China
03.05.05
Urgent Interventions
China: Closure of the Beijing Chinese Citizens' Rights Information Center
CHN 002 / 0505 / OBS 028
Harassment / Closure of an NGO
China
May 3, 2005
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in China.
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has been informed by Human Rights in China (HRIC) that the Beijing police forced the closure of the Beijing Chinese Citizens’ Rights Information Center, established by the political activists Mr. Liu Jingsheng and Mr. Li Weiping.
According to the information received, Mr. Liu Jingsheng and Mr. Li Weiping decided to establish the Center in recognition of the serious human rights problems that prevail in Chinese society, and with a view to promote and protect human rights. The specific work to be carried out by the Center included: assisting citizens in protecting their legal rights and improving awareness of human rights; offering training to public servants on how to better recognise, respect, serve and protect the human rights of the general public; and influencing public policy with respect to human rights.
Beijing police officers, acting on “instructions from higher levels”, reportedly ordered the cancellation of a news conference scheduled for 3:00 p.m., on April 18, 2005, at the Friendship Hotel to announce the establishment of the Beijing Chinese Citizens’ Rights Information Center. Police also allegedly gave Mr. Liu Jingsheng and Mr. Li Weiping a “friendly warning” to close down the organisation as soon as possible, and made clear that this suggestion came under instruction from “upper levels” of the government. Police accordingly advised Mr. Liu and others that if they insisted on opening the Center, they would not be allowed to accept financial support from foundations, and would face considerable personal financial loss. Mr. Liu and the other founders had reportedly already received enthusiastic pledges of support from a European foundation and a major American foundation, and had also been engaged in talks with human rights personnel at a foreign embassy.
Moreover, according to the information received, the Center had already been approved for registration by the Beijing municipal government. On March 21, 2005, Mr. Liu Jingsheng, Mr. Li Weiping and others went to the Bureau of Commerce in Beijing’s Haidian District to process the necessary applications to establish a professional office. On March 23, 2005, Mr. Li Weiping followed the relevant regulations to obtain a preliminary authorisation through the Internet to establish the office under the name of the Beijing Chinese Citizens’ Rights Information Center. Mr. Liu and Mr. Li and the others then confirmed the office’s address on March 30. On March 31, 2005, they were notified to complete the necessary paperwork, and on April 1, 2005, they obtained an administrative permit from the Beijing Bureau of Commerce.
Mr. Liu Jingsheng and Mr. Li Weiping’s new Center accordingly enjoyed widespread welcome and support. Their calls for volunteers from Peking University and Tsinghua University received an extremely enthusiastic response, and the Center had already arranged to take on five volunteers. On April 4 and 5, 2005, staff began preparing the new office space, and on April 8, Mr. Liu and Mr. Li picked up their commercial permit. All was prepared for the formal opening following the news conference on April 18, 2005.
At the same time, the Beijing Public Security Bureau was reportedly also taking a growing interest in the new Center. At first police agreed to respect the organisation’s legal standing and not interfere, but eventually officials observed that Mr. Liu Jingsheng, who had just been released from prison on November 27, 2004, was still subjected to the deprivation of political rights imposed by his original sentence, and for that reason could not accept interviews or issue statements. Finally, the police made it clear that they wanted the Center to abandon its plans for a news conference. On April 14, 2005, the Friendship Hotel rescinded its agreement to rent the new Center a room for the news conference, the Beijing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office refused to answer any more inquiries regarding the Center, and the Beijing Public Security Bureau demanded that the news conference be canceled and that plans for the Center be aborted.
Mr. Liu Jingsheng is one of China’s most well-known political dissidents. Following the violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square in June 1989, Mr. Liu Jingsheng joined with Mr. Hu Shigen, Mr. Kang Yuchun and others to establish the China Freedom and Democracy Party (CFDP) and the Free Labor Union of China (FLUC). Because of his involvement in these organisations, Mr. Liu was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Mr. Li Weiping was also a key participant in the 1989 democracy movement. He was sentenced to three years in prison for his participation in a political party. Since his release, he has devoted himself to promoting human rights and civil society in China, and was the primary force behind the Beijing Chinese Citizens’ Rights Information Center.
The forced closure of the Center has caused severe financial and personal loss to Mr. Liu Jingsheng and Mr. Li Weiping, and has obliged them to reconsider the feasibility of offering such a service.
Action requested:
Please write to the Chinese authorities, urging them to:
i. put an immediate end to any obstacles to the existence and the activities of the Beijing Chinese Citizens’ Rights Information Center;
ii. put an immediate end to any kind of threats and harassment against Mr. Liu Jingsheng and Mr. Li Weiping, as well as against all human rights defenders in China;
iii. conform with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United Nations’ General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular its article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, article 5(b), stating that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels to form, join and participate in non-governmental organisations, associations or groups”, and articles 6(b) and (c) which provides that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others (…) to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms” and “to study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters”;
iv. conform with the provisions of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and with other international instruments binding the Peoples’ Republic of China.
Addresses:
*****
Geneva-Paris, May 3, 2005
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders, and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency Line:
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
Tel and Fax FIDH: + 33 1 43 55 25 18 / + 33 1 43 55 18 80
Tel and Fax OMCT: + 41 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29
Harassment / Closure of an NGO
China
May 3, 2005
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in China.
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has been informed by Human Rights in China (HRIC) that the Beijing police forced the closure of the Beijing Chinese Citizens’ Rights Information Center, established by the political activists Mr. Liu Jingsheng and Mr. Li Weiping.
