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Human Rights in PRC

Human Rights in PRC. Progress and Monitor. Worst Period. Cultural Revolution (1966 - 1976) political persecution and humiliation widespread torture suppression of religions restriction on cultural freedom very low living standard. Reform Era. Main human rights issues:

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Human Rights in PRC

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  1. Human Rights in PRC Progress and Monitor

  2. Worst Period • Cultural Revolution (1966 - 1976) • political persecution and humiliation • widespread torture • suppression of religions • restriction on cultural freedom • very low living standard

  3. Reform Era • Main human rights issues: • political dissidents & prisoners • religious freedom • cultural rights of minority nationalities • crackdown on Falun Gong since 1999

  4. Dissidents • Four waves of suppressing political dissidents • late 1970s: ``democracy wall” • late 1980s: Tian’anmen Square • late 1990s: ``Democracy Party” • late 2000s: ``Charter '08"

  5. Religions • growth of religions • over 100 million believers • 139,000 sites of religious activities • A 2007 national survey of 7,021 adults • less than 15% true atheists • 18% believe in Buddhism • 3.2% believe in Christianity • Protestants 10 times more than Catholics

  6. Religions • official churches and religious organizations • restriction of religious activities independent of state

  7. Tibet • religious issues • Dalai Lama • religious leader or separatist leader? • cultural heritage • economic development • tourism

  8. Falun Gong • Li started Falun Gong in early 1990s • mixture of Qigong meditation, Buddhism, and Li’s own ideas • hierarchy throughout China • 39 general instruction centers • 1900 instruction stations • 28000 practice sites

  9. Falun Gong • Practitioners besieged news agencies, publishing houses, and government organizations who criticized Falun Gong • Practitioners besieged Zhongnanhai in 1999, one day after Li’s visit to Beijing • Crackdown on the ``cult” started 3 months after the siege

  10. International Monitor • Bilateral (informal & ad hoc) • dialogue with U.S. and E.U. • political & economic sanctions • Multilateral (institutional) • United Nations Commission on Human Rights

  11. Government Responses • Insists that state sovereignty supercedes human rights • Insists that the reform era has seen greatest improvement in human right in Chinese history • Insists that subsistence & development are the most fundamental human rights

  12. Government White Papers • White Papers on human rights almost every year since 1991: e.g. • Progress in China's Human Rights Cause in 2003 • Fifty Years of Progress in China’s Human Rights • China’s Social Security and Its Policy • Human Rights Record of the U.S.

  13. International Standards • China acceded to UN Convention Against Torture in 1988 • China signed the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in 1997 • China signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1998

  14. UN Commission • The United Nations Commission on Human Rights • composed of 53 States (including PRC since 1982) • meets each year in regular session in March/April for six weeks in Geneva • Over 3,000 delegates from member and observer States and from NGOs participate

  15. In USA-PRC Relations • Pre-1989, automatic annual renewal of Most Favored Nation (MFN) status • 1989, political & economic sanctions • 1994, MFN and human rights de-linked • 1998, Permanent Normal Trade Relationship (PNTR) • 1999, USA-PRC agreement on China's entry into the World Trade Organization

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