPC and the CPPCC:
On behalf of those who lost their lives during the June Fourth Massacre, we seek justice and equity to sooth the wounds of history. We wholeheartedly implore each of you: do not disregard the great trust that has been placed in you, do not insult your mission as representatives. Instead, we urge you, the two Congresses, to carry out a direct, equal, and sincere dialogue on the issue of the June Fourth Massacre with the victims and victims' families.
This is the eleventh time we have made an appeal to the NPC and CPPCC sessions. You who serve as the people's representatives and hold sacred legislative power: if you have any trace of conscience left, if your hearts retain even the smallest amount of sympathy, then how can you be so callous and indifferent?
In the past years, to facilitate this dialogue, we repeatedly requested the impartial and rational resolution of the following three points;
- That the Standing Committee of the NPC form a specialized investigation committee on the June Fourth Massacre. Such committee should conduct an independent, open, and impartial investigation into the June Fourth Massacre and openly publish the results of the investigation, including the names and numbers of those killed in the June Fourth Massacre.
- That the Standing Committee of the NPC require the bureau in charge of the June Fourth Massacre to issue a public apology to the family of each casualty of the Massacre in accordance with the law. The Standing Commitee of the NPC should draft and pass a specialized "Law on the Compensation of Victims of the June Fourth Massacre" and give the victims and relatives of the June Fourth Massacre their lawful compensation.
- The Standing Committee of the NPC should designate a prosecutorial organ to file and investigate cases from the June Fourth Massacre, and punish those found responsible in accordance with the law.
At the same time, we have repeatedly stated: "Issues remaining after June Fourth must be resolved through the legal system, in accordance with the law, without interference by any party, faction or individual. They must not be resolved according to the pattern of previous political campaigns, after which the government has always issued its own account of a 're-evaluation and exoneration.' In light of this, we call upon the National People's Congress to make use of the legislative process to discuss, review and issue a resolution on June Fourth issues."
However, we are disappointed that our requests, year after year, have come to nothing. Now that the 19th anniversary of June Fourth is approaching, and the splendid Olympic Games will be held in Beijing, China's capital, people will say: "This is a government that has sent tanks and armored vehicles into its capital to kill countless innocent students and civilians; a government that for more than 18 long years has not dared to confront the aftermath of the tragedy and has repeatedly refused dialogue with the victims' family members. How can this government face the whole world? Is it really possible that, as the host of the 2008 Olympic Games, the government can be at ease allowing athletes from all over the world to tread on this piece of blood-stained soil and participate in the Olympics?"
"China is making 'progress.' He is like a newly awakened giant, rushing forward in huge strides. The floor shakes because of his footsteps. Yet, how many people know that this giant is rushing forward with an extremely deep wound?" This was written by female Taiwanese writer Long Yingtai. Yes, over the past 18 years, China has witnessed dramatic changes in its economic, political and social arenas. The West has long since given up their sanctions against and isolation of China following June Fourth, and has resumed cooperation in the areas of the economy and trade, technology, culture and even the military. At present, Chinese leaders are making use of high-profile slogans such as "harmonious society" and "peaceful rise." Nevertheless, who can deny the fact that the disastrous aftermath of that brutal massacre, one of the greatest tragedies of our times, even after 18 years, is still unresolved. The wounds deep in the heart of the people are not yet healed. Because of this, the current political and societal landscape continues to deteriorate into disorder and imbalance. This proves that June Fourth, this bloody page in history, has yet to be turned, and remains a "knot" deep inside the people's heart.
Over these past 18 endless years, we, the victims of the crackdown, along with many persons of upstanding moral conscience, have made an effort using many different methods to return historical justice to "June Fourth." We have gradually come to understand from our blood, tears, and pain, that "June Fourth" is not only the misfortune of individual households, but also that of the whole nation. This misfortune originates from suspicion and hostility between individuals, from the Chinese people's indifference toward human life and values, and from a lack of civility and legal order in this land. However, the way to rectify this misfortune is not to counter violence with violence, nor is it for us to murder those of our own social class, as has often happened in Chinese history. One cannot rely on the present rulers' repeated slogans like the "three represents" or "people-friendly strategies." We can only rectify this misfortune by peacefully ending traditional authoritarian politics on Chinese soil and upholding the authority of modern democracy and constitutionalism.
