A group of voluntary lawyers in contaminated milk scandal pressured to give up support to victims
Paris-Geneva, October 1, 2008. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), expresses its deepest concern about the growing official pressure exercised over a group of voluntary lawyers seeking redress for children victims of contaminated milk powder.
After the break up of a major toxic milk crisis mid-September, about 120 local rights advocates and lawyers responded by volunteering in a group, which was initiated by prominent Beijing human rights lawyer Mr. Li Fangping, to provide free advice to families seeking redress.
On September 22, 2008, Chinese authorities had revealed that more than 50,000 children in mainland China had contracted kidney illnesses after drinking milk mixed with melanin, an industrial chemical used to cheat quality checks. More cases have been reported outside of mainland China in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore where mainland-produced diary products are imported. Four victims have already died. At least, 22 Chinese companies would be involved in the contaminated milk scandal. Several hundreds of parents called volunteer lawyers for their support and advice.
Organisers of the campaign and some of the lawyers said, on September 28, 2008, that officials in some provinces had pressures volunteers to abandon their efforts, causing the several lawyers to drop out. Some of them were told that “they would face serious repercussions if they stayed involved”. “This formidable movement of solidarity with the victims should be actively sustained by the authorities, not repressed”, said Souhayr Belhassen, President of FIDH, and Eric Sottas, Secretary General of OMCT.
The Observatory expresses its deep concern about these threats and urges the All-China Lawyers Association and the Chinese authorities, in particular the Minister of Justice, to support and protect the lawyers who are providing legal aid to the victims. It also calls for the support of the appeal launched by the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group (CHRLCG) on September 25, to send letters to the concerned Chinese authorities (www.chrlcg-hk.org).
The Observatory further calls upon the Chinese authorities to put an end to any acts of harassment against all Chinese human rights defenders and to conform with the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998.
For further information, please contact:
FIDH : Gaël Grilhot / Karine Appy, + 33 1 43 55 25 18
OMCT : Delphine Reculeau, + 41 22 809 49 39