China’s disregard for the basic human rights of its citizens was brought to the attention of the international community during the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989. As Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said, the incident was “very troublesome to everybody that had been following the issue of human rights in China” (Reuters, 1997).
The Chinese official which sought to deny the people of their most basic freedoms was Deng Xiaoping, whom recently passed away. “Xiaoping leaves behind not only a legacy of economic liberalization and reform, but of authoritarian repression that has systematically suppressed all demands for human rights and democracy in China” (HRIC, 1997).
The legacy of Xiaoping will live on however, with his most notorious accomplishment of normalizing relations with the United States in the late 1970’s.
A group called Human Rights in China, or HRIC, a prominent New York-based rights group, released the following press release after Xiaoping’s death:
In the wake of Deng Xiaoping’s passing, Human Rights in China calls on the government of the People’s Republic of China to declare a general amnesty for all prisoners of conscience currently being held throughout China (HRIC, 1997).
The extensive abuse of human rights in China has gone to the core of the most fundamental of all rights, which are the rights to life and liberty. The following are the abuses which the U.S. Department of State reported in their annual release on Chinese affairs:
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Abuses included torture and mistreatment of prisoners, forced confessions, and arbitrary and lengthy incommunicado detention. Prison conditions remained harsh. The Government continued severe restrictions on freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, religion, privacy, and worker rights. Some restrictions remained on freedom of movement. In many cases, the judicial system denies criminal defendants basic legal safeguards and due process because authorities attach higher priority to maintaining public order and suppressing political opposition than to enforcing legal norms (U.S. Department of State: China Country Report on Human Rights Practices, 1996).
According to the Chinese government’s own statistics, there are at least 3,000 “counter-revolutionaries” being held in Chinese prisons today(HRIC, 1997).
The HRIC believes this figure to be inaccurate. They believe the number is actually much higher, citing the prisoners being held in China and Tibet on other charges as the reason.
Extrajudicial killings, or killings which occur with little or no due process, have been one of the most prevalent of the human rights abuses. There were reports of extrajudicial killings, including some carried in the Chinese press. Unfortunately, there is little evidence or information regarding the number of such killings. Many prisoners have been killed following “mass summary trials.” In these trials, the defendant is awarded almost no due process. In addition, the system is so corrupt, the defendant has almost no chance of being found innocent.
China has denied allegations that they are abusing their peoples human rights. In fact, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tang Guoqiang stated that they feel that the U.S. is “interfering in their (China’s) internal affairs” by accusing them of neglecting their peoples rights. Spokesman Guoqiang went on to say, “The Chinese government protects and promotes the human rights and basic freedoms of all its peoples according to the constitution and relevant laws, and its achievements are clear for all to see” (Reuter, 1996).
The Chinese leader also accused the U.S. government of “turning a blind eye to the facts and distorting and condemning China’s human rights situation, seriously violating the basic principles of international relations” (Reuter, 1996).
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Meanwhile, Chinese parents, like the mother in Amy Tan’s article, have too much expectation to their children’s future career and give them painful stress. Certainly, this kind of parents mentioned above cannot form a benign relationship with their children, especially adolescents in the rebellious period. The point is the relationship between parents and children in Chinese family is conflicting ...
Most of the evidence contradicts spokesman Guoqiang’s assertion. One example is the situation of Wei Jingsheng, who is currently in a Chinese prison. Recently his sister, Wei Ling, was allowed to visit him. In her account of their visit she listed the following as examples of the horrendous conditions Wei Jingsheng was being subjected to:
1.Unusual visiting circumstances. Throughout the visit, Wei’s brother and sister were kept at such a distance from Wei that they were all forced to shout in order to be heard. Approximately ten guards hovered over them and frequently interfered with the conversation.
2.Constant supervision by other inmates. In July 1996 Wei was moved from a solitary cell to a cell with six common criminals who keep watch over him twenty-four hours per day. The light is never turned off and Wei’s cellmates purposely make noise and harass him to prevent him from sleeping. This sleep deprivation has been not only psychologically taxing but also extremely detrimental to Wei’s already poor health.
3.Failing health. Wei suffers from angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and high blood pressure. Wei’s various ailments are becoming steadily more serious, but the authorities continue to refuse him medical treatment except for some Chinese medicine and an oxygen canister, provided by his family. According to his sister, Wei’s spirits have also reached an unprecedented low.
4.Deprivation of right to correspond with family. From Wei’s disappearance in March 1994 to today, only one of his letters has reached his family. The authorities have admitted to confiscating his letters–a violation of prison regulations–but have not explained why.
5.Poor living conditions. Prison authorities have permitted Wei’s family to bring him some nutriments such as powdered milk and fruit, but most of this he is forced to relinquish to his cellmates. He has requested warm clothing from his family, as his cell remained unheated throughout the bitter cold of last winter.
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Should the US grant China the Most Favored Nation Trade Status Introduction Respect for human rights should condition the forming relation of the US. For this reason, the US government should not grant China the Most Favored Nation trade status. In the following policy memorandum I ll explain the criterion used to make this particular recomendation. Human Rights Violations in China According to ...
Wei Ling’s account of her visit shows clearly the harsh conditions of which Chinese prisoners must endure. This kind of treatment is reported as “unusually harsh” and it violates both Chinese and international regulations (HRIC, 1996).
In addition to the harsh treatment of Wei, his family has also been persecuted by authorities. All of Wei’s siblings have endured some form of surveillance or slander.
A more noteworthy example of these human right abuses is the story of Wang Dan. Dan, charged with subversion for exercising his right to free speech, received an 11-year prison sentence by the Beijing People’s Intermediate Court in 1996. Dan’s situation is a blatant violation of all internationally accepted human rights practices. The HRIC group stated, “Wang Dan did nothing more than advocate for the protection of human rights for all Chinese people and the promotion of the rule of law in China” (HRIC, 1996).
The stories of Wei Jingsheng and Wang Dan are very troublesome. Although the Chinese government denies any allegations of human rights abuses, it is obvious that these abuses do in fact exist. Human rights are the framework of any free society, and it is clear that by abridging the Chinese peoples freedoms, the government is trying to control the masses to keep their political system in tact. In doing so, the Chinese government is alienating the rest of the world as well as its own citizens. The punishment, torture, and death is bordering on savagery.
Bibliography
Human Rights in China Press Release, February 19, 1997.
http://www.igc.apc.org/hric
Human Rights in China Press Release, October 30, 1996.
http://www.igc.apc.org/hric
Human Rights in China Press Release, October 10, 1996.
http://www.igc.apc.org/hric
Macartney, Jane. “China Accuses U.S. of interfering on Human Rights,” Reuters, February 1, 1997.
___________. “World Leaders Pay Tribute to Deng Xiaoping,” Reuters, February 19, 1997.
Respect for Human Rights, U.S. Department of State, China Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1996. Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, January 30, 1997.
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Ever since human rights became the controversial issue that it is today, western countries have constantly clashed with other cultures over differing ideologies on the topic. The introduction of the media as a continuous broadcaster of international news has moved the inhumane conditions that exist in some countries into the spotlight. The result of this has been a painful realization that many ...