Let each citizen cast away the submissive nature and historical inertia that have been passed down from the imperial era. Let each establish an understanding of the importance of universal human values. Based on this common understanding, we have abandoned the intolerant idea of "an eye for an eye" and the extreme position of countering evil with evil; we have decided instead to use the greatest sincerity and restraint as we seek to peacefully resolve the "June Fourth" heartache. For us, the victims' families, it is difficult and painful to make this rational decision. However, in order to avoid the escalation of conflict and the upheaval of society, we have done so.
We firmly believe history will prove that dialogue is the necessary route for justice and the reasonable settlement of the "June Fourth" problem; there are no alternatives. Nevertheless, history only offers limited opportunities for resolution, and to reject this present opportunity would be to continue this crime against the nation. Now is the time: those leaders who are truly open-minded and have the courage to fulfill their duties should wake up and make some kind of decision.
The world has entered the age of dialogue, yet mainland China remains behind, stagnant, in the age of resistance. This embarrassing and intolerable situation, which no one is willing to face, must end as soon as possible. We note that the Chinese government advocates the use of dialogue to solve differences and disputes in international affairs; we also note that the central government has already set a timetable for the direct election of Hong Kong's Chief Executive. We therefore have even stronger ground for our request that the government solve domestic differences and disputes through a similar method. If China, with its historical tradition of despotic rule, can strive to replace hostility with dialogue, it would benefit the entire nation and be a blessing to all people.
As this country enters into more dialogue, it will manifest more civility and legal order and less ignorance and despotism. We do not blindly believe in the idea of dialogue. It is difficult and tedious. But compared with resistance, dialogue is obviously the higher road. Dialogue should not lead society into opposition and hatred, but rather, into tolerance and reconciliation. In its past history and present reality, our country China has been enormously deficient in this kind of tolerance and reconciliation. Over the past millennium, including these last 100 years, our ancestors have suffered the side-effects of malignant interaction between the government and the people! Today, those with any amount of vision in China should step up their efforts and bravely make new strides forward to end the history of misfortune in our nation.
We are now living in a time of change from despotism to constitutional democracy. This is an unavoidable trend that is in accordance with popular sentiment. In this process of political change, the "June Fourth" incident has stood like a barrier that cannot be passed. The proper settlement of the "June Fourth" question would represent not only a conclusion, but also a new beginning. We hope wholeheartedly that all the representatives will, through your pragmatic endeavors, establish and strengthen the power of the lawmaking body so that settlement of the "June Fourth" issues can soon be added to the agenda. We sincerely hope for each of you that during this session of the NPC and the CPPCC, you do not go against your consciences or let your people down.
Finally, we also sincerely urge China's governing authorities to consider the situation as a whole. Grasp this golden, historic opportunity to respond positively to our aforementioned requests, and propose a timetable for dialogue on the "June Fourth" issues as soon as possible.
25 February 2008
Pro-democracy activists in Myanmar called Monday for the world to boycott this year's Beijing Olympics over what they said was China's continuing support of Myanmar's military dictatorship.
The 88 Generation Students group, which was instrumental in last year's pro-democracy demonstrations in Myanmar, urged ''citizens around the world ... to boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics in response to China's bankrolling of the military junta that rules our country of Burma with guns and threats.'' Myanmar is also known as Burma.
The 88 Generation Students joined a growing group of critics urging an Olympic boycott over complaints ranging from Beijing's human rights record to its failure to more actively press Sudan -- where China is a major oil buyer -- to end violence in the Darfur region.
Hollywood director Steven Spielberg quit earlier this month as an artistic adviser for the Beijing Olympics, saying China was not doing enough about Darfur.
The 88 Generation Students accused China -- one of Myanmar's key trading partners -- of arming their country's junta and failing to facilitate a meaningful dialogue between it and detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party.
''Our constructive outreach to China has been met with silence and more weapons shipments,'' the group said in a statement.
By HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA
February 20, 2008
Human Rights in China has learned that Shanghai rights defense lawyer Zheng Enchong (郑恩宠) was detained again on February 20 after several days of harassment by police and unidentified thugs. Zheng was released in the evening, but while in detention he was beaten by an unidentified person. Sources in China told HRIC that Zheng was taken away because of legal advice he gave to petitioners and interviews he had recently given to internet news outlets. HRIC condemns the recent beating and harassment of Zheng and is concerned for his safety in light of this escalating persecution. Zheng was wounded and bleeding due to the beating, and reportedly plans to sue the authorities.
