Human Rights in PRC Progress and Monitor

Worst Period Cultural Revolution ( ) –political persecution and humiliation –widespread torture –suppression of religions –restriction on cultural freedom –very low living standard

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

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

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

Religions official churches and religious organizations restriction of religious activities independent of state

Tibet religious issues –Dalai Lama –religious leader or separatist leader? cultural heritage economic development tourism

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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