According to the information received, Mr. Liu Jingsheng and Mr. Li Weiping decided to establish the Center in recognition of the serious human rights problems that prevail in Chinese society, and with a view to promote and protect human rights. The specific work to be carried out by the Center included: assisting citizens in protecting their legal rights and improving awareness of human rights; offering training to public servants on how to better recognise, respect, serve and protect the human rights of the general public; and influencing public policy with respect to human rights.
Beijing police officers, acting on “instructions from higher levels”, reportedly ordered the cancellation of a news conference scheduled for 3:00 p.m., on April 18, 2005, at the Friendship Hotel to announce the establishment of the Beijing Chinese Citizens’ Rights Information Center. Police also allegedly gave Mr. Liu Jingsheng and Mr. Li Weiping a “friendly warning” to close down the organisation as soon as possible, and made clear that this suggestion came under instruction from “upper levels” of the government. Police accordingly advised Mr. Liu and others that if they insisted on opening the Center, they would not be allowed to accept financial support from foundations, and would face considerable personal financial loss. Mr. Liu and the other founders had reportedly already received enthusiastic pledges of support from a European foundation and a major American foundation, and had also been engaged in talks with human rights personnel at a foreign embassy.
Moreover, according to the information received, the Center had already been approved for registration by the Beijing municipal government. On March 21, 2005, Mr. Liu Jingsheng, Mr. Li Weiping and others went to the Bureau of Commerce in Beijing’s Haidian District to process the necessary applications to establish a professional office. On March 23, 2005, Mr. Li Weiping followed the relevant regulations to obtain a preliminary authorisation through the Internet to establish the office under the name of the Beijing Chinese Citizens’ Rights Information Center. Mr. Liu and Mr. Li and the others then confirmed the office’s address on March 30. On March 31, 2005, they were notified to complete the necessary paperwork, and on April 1, 2005, they obtained an administrative permit from the Beijing Bureau of Commerce.
Mr. Liu Jingsheng and Mr. Li Weiping’s new Center accordingly enjoyed widespread welcome and support. Their calls for volunteers from Peking University and Tsinghua University received an extremely enthusiastic response, and the Center had already arranged to take on five volunteers. On April 4 and 5, 2005, staff began preparing the new office space, and on April 8, Mr. Liu and Mr. Li picked up their commercial permit. All was prepared for the formal opening following the news conference on April 18, 2005.
At the same time, the Beijing Public Security Bureau was reportedly also taking a growing interest in the new Center. At first police agreed to respect the organisation’s legal standing and not interfere, but eventually officials observed that Mr. Liu Jingsheng, who had just been released from prison on November 27, 2004, was still subjected to the deprivation of political rights imposed by his original sentence, and for that reason could not accept interviews or issue statements. Finally, the police made it clear that they wanted the Center to abandon its plans for a news conference. On April 14, 2005, the Friendship Hotel rescinded its agreement to rent the new Center a room for the news conference, the Beijing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office refused to answer any more inquiries regarding the Center, and the Beijing Public Security Bureau demanded that the news conference be canceled and that plans for the Center be aborted.
Mr. Liu Jingsheng is one of China’s most well-known political dissidents. Following the violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square in June 1989, Mr. Liu Jingsheng joined with Mr. Hu Shigen, Mr. Kang Yuchun and others to establish the China Freedom and Democracy Party (CFDP) and the Free Labor Union of China (FLUC). Because of his involvement in these organisations, Mr. Liu was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Mr. Li Weiping was also a key participant in the 1989 democracy movement. He was sentenced to three years in prison for his participation in a political party. Since his release, he has devoted himself to promoting human rights and civil society in China, and was the primary force behind the Beijing Chinese Citizens’ Rights Information Center.
The forced closure of the Center has caused severe financial and personal loss to Mr. Liu Jingsheng and Mr. Li Weiping, and has obliged them to reconsider the feasibility of offering such a service.
Action requested:
Please write to the Chinese authorities, urging them to:
i. put an immediate end to any obstacles to the existence and the activities of the Beijing Chinese Citizens’ Rights Information Center;
ii. put an immediate end to any kind of threats and harassment against Mr. Liu Jingsheng and Mr. Li Weiping, as well as against all human rights defenders in China;
iii. conform with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the United Nations’ General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular its article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, article 5(b), stating that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, at the national and international levels to form, join and participate in non-governmental organisations, associations or groups”, and articles 6(b) and (c) which provides that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others (…) to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms” and “to study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters”;
iv. conform with the provisions of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and with other international instruments binding the Peoples’ Republic of China.
Addresses:
- President Hu Jintao, People’s Republic of China, c/o Embassy of the People’s Republic of China; 2300 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, D.C., 20008, USA, Fax: +01 202 588-0032
- President Hu Jintao, People’s Republic of China, c/o Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China, Chemin de Surville 11, Case postale 85, 1213 Petit-Lancy 2, Genève, Suisse, Fax: +41 22 7937014, E-mail: mission.china@ties.itu.int
- Minister of Justice of the People’s Republic of China, Zhang Fusen Buzhang, Sifabu, 10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyangqu, Beijingshi 100020, People’s Republic of China, Fax: +86 10 6529 2345
- Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Li Zhaoxing Buzhang Waijiaobu, 2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Beijingshi 100701, People’s Republic of China, Fax: +86 10 6588 2594, Email: ipc@fmprc.gov.cn
- Ambassadeur, Sha Zukang, Mission permanente de la Rép. Pop. De Chine, Ch. De Surville, CP 85, 1213 Petit-Lancy 2, Suisse, e-mail: mission.china@ties.itu.int, Fax : +41 22 793 70 14
*****
Geneva-Paris, May 3, 2005
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a joint FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders, and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the Emergency Line:
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
Tel and Fax FIDH: + 33 1 43 55 25 18 / + 33 1 43 55 18 80
Tel and Fax OMCT: + 41 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29