"Flouting growing international criticism in the lead-up to the Olympics, the message sent by Chinese authorities is clear: freedom of expression does not encompass any unapproved media interviews, despite new, widely-touted media regulations," said Executive Director Sharon Hom. "If China is serious about rule of law, it must immediately cease the crackdowns on and detentions of lawyers and legal advisors, including Zheng Enchong, Chen Guangcheng (陈光诚), and Guo Feixiong (郭飞雄)."
Human Rights in China also calls on China to demonstrate respect for independent international decisions and release all individuals who have been determined by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to be in detention arbitrarily. This group includes barefoot lawyer Chen Guangcheng, journalist Shi Tao (师涛), labor activist Yao Fuxin (姚福信), political dissident Hu Shigen (胡石根), and religious activist Li Chang (李昌).
Zheng was also reportedly beaten by the police officers who were following him and his wife Jiang Meili (蒋美丽) on February 16 and 17. Later on the 17th, Zheng was summoned to the police station; he was kept in detention for over 12 hours and was beaten by unidentified men. The police asked him about the recent legal aid he provided to petitioners, as well as the interviews he gave to the Epoch Times on February 12, in which he talked about the corruption case of Shanghai tycoon Zhou Zhengyi (周正毅) and the possible involvement of former CPC leader Huang Ju (黄菊). The interview went to press on February 19.
>> Read complete report
TIME Magazine
February 20, 2008
SpongeBob SquarePants, Mickey Mouse and Pokemon are officially persona non grata on Chinese prime time.
China is extending a ban that virtually locks out all foreign cartoons from airing between 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in a bid to protect its fledgling domestic cartoon industry.
According to a new ruling Wednesday by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, no foreign cartoons or programs introducing foreign cartoons can be shown during "the golden hours" on all domestic cartoon channels and children channels starting May 1.
The move is intended to help "spur the domestic cartoon industry," the agency said.
Only domestic cartoons approved by SARFT are allowed to be aired, according to the regulations. Cartoons co-produced by domestic and foreign producers will have to get approval.
The new regulation expands an earlier ban, imposed in August 2006, that kept foreign cartoons off the air between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Domestic cartoon programming increased by 38 percent, SARFT said.
In recent years, a huge influx of foreign cartoons, especially from Japan, have flooded the airwaves, becoming highly popular with Chinese children.
Recent regulations have been aimed at allowing the country's struggling animation studios space to compete. The ban will "enhance the SARFT's management over cartoon programs and will create a favorable environment for the domestic cartoon industry," the agency said.
Aside from foreign cartoons, China has made concerted efforts to control other aspects of pop culture, recently issuing bans against sexually suggestive audio and video products as well as films that contain horror or the supernatural.
Regulators have also issued new warnings against pornography and restrictions on video-sharing Web sites, which are accused of broadcasting pornography.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | The New York Times
February 15, 2008
Key criticisms facing Beijing's staging of the Aug. 8-24 Olympics:
FOREIGN POLICY -- Hollywood director Steven Spielberg announced Tuesday he would no longer act as an artistic adviser for the games' opening and closing ceremonies to protest China's support for the Sudanese government, which is accused of human rights abuses in Darfur. Beijing has also been petitioned by Nobel Peace Prize laureates, former Olympians and 120 members of the U.S. Congress.
AIR POLLUTION -- Athletes have been told to arrive late and leave early to avoid hot, polluted air, and Britain, the United States and other countries are considering supplying their athletes with breathing masks. International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge has warned that some events could be postponed and Haile Gebrselassie, recognized as the world's greatest distance runner, said he might skip the Olympic marathon altogether.------
RELIGIOUS RESTRICTIONS -- China's officially atheistic communist government maintains strict controls over all religious activity, and is reportedly ferreting out clandestine missionaries ahead of the games. Despite that, evangelical groups say they plan to be active in Beijing. Together with expected protests by the banned F.... G.... *** spiritual movement, that poses the likelihood of protests and arrests that could tarnish the games' image. Protesters have also rallied against Chinese control over the Buddhist region of Tibet.
