HUMAN RIGHTS ARE UNIVERSAL CHINA CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN AN EXCEPTION

HUMANRIGHTS ARE UNIVERSAL – CHINA CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN AN EXCEPTION

Chinese,Uighur & Tibetan Solidarity UK calls on the Chinese Communist Party torespect and uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Today seesthe 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Thislandmark charter recognised that “equal and inalienable rights” for“all members of the human family” was vital to ensuring freedom,justice and peace in the world. For many of us, these fundamental human andcivil rights are the benchmark by which we live. For millions of people livingin China, East Turkestan and Tibet under Chinese Communist Party rule, theyremain a dream. The People’s Republic of China continues to flagrantlyshow utter disregard for  basic human and civil rights and openly floutthe Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It isshameful that world governments stand by and tacitly accept the atrociously lowregard shown by the Chinese government for human and civil rights of themillions of people under its rule. Instead of making human rights a core partof any engagement with China, human rights dialogues are more often conductedthrough bi-lateral talks and piecemeal initiatives. This in itself does notshow real commitment by world governments to the fundamental importance ofhuman rights, instead they are insidiously sidelined. This is a dangerouspolicy and will ultimately lead to a diminishment in the standards of humanrights throughout the world.

TheDeclaration said the highest aspiration of the common people is “a worldin which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom fromfear and want.” Governments must stand by this aspiration; they mustspeak out and integrate human rights in all aspects of their engagement withChina. China must be motivated to understand that respecting and adhering tothe Universal Declaration of Human Rights will effect change for the bettermentand harmony of its people.

10DECEMBER 2009, HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: JOINT STATEMENT BY CHINESE, UIGHUR & TIBETAN SOLIDARITY UK

In one of themost significant achievements of the 20th century, on 10 December 1948 theUnited Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of HumanRights. This enshrined “the recognition of the inherent dignity and ofthe equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is thefoundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”. The Republic ofChina was one of the main participant countries that worked on the Declaration.Shamefully, under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, the People’sRepublic of China has shown little respect for or adherence to the fundamentalprinciples and universal values of the Declaration. Today, 61 years on,millions of people living under the autocratic and oppressive rule of theChinese regime suffer gross human rights violations and abuses.

However thepeople have had enough of suffering in silence.

Exactly oneyear ago, to commemorate the 60th Human Rights Day, scholars and human rightsdefenders inside People’s Republic of China published "Charter08", that demanded human rights, freedom and democracy. This year Tibetansinside Tibet and around the world commemorated 50 years of Tibetan resistanceto China’s rule, and in July a Uighur demonstration was held in Urumqicalling for an end to racial discrimination.

Today, as wereach another Human Rights Day, we echo the demands of those brave citizensinside the People’s Republic of China, and call for the Chinesegovernment to observe the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed 61years ago.

We urge theChinese government to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and PoliticalRights and to change its domestic laws to conform with the standards asestablished in the Covenant. We call on the international community to standup, speak out and uphold the universality and integrity of human rights andensure the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains the standard by whichworld citizens can expect to live by.

Chinese,Uighur & Tibetan Solidarity UK

10 December2009

Chinese,Uighur & Tibetan Solidarity UK is made up of the following organisations:

ChineseSolidarity Campaign

Federationfor Democratic China

Friends ofTiananmen Mothers

TibetanCommunity in Britain

Tibet Society

Tibetan YouthUK

Students fora Free Tibet UK

Uighur Association

UighurCommunity UK

Chinese,Uighur & Tibetan Solidarity UK opposes the tyrannical rule of the ChineseCommunist Party and upholds the values of freedom, human rights and democracy.

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Forbackground / further information contact:

Shao Jiang,student organiser at the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests,

Tel: 07961948 852; Email: t.shaojiang@gmail.com

Enver Tohti,Chairman of the Uighur Association and UK representative of the World UighurCongress,

Tel: 07950674 306; Email: etbugda@gmail.com

KarmaChura-Tsang, Director of Tibetan Youth UK,

Tel: 07725501 995; Email: karma@tibetanyouthuk.org

Vigil on10 December

PeacefulProtest & Candle-lit Vigil

Time: 6:00pmto 7:45pm

Location: OppositeChinese Embassy,49-51 Portland Place, London W1B 1JL

For moreinformation see Facebook page – search for Chinese, Uighur & TibetanSolidarity UK or email cuts.uk@googlemail.com