************************************************************** IFCSS Headquarters News Release No. 5134 may 20 , 1994 ************************************************************** Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars (IFCSS) 733 15th Street, N.W., Suite 440, Washington, D.C.20005 Tel. (202)347-0017 Fax: (202)347-0018 Email: ifcss@wam.umd.edu For those of you who are concern about China's human rights situation, please read the following report from Amnesty International. *********************************************************** Amnesty International's Human Rights Concerns in The People's Republic of China (May, 1994) ========================================================== Human rights violations in China continue to be widespread and egregious. President Clinton's Executive Order, issued in the summer of 1993, included a number of areas where overall significant progress in human rights must be made before China's Most Favored Nation trade status would be renewed. in these areas virtually no substantive progress has been attained. While Amnesty International takes no position on the trade- human rights linkage, it actively urges the United States to adopt and convey a clear, consistent human rights policy to China. Whatever the outcome of the MFN issue, human rights abuses will not disappear in China by the summer of 1994 and AI will press to keep these issues in the forefront of the public debate. Below are Amnesty's concerns in China and an assessment of the lack of progresses in these areas. ==Steps to adhere to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights During Secretary Christopher's last trip to China, the Chinese Foreign Minister Qian publicly reaffirmed China's support for the Universal Declaration. however, the public statement is a ling way from implementation of the Principles of the Declaration. Many of the rights as described in the Declaration, including the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment and the right to a fair trial, are not afforded to thousands of Chinese citizens. THE RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL Few safeguards exist in China to ensure that the right to fair trials in upheld. Legal scholars in China have called for and end to the near-universal practice of "verdict first, trial second". Hundreds of thousands of Chinese are subjected to "administrative detention", a system of imprisonment without trial for a term of a few days to several years. Anyone considered a "threat to public security" but not legally a criminal can be subject to "administrative detention". THE DEATH PENALTY In 1993, 77% of all executions worldwide were carried out in China. An unprecedented rise in death sentences and executions has occurred since September 1993. In China one can be put to sentenced to death for non-violet offenses such as embezzlement and theft.In 1993, 2564 people were sentenced to death in China. At least 1419 of them were known to have been executed. ==Releasing and Providing an acceptable accounting for Prisoners of Conscience People in the People's Republic of China continues to be detained and sentenced for expressing or pursuing political views or religious activities. While a few releases have been reported, many more prisoners of conscience continue to serve long sentences, including many famous Tiananmen Square movement dissidents serving 7, 13, 15 and 20 years. Some of those released, including Democracy Wall-era dissidents, have been re- arrested, or been given only conditional release, subject to continued surveillance, restriction of movement and suspension of political rights. One recently released prisoner has stated that his release is only a cosmetic gesture. as long as his colleagues remain in detention and others were arrested even as he was released. Some of the prisoners of conscience still serving long sentences include: Chen Zeming, Bao Tong, Zhang Jie, Jiao Zhijin, Ren Wanding, Liu Gang, Zhang JIngsheng, and Ngawang Phulchung. Those detained in the past and re-arrested in 1993-94 include Wei Jingsheng, Zhou Yang and Xu Wenli. Li Guiren, 50, was rearrested in Xian on February 16, 1994 and is in very poor health, with a serious heart condition. Numerous people associated with post 1989 pro-democracy and human rights activity have been arrested within the last year. Zheng Xuguang, Ma Shaohua, Qin Yongmin and Zhou Gouqiang were arrested in connection with the "Peace Charter" calling for democratic reforms. Zheng Xuguang was released in February 25, 1994 after three months in detention without charge, the others still remain in custody. In Tibet, heavy handed repression of the right to peaceful assembly and expression has led to continued arrests of peaceful demonstrators. From April to July 1993 alone 107 Tibetans were reportedly detained for their involvement in support of dissidents in Tibet or for taking part in independence protests. Eleven nuns aged 19 to 24 were arrested on June 14 and given sentences ranging from two to seven years. A continuing crackdown of religious activity has added to the untold numbers of people detained for the peaceful practice of their religious beliefs. Amnesty has received detailed information that more than 30 Protestant preachers and Catholic leaders are reported to have been detained or placed under restrictions in various places in China between mid-1993 and March 1994 alone. The U.S. government submitted to Chinese officials a list of some 250 political prisoners and 1-7 Tibetans seeking an accounting of their status. The returned list was substantially a repeat of an earlier list and new information was extremely limited. The promised list of 107 Tibetan Prisoners has yet to been returned. Neither of these figures adequately reflect the thousands of prisoners who remain unaccounted for. ==Ensuring humane treatment of prisoners Although the International Committee for the Red Cross has entered into negotiations with the Chinese government to allow a mission into China, it remains highly uncertain whether the visit will take place. Amnesty International has made repeated requests over the past decades to undertake a human rights mission to China and to date these requests have remained unanswered. Amnesty International has documented widespread violations of international standards of humane treatment of prisoners in China over the past year. Well-documented ill-treatment includes the detention of political prisoners in mental hospitals, including forced drug regimes and denial of medical care to prisoners, both for chronic medical conditions and for injuries sustained as a result of torture and ill=treatment by prison guards. Torture continues to be extensive and severe throughout China and Tibet. Methods of torture include beatings; being burnt with cigarettes; assaults with electric batons or stun guns; use of handcuffs, shackles and chains, often with tightening devices to compress the flesh, for long periods of time; suspension be the arms of feet; use of the "shackle board", by which a prisoner's hands and feet are handcuffed to the four corners of a wide board and left there for long periods (several cases have been reported of prisoners who were left shackled the board continuously for several months, with some becoming mentally disturbed as a result); confinement in dark or food; exposure to extreme heat or cold; prolonged solitary confinement; and force- feeding of prisoners on huger strike. CONCLUSION The government of the People's Republic of China continues of arresting and detaining citizens for the no-violent expression of their political and religious beliefs, and has not ended the widespread practice of torture and cruel, inhuman degrading treatment of prisoners in China's thousands of police stations. jails, prisons, reform-through-labor camps, and reeducation- through-labor camps. ********************************************************************* * IFCSS Headquarters Office * *-------------------------------------------------------------------* * President: Lin Changsheng Vice President: Shi Heping * * Exec. Director: Liu Xiaozhu Chief of Staff: Huang Songyun * *-------------------------------------------------------------------* * PBS-L is IFCSS's news distribution list for individuals. 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