Beijing tightens pressure on human rights activists

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) criticizes the verbal attacks of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs against the Uyghur human rights activist Dolkun Isa – who lives in Germany – as “unfounded and defamatory”. At a press conference on Thursday, the ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, claimed there was a search warrant against the chairman of the executive committee of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress (WUC), based on allegations of him committing several attacks, murders and robberies, as well as for “supporting terrorism”. “China’s strategy is perfidious: In the country itself, human rights activists are systematically silenced by imprisonment, and there are attempts to silence human rights defenders living abroad by criminalizing them and by restricting their freedom to travel,” said Ulrich Delius, the STP’s Asia-consultant, in Göttingen on Wednesday. “Isa would never have become a German citizen, if the allegations of the Ministry were well founded. We have known him for several years – and have deep respect for his peaceful commitment for the Uyghur people and their human rights.”

China’s government is deliberately trying to label Uyghur human rights activists as terrorists ever since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in the United States. The Chinese authorities are especially concerned about Dolkun Isa and the WUC, the world’s most important self-representation of the Uyghur people in exile. The organization regularly publishes critical reports on the human rights situation in the region of East Turkestan/Xinjiang, which is difficult for journalists to access. Several Chinese authorities in Germany have demanded the WUC-office to be closed down – and an expulsion of its employees to China. However, both the constitution protection and the state police confirmed that the WUC and its employees are respecting the German constitution.

China has also contacted the United Nations, trying to prevent Isa’s registration for NGO-participation in meetings of the UN Human Rights Council. The Chinese authorities are also systematically trying to restrict his freedom of travel and freedom of movement. When, due to pressure from China, Isa was refused entry into South Korea in September 2009, Beijing had tried to have him extradited to China – but in vain.

On occasion of the presentation of its annual report on Tuesday, the renowned “China Human Rights Defenders Network” emphasized that the human rights situation in China had deteriorated significantly in 2015. Last year, more than 700 human rights defenders were detained in the People's Republic for more than five days. “Isa’s case shows that Beijing is not only trying to silence human rights activists in the country itself. Activists living abroad are being intimidated and harassed as well,” said Delius.

Header Photo: © Gustavo Jeronimo via Flickr