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Which human rights, taken for granted in this country, are undermined in China?
“A big one is freedom of expression. Journalists, human rights defenders and anyone who stands up for what they believe in are vulnerable; they may be attacked, harassed or put in re-education through labour camps without a trial. Journalist Shi Tao was jailed for ten years for sending an email from his Yahoo! account, because it mentioned the Tiananmen Square massacre. In Britain we take our right to freedom of expression for granted. Imagine criticising Gordon Brown in a student bar and being jailed for it.”
In the lead up to the Olympics, what is Amnesty International calling on the Chinese authorities to do?
“When China won the Olympic bid the authorities made a promise that the human rights situation would improve. However, it has deteriorated. There has been a clamp down on the media and on dissent. China still executes more people than every other country in the world put together. Freedom of expression and association are also undermined. We are calling on the Chinese authorities to keep their promise to respect human rights.”
As a human rights activist yourself, why do you think it is so important to fight for the freedom of expression, assembly and association in China?
“It’s not just about China. Looking back to 1948 when the Universal Declaration of human rights was drawn up, these rights were not supposed to be relative to country or situation. Everyone should have them - from China to the UK, from Pakistan to Colombia. If they are not upheld by certain countries, it is Amnesty International’s job to step in and hold those countries to account.”
Athletes should still concentrate on their sporting success, but once they’ve crossed the finishing line we’d like them to say: 'Here’s my medal' and to China, 'Where’s yours for human rights?'
Some argue that the Olympics are a time for countries of the world to come together peacefully and participate in good-natured competition, not a time to dispute politics and human rights records. What would you say to those who believe that politics and sport should be dealt with independently?
"Firstly, a lot of sporting heroes are often used to make political points. For example, Rio Ferdinand has been involved in anti-bullying campaigns. They are seen as role models. Why should that stop for the Olympic Games? Secondly, human rights are not political; they are fundamental. Athletes should still concentrate on their sporting success, but once they’ve crossed the finishing line we’d like them to say:"Here’s my medal" and to China, "Where’s yours for human rights?"."
Amnesty International at the University of York has received hostility from some members of the Chinese community when working on this campaign. What would you say to those who view the campaign as an attack on China and the Chinese people?
"We are not campaigning against China or the Chinese people. China is a fantastic country. It has a great history, a great culture and is a great place to visit. The problem we have is with the Chinese authorities. Our campaigns are not anti-Chinese; they have nothing to do with the Chinese as a race but about a few officials that run their country.”
Do you really think that the campaign to end the death penalty in China will work, considering estimates for executions in 2007 of around 6,000 and the Chinese authorities’ refusal to publish statistics on the government’s use of the death penalty?
“We would be guilty if we did nothing as then there would be no way of lowering the statistics. The number of countries abolishing the death penalty is growing every day. It is likely that Pakistan will do so. The Chinese authorities are increasingly out of step with the rest of the world, a fact which we will continue to point out to them. We’re not just picking on China, but we are criticising any country that uses the death penalty.”
China is set to overtake the US as the world’s largest economy in coming decades and China is an increasingly powerful global player. Can UK protesters really have an effect and will their task become harder as China becomes more dominant on the global stage?
"As a country becomes a greater economic power, it does change things. However, the more people are empowered economically, the more likely they are to question human rights violations. We in the UK should be at the forefront of change and raise the profile of human rights. Inaction is a route to allow governments to get away with things. Living in the West, we can make a difference. We can be a beacon. We should also put pressure on our own governments when human rights are abused. We should be whiter than white."
Have you ever experienced or witnessed anything that convinced you of the importance of campaigning?
"I met student activist Ko Aung who organised loads of protests against the military junta in Burma in 1988. He witnessed the murder of a friend and fellow activist. The 13-year-old girl was holding a Red Fighting Peacocks flag, one of the student groups leading the pro-democracy protests. She put her chest in front of a machine gun during a peaceful demonstration, demanding that they stop. They didn’t listen and shot her dead. Similar incidents are happening right now in places like Darfur and Zimbabwe today. During my student days I went on a few rallies but never experienced anything even remotely like that. Occasionally though you meet these brave and amazing people."
What role can students play in the human rights for China campaign?
"The first thing to do is join your Amnesty International group at university. The larger and stronger the group the more effective it will be. Student groups often contain people with great ideas, great thoughts and great passions. That can make a huge difference and inspire a new generation of people. We have lifted a lot of ideas from student groups, ideas which have sometimes been taken on board by Amnesty at an international level. Then it is also worth remembering that Ko Aung, the Burmese student activist I mentioned earlier, was just an everyday student on an everyday campus. Human rights abuses can happen anywhere, so my advice is to get involved and make a difference."
For more information about Amnesty International’s ‘Human Rights for China’ campaign see the Amnesty website.
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