China announces human rights action plan
Updated
China has published its first human rights action plan. The plan spans the next two years, with pledges to curb the torture of prisoners and boost job opportunities. International human rights organisations have welcomed the plan but are urging the Chinese government to do more.
Presenter: Lily Yan
Speaker: Liu Jingsong, human rights lawyer, Beijing; Sisi Liu, Amnesty International, Hong Kong
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YAN: The National Human Rights Action Plan, issued by the Information Office of the Chinese State Council, is the first of its kind. The government has made pledges from 'strictly controlling death penalties' to 'guaranteeing people's rights are heard'. Social unrest in China has been on the rise for months. Thousands of workers have been sacked without entitlements or forced to work without pay. Many of these desperate workers take their anger to the streets. Others have lost hope and committed suicide.
Beijing human rights lawyer Liu Jingsong is an outspoken advocate on Chinese human rights issues. He says it is this worsening situation in China that has made the Chinese government realise that it is important to protect human rights before it's too late.
LIU JINGSONG: China is facing the economy downturn like most other countries. No doubt this has caused more cases of human rights violations. The Chinese government has realised that the global financial crisis and the damage it has caused are not excuses for abusing human rights.
YAN: International Human Rights organisations have welcomed the plan. But Sisi Liu from Amnesty International in Hong Kong says the plan lacks specific targets in some of the most important areas.
SISI LIU: It would be much better if the plan has a lot more specific target and goals. I mean it does have some goals set up, for example education and environment protection, but in many other areas especially political rights it does not have specific goals set.
YAN: The announcement of the plan comes soon after a number of reports about prisoners dying in detention. At least six prisoners have reportedly died in the last two months while in detention and waiting for trial. The youngest was only 18 years of age.
Liu Jingsong says many Chinese people do not know their rights and this plan will come as a welcome help to them.
LIU JINGSONG: The Chinese media has reported this plan, all Chinese citizens know about it, so when the human rights victims fight for their rights, at least this plan, if you like, will give them one more bullet to fire.
YAN: However Liu says the document itself barely touches on the issues at the heart of the problem.
LIU JINGSONG: I always think the best way to fight corruption is to have an opposition party. Normally they are the ones who put pressure on the government. On top of that, a free media, an independent judicial system and well educated people - all these contribute to a fair society. But China lack all of them. That's why China has so many severe human rights violation issues.
YAN: Liu Jingsong is facing a human rights battle himself. The local government takes a licence fee from the lawyers every year, but it never explains how it spends the money. When Liu recently asked officials to disclose this information, his firm was shut down.
LIU JINGSONG: Right now, I am just waiting to die. But I am not going to die without a fight. I will make the most of my professional knowledge and fight the case the best I can.
YAN: Liu says that even if he himself becomes a victim of human rights abuses, the fight for rights will go on.
LIU JINGSONG: As I have said on many other occasions, we [human rights lawyers] are like the builders of a Chinese human rights mansion. Even if officials push us from the building, and we will die - and I am prepared to die - the building will not collapse. It will be there and will go on.