PRESS GAGS -- China's state-controlled media is tightly leashed and press freedom groups regard the country as the world's leading jailer of journalists. China pledged to allow full freedom during the games and has lifted some restrictions over foreign media, but reporters and monitors say the government has failed to live up to those commitments.
HUMAN RIGHTS -- International human rights groups such as Amnesty International have urged governments, Olympic sponsors and individuals to pressure China to free political prisoners and ratify a key U.N. rights accord. Seeking to avoid controversy, Britain's Olympic Association asked its athletes to sign an agreement pledging not to speak out on political issues, but later backed down, saying that appeared to go beyond IOC rules.
By BBC Sports | BBC World News
February 14, 2008
But that has not stopped some sportsmen and women registering their unhappiness with the country's involvement in war-torn Sudan.
Thousands have been killed and millions more affected by the conflict in the western region of Darfur - and the finger of blame has been pointed at countries like China for not doing enough to stop the suffering.
China responded to the growing criticism on Thursday, with its foreign minister saying it was "understandable if some people do not understand the Chinese government policy on Darfur, but... that some people may have ulterior motives".
Here, British badminton player and former Olympian Richard Vaughan , a member of pressure group Team Darfur, explains why he felt it was right for him to speak out, and why he thinks GB athletes should be allowed to do so in the build-up to the Beijing Games.
WHY THE CONCERN OVER CHINA?
In my mind, China has an indifferent political record internationally, be it in Darfur, Burma, or many other nations in Africa they do business with.
This, mixed with human rights issues within China itself, and the lack of a free press, means there are always going to be issues with the decision to stage the Olympics in Beijing.
I think the IOC and the Chinese government would have expected some opposition to a certain degree.
IS IT IMPORTANT FOR SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN TO SPEAK OUT?
I believe free speech is very important for everyone.
If athletes feel strongly about a humanitarian topic, they have the right to comment on it, as does any member of the public.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | The New York Times
February 12, 2008
Film director Steven Spielberg and actress Mia Farrow joined activists worldwide Tuesday in using the Olympics as a backdrop to address human rights concerns, urging Beijing to exert political leverage on Sudan's government to help end the crisis in Darfur.
Spielberg announced he would no longer act as an artistic adviser for the opening and closing ceremonies, saying he could not reconcile working on the Olympics while China and other nations were not doing enough to ease the suffering.
''Sudan's government bears the bulk of the responsibility for these ongoing crimes but the international community, and particularly China, should be doing more,'' Spielberg said in a statement. ''China's economic, military and diplomatic ties to the government of Sudan continue to provide it with the opportunity and obligation to press for change.''
Farrow joined former Olympic swimmers Shannon Shakespeare and Nikki Dryden in delivering an open letter addressed to Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Chinese Mission to the United Nations, condemning Beijing's support of the Sudanese government.
The letter was part of a ''Global Day of Action'' that focused on Darfur, where more than 200,000 have died and an estimated 2.5 million have been displaced since 2003.
''We are all aware of the tremendous potential for China to help bring an end to the conflict in Darfur,'' said the letter, signed by Nobel Peace Prize laureates, celebrities and 13 former Olympians.
Farrow suggested China use its influence to disarm the janjaweed, the government-backed Arab militia, demand the Khartoum regime halt bombings and ground attacks on civilians, and use its economic clout to force the government to ensure safety for U.N. peacekeepers.
China buys two-thirds of Sudan's oil exports. In turn, China sells weapons to the Sudanese government and has defended Khartoum in the U.N. Security Council.
''How can Beijing host the Olympic Games at home and underwrite genocide?'' said Farrow, a U.N. goodwill ambassador, shivering in freezing weather outside the Chinese Mission. ''Time is running out for the people of Darfur.''
By AFP | via (uncensored) Yahoo! News
February 09, 2008
Chinese authorities have barred Mikael Haafstroem from shooting his film "Shanghai", set to star John Cusack and Gong Li, in China, the Swedish director said in an interview published Saturday.
"This obviously comes as a shock to all of us. We don't know exactly why we have been turned down" for a filming permit, Haafstroem told the Dagens Nyheter daily by phone from Shanghai.
The director said the authorities' decision to block the shoot came as a complete surprise, pointing out that the movie's production team had been in China since last September preparing for the filming.
