HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA

Speaking Notes by Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM

Former Australian Human Rights Commissioner

Hyde Park, 6 September 2007

 

 

IN ONE YEAR’S TIME, CHINA WILL BE HOSTING THE 2008 BEIJING OLYMPIC GAMES.

 

  • CHINA HOPES THAT THE OLYMPICS WILL SHOWCASE HER ECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONSOLIDATE CHINA’S STATUS AS A WORLD SUPER POWER.

 

  • LOOKING BACK, IN 1936, HITLER HAD USED THE BERLIN OLYMPICS TO SHOWCASE SO-CALLED GERMAN ECONOMIC MIRACLE AND TO ASSERT GERMANY’S WORLD POWER STATUS.

 

WHEN CHINA WAS GRANTED THE RIGHT TO HOST THE OLYMPICS, IT PROMISED TO IMPROVE HER HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD.

 

SINCE THEN, HOWEVER, CHINA’S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD HAS GROWN PROGRESSIVELLY WORSE.

 

THE ON-GOING BRUTAL OCCUPATION OF TIBET, THAT STARTED 60 YEARS AGO, CONTINUES.

 

CHINESE CITIZENS ARE DENIED THEIR BASIC CIVIL LIBERTIES.

 

  • THEY CANNOT ELECT THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT.

 

  • THERE IS NO FREEDOM OF SPEECH; AND CENSORSHIP DOMINATES EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE.
    • PEOPLE GET ARRESTED AND SENT TO JAIL SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE CONTENT OF THEIR PRIVATE E-MAILS, COURTESY OF YAHOO DOB-INS

 

  • AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL RECENTLY REPORTED A CRACKDOWN ON JOURNALISTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS.

 

  • THERE WERE MANY REPORTS OF FORCED EVICTIONS IN BEIJING AND ELSWHERE.
    • IN FACT, CHINESE LAW ALLOWS FOR THE DETENTION FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS WITHOUT TRIAL ANY PERSON LIVING - WITHOUT AUTHORISATION - WITHIN THE BEIJING CITY LIMITS

 

  • ACCORDING TO THE 2006 REPORT BY UN SPECIAL REPORTER, TORTURE IS REGURALRY USED IN CHINESE PRISONS.

 


  • THE OPRESSION OF FALUNG GONG PRACTICIONERS WHICH STARTED IN 1999 HAS ALL THE HALLMARKS OF GENOCIDE.
    • FALUNG GONG PRACTICIONERS GET ARRESTED, TORTURED AND SEND TO PRISONS WITHOUT ANY COURT PROCEEDINGS.

 

    • MANY OF THEM ARE MURDERED SO THEIR CORNEAS, HART AND LUNGS, LIVERS, KIDNEYS COULD BE HARVESTED FOR SALE TO WESTERN CUSTOMERS.

 

    • OTHERS ARE USED AS SLAVE LABOUR TO PRODUCE CHEAP GOODS FOR EXPORT.

 

FURTHERMORE, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT EXPORTS ITS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES TO OTHER COUNTRIES SUCH AS:

 

  • ZIMBAWE -  REMEMBER NOT THAT LONG AGO AUSTRALIA BOYCOTTED THE CRICKET TOUR OF ZIMBAWE BECAUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES

 

  • TO BURMA

 

  • OR SUPPORTS THE CONDUCT OF GENOCIDE IN DAFOUR.

 

 

IT IS TIME TO ACT NOW!!!

 

WE HAVE A UNIQUE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY UNTIL THE OLYMPICS TO IMPROVE THE HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ONE THIRD OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION.

 

WITHOUT OUR ACTION THE TOTALITARIAN CHINESE REGIME CAN THREATEN OUR HUMAN RIGHTS HERE IN AUSTRALIA.

 

AS EDMOND BURKE, AN ENGLISH PHILOSOPHER ONCE SAID “THE ONLY THING NECESSARY FOR THE TRIUMPH OF EVIL IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING.”

 

AND OUR ACTION CAN ACHIEVE MUCH.

 

REMEMBER NOT THAT LONG AGO PEOPLE POWER:

  • CRUMBELED THE BERLIN WALL AND BROUGHT AN END TO THE SOVIET EMPIRE
  • ABOLISHED APPARTHAID IN SOUTH AFRICA.

 

SO, WHAT CAN WE DO?

 

  1. CALL ON THE CHINESE GOVERNEMT TO STOP THE REPRESSION AND - IN PARTICULAR - THE KILLING OF PEOPLE TO SELL THEIR ORGANS.
    • TO START WITH, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT COULD FORMALLY RESPOND TO THE MATAS/KILGOUR REOPRT AND OPEN ALL DETENTION CENTRES TO INTERNATIONAL INSPECTIONS.

 

  1. DEMAND FROM AUSTRALIAN POLITICIANS THAT THEY TAKE HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA SERIOUSLY AND MAKE APPROPRIATE REPRESENTATIONS. 

 

WRITE TO YOUR MP.

 

INFORM OTHER AUSTRALIANS ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CHINA

    • TO START WITH, READ THE KILGOUR/MATAS REPORT ABOUT ORGAN HARVESTING AND MAKE SURE THAT IT IS READ FOR ANY PERSON INTENDING TO VISIT CHINA

 

  1. PARTICIPATE IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS GLOBAL TORCH RELAY.
    • IT WILL ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA ON 27 OCTOBER 2007.

 

  1. SUPPORT BOYCOTT OF BIJING OLYMPICS UNLESS THE SITUATION IMPROVES.
    • LET US REMEMBER THAT BOYCOTT OF 1936 BERLIN OLYMPICS COULE HAVE PREVENTED WWII AND HOLOCAUST.

 

LET US ENSURE THAT:

 

  • CHINA OLYMPIC SLOGAN “ONE WORD, ONE DREAM” READS AS CHINESE DISSIDENTS SUGGESTED: “ONE WORLD, ONE DREAM SAME HUMEN RIGHTS”.

 

LET US ENSURE THAT:

 

  • OLYMPICS & CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY CANNOT COEXIST IN CHINA.