U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley is chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), a body set up in 2000 to monitor Chinas compliance with worldwide human rights standards, to promote the development of guideline of law in China, and to maintain a list of victims of human rights abuses in China. He spoke with Carmen Wu of RFAs Cantonese Service in Wednesday about the #OlympicPrisoner social networks job highlighting cases of political prisoners drawn from the CECCs Political Prisoner Database throughout the Feb. 4-18 Beijing Winter Olympics. The senator from Oregon likewise discussed human rights developments in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and other parts of China in the year given that he took control of the helm of the bipartisan CECC. The interview has been modified for length.
RFA: Can you discuss how the CECC developed the #OlympicPrisoner social networks project?.
Merkley: Its of terrific concern that the Winter Olympics are being held in China, and China is using the glamour and allure of Olympic gold to distract attention from their dreadful human rights abuses, abuses that consist of the enslavement of the Uyghur ethnic neighborhood, definitely the treatment of Tibet, the squashing of political rights in Hong Kong and the treatment of reporters, human rights attorneys and other advocates. And specifically, the Olympic detainee task includes highlighting some 60 people representing all aspects of that injustice.
RFA: I observed that there are a lot of retweets on the post about Hong Kong political detainees like Joshua Wong. It has actually been retweeted more than 400 times.
Merkley: We definitely do have a considerable Hong Kong diaspora that is assisting to brighten the loss of rights and the battle for those human rights and liberty of journalism in Hong Kong. The crackdowns recently have required that for the first time, the Congressional Executive Commission on China includes Hong Kong political prisoners on the commissions political detainee database. I never thought I d see the day when that would be necessary, however that is the sad truth now. And even as we advocate for those who are presently apprehended, we require to protect those who are getting away persecution. Its why Im dealing with my colleagues to open humanitarian pathways for individuals of Hong Kong to discover safe sanctuary in the United States, safe sanctuary in other places.
RFA: How did you decide which 60 cases to be highlighted from the database?
Merkley: We have more than 10,000 files, and over 2,000 of those people because database are presently in jail. Therefore it has actually grown considerably as Chinas abuse has grown substantially. We have a professional, nonpartisan staff, so this is Democrats and Republicans working together to supply as representative sample as possible. And so they selected cases of Hongkongers, Uyghurs, Tibetans, supporters for religious flexibility, human rights legal representatives who have been apprehended and locked up, journalists, ecological advocates, civil society, femaless rights defenders and workers rights protectors.
RFA: The Olympics are right around the corner. What message do you wish to inform the U.S. athletes competing in Beijing about the situation in China?
Merkley: I say to the professional athletes, if youre conscious of the situations in China, you will do a great service to the world if you draw attention to them while youre at the games. The protection of the International Olympic Committee has actually now guaranteed to provide you to speak up on behalf of the Uyghur neighborhood, the Tibetans, the imprisoned human rights legal representatives, put behind bars journalists, the crushing of rights in Hong Kong.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley is chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), a body set up in 2000 to keep an eye on Chinas compliance with global human rights standards, to promote the development of rule of law in China, and to maintain a list of victims of human rights abuses in China. Merkley: Its of great concern that the Winter Olympics are being held in China, and China is utilizing the glamour and glamor of Olympic gold to distract attention from their horrific human rights abuses, abuses that include the enslavement of the Uyghur ethnic neighborhood, definitely the treatment of Tibet, the squashing of political rights in Hong Kong and the treatment of journalists, human rights lawyers and other supporters. Merkley: We certainly do have a substantial Hong Kong diaspora that is helping to illuminate the loss of rights and the battle for those human rights and flexibility of the press in Hong Kong. And so they chose cases of Hongkongers, Uyghurs, Tibetans, advocates for religious liberty, human rights legal representatives who have been detained and locked up, journalists, environmental supporters, civil society, ladiess rights protectors and workers rights protectors.
The defense of the International Olympic Committee has now assured to provide you to speak up on behalf of the Uyghur community, the Tibetans, the put behind bars human rights lawyers, imprisoned reporters, the squashing of rights in Hong Kong.
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