"We wouldn't have spent millions of kronor (hundreds of thousands of dollars, euros) in this country over the past six months if we hadn't been completely sure we would receive a permit," Haafstroem said.
He said he had heard that 56 other foreign film shoots had also recently been blocked in China, but said he did not know why his film, which is set in Shanghai in 1941 and features scenes of opium-smoking and prostitution, had been targeted.
By Ben Shpigel | The New York Times
09 February 2008
When a caterer working for the United States Olympic Committee went to a supermarket in China last year, he encountered a piece of chicken -- half of a breast -- that measured 14 inches. "Enough to feed a family of eight," said Frank Puleo, a caterer from Staten Island who has traveled to China to handle food-related issues.
"We had it tested and it was so full of steroids that we never could have given it to athletes. They all would have tested positive."
In preparing to take a delegation of more than 600 athletes to the Summer Games in Beijing this year, the U.S.O.C. faces food issues beyond steroid-laced chicken. In recent years, some foods in China have been found to be tainted with insecticides and illegal veterinary drugs, and the standards applied to meat there are lower than those in the United States, raising fears of food-borne illnesses.
In the past two years, the U.S.O.C. has tried to figure out how to avoid such dangers at the Olympics. It has made arrangements with sponsors like Kellogg's and Tyson Foods, which will ship 25,000 pounds of lean protein to China about two months before the opening ceremony, but will hire local vendors and importers to secure other foods and cooking equipment at the Games.
By Michael Bristow | BBC News
February 01, 2008
A prominent Chinese activist has been formally arrested more than a month after being taken into custody.
Hu Jia, who publicises human rights abuses across China, has been accused of inciting subversion of state power.
Campaigners say his arrest shows that China is not keeping its promise to improve human rights ahead of this year's Beijing Olympic Games.
But the government says China is a country ruled by laws, and Hu Jia will be dealt with according to the law.
Sudden detention
Two days after Christmas, about 30 security officers burst into Hu Jia's flat and took him away.
Officials were apparently tired of his efforts to support human rights cases across the country.
He had become a kind of one-man clearing house for information, passing it on to journalists, organisations and foreign embassies.
His wife Zeng Jinyan, also a prominent activist, has been put under house arrest with the couple's two-month-old baby.
The BBC was not allowed to visit her when we went to the couple's flat on the outskirts of Beijing last month.
Since he was detained, there has been little word about Hu Jia's condition and whereabouts. His lawyers have not been allowed to see him.
But officials have now sent his family formal notification that he has been arrested.
"After 37 days a suspect has to be either released or formally arrested. Hu Jia has been arrested," said a family friend, lawyer Teng Biao.
Mr Hu faces charges of subverting state power, a serious charge that could lead to a long prison term.
Rights groups say Beijing is cracking down on dissent ahead of the Olympics in August.
"The preparations for the Olympics are having an overall negative impact on human rights developments in China," said Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch.
The United States and the European Union have also voiced their concern about Hu Jia's arrest. But so far, this criticism has had no visible effect.
By Eijiro Ueno and Takashi Hirokawa | Bloomberg(.com)
February 01, 2008
Chinese-made dumplings containing pesticides sickened 175 Japanese in a scandal the government says may damage relations with its neighbor, which exported $56.7 billion of food to Japan last year.
``There might be a negative impact on Japan-China ties,'' Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said at a press conference in Tokyo today. ``If both governments cooperate and take measures, the negative impact can be minimized.'' China said it's ordered a police investigation.
The dumplings, known as ``gyoza'' in Japan, are being recalled by Japan Tobacco Inc. and Maruha Corp. in the latest quality scandal involving China. Two weeks ago, China deemed a fourth-month campaign to eliminate ``non-food materials'' from produce a success, after contaminations including industrial dye in eggs and carcinogenic fungicides in fish.
``It makes you scared to buy imported food -- you worry about your kids,'' said Hiroko Date, a 38-year-old mother of two, outside a Fujimart supermarket in Tsukishima, Tokyo. ``I think the government's being slow on this. We've been hearing about other problems with things from China, like lead in toys.''
Yukio Hatoyama, the Secretary General of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, also criticized what described as a ``slow response'' by the Japanese government.
Some Chinese food imports may be banned under Japan's food- safety regulations, Japan's health minister Yoichi Masuzoe said today in parliament.
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