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NGOs Representative of China for ECOSOC Discusses
Report of the Committee on Non-governmental Organizations
Application of Human Rights in China (HRIC)
for Consultative Status
1999 Session (1-18 June 1999)
The representative of China made the following statement:
"The Chinese delegation has carefully read the application submitted by Human Rights in China (HRIC) and has studied the case of this organization from many angles. Based on our understanding of the case, we believe that HRIC is not qualified for any form of consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, chiefly for the following reasons:
"1. HRIC is a New York-based organization founded in March 1989, whose members are all living outside China. Why, we wonder, has such a non-governmental organization taken so intense an interest in the human rights situation in China? Why has it shown no concern for the human rights situation in the country where the overwhelming majority of its members now reside?
"2. The overwhelming majority of the members of HRIC have never set foot on Chinese soil. And, though some of its members have, indeed, come from China, yet they have not gone back to China even once in recent years. Because of their total ignorance of the realities in China, they are totally disqualified to make any comments on the human rights situation in my country. What the organization has been up to since its establishment is not providing the Chinese authorities with bona fide suggestions and observations. Rather, it is bent on collecting so-called information based on hearsay, even lending credit to, concocting and disseminating rumours, and using them as a basis to launch unjustifiable attacks on the Chinese Government.
"3. Among members of the Board of Directors of that organization are criminals who have been duly punished by judicial organs, criminals who have fled the country but have remained on the wanted list of the Chinese Government, and prisoners who, because of their physical conditions, have been granted medical paroles. The so-called human rights activities they are engaged in have all been born out of their personal vendetta against the Chinese Government and have nothing whatsoever to do with the human rights of the Chinese people in general.
"4. So far, HRIC has done nothing practical to improve or promote human rights in China. Despite its alleged goal of promoting and improving the human rights situation in China, the organization has never made any practical effort towards improving the human rights of the Chinese people other than attacking and maligning the Chinese Government.
"China is now in a critical period of reform, openness and economic development and relentless efforts are being made by the Chinese Government and the people of China as a whole to achieve these goals. Since HRIC claims to be dedicated to the realization of human rights for the Chinese people, I would like to ask then: What work has that organization done for the realization of the civil and political rights among the Chinese people? Nothing! And what work has it done to improve the economic, social and cultural rights among the Chinese people? Nothing, either!
"Last year, China was hit by the greatest flood in more than a hundred years and suffered economic losses that totalled over 20 billion dollars, with an affected population of 20 million. While many Governments, non-governmental organizations, civil societies and individuals offered their sympathies to the Chinese people and provided as much humanitarian assistance as was within their power, HRIC did not give one cent to support the Chinese people in their battle against the disaster.
"The right to life is the core of all human rights. Last May, when the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia was bombed, our diplomatic personnel suffered grave losses in human lives and property. Many heads of State and Government, civil societies and individuals expressed just indignation and condemnation for the bombing incident as well as condolences and sympathies to the surviving families of the victims. And, yet, this organization that claims to devote itself to the improvement and promotion of human rights in China remained indifferent and aloof, without saying a word about this act of atrocity perpetrated against its fellow countrymen.
"5. HRIC is closely linked to the secessionists in Tibet and has regularly participated in the activities of Tibetan secessionist organizations. According to the World Journal, a Chinese newspaper with a considerable circulation in North America, Mr. Xiao Qiang, Executive Director of HRIC, took part in a rally organized by Tibetan secessionists in front of the United Nations premises last March and made a speech there, in which he advocated independence for Tibet, thus openly engaging himself in an act to split up a sovereign State. "These facts have proved that HRIC is essentially not a 'non-governmental organization'; rather, it is a political group whose goal is to overthrow the legitimate Government of a Member State of the United Nations. I believe that no Member State will support a political organization aimed at overthrowing the legitimate Government of China, unless that Member State harbours the same secret intent. Everything that organization has done and is doing runs counter to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. As such, it fails to meet the criteria set forth in Council resolution 1996/31, and the Committee must reject its application. "In view of the very nature of HRIC and the activities it engages in, we are firmly opposed to granting it any form of consultative status with the Council. We hope that this meeting will decide by consensus to reject its application."
25. Subsequently, at the same meeting, the representative of China made the following statement:
"We have listened carefully to the statements by the preceding delegations as well as the very long 'report' given by the organization. Now, the information and facts about Human Rights in China are very clear. Facts show that Human Rights in China is not a non-governmental organization which concerns itself with the human rights situation in China, but a politically motivated organization with the purpose of overthrowing the legitimate Government of a Member State of the United Nations. What deserves special attention is that the organization is involved in the secessionist activities against China. The activities of this organization clearly run counter to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and the articles of Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31, which clearly states that non-governmental organizations should not engage in activities 'contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including unsubstantiated or politically motivated acts against Member States of the United Nations'. The facts are very obvious, and we cannot understand why the United States delegation insists on supporting an organization which aims at overthrowing the Chinese Government.
"In view of the above, we believe that the Committee should safeguard the solemnity of the Charter of the United Nations and Council resolution 1996/31 by taking immediate action to reject the application of Human Rights in China for consultative status."
26. After the deliberations, the representative of China requested a vote on that delegation's proposal not to recommend consultative status to Human Rights in China. The proposal was adopted by a roll-call vote of 13 to 3, with 2 abstentions. The voting was as follows:
In favour: Algeria, Bolivia, China, Colombia, Cuba, Ethiopia, India, Lebanon, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey.
Against: France, Ireland, United States of America.
Abstaining: Chile, Romania.
27. After the proposal was adopted, the following statement was made by the representative of the United States of America:
"June 4, 1999 - a sad date - the tenth anniversary of the events in Tiananmen Square, which remain unexplained, and also a date we shall recall as one on which this Committee chose to overlook not just the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, but also the recent significant piece of human rights legislation - the Defenders Declaration. Today, this Committee chose to deny accreditation to a non-governmental organization which embodies and advances these objectives, despite the fact that this non-governmental organization meets all the technical criteria which this Committee is mandated to examine. I would like to emphasize, once again, that my Government in no way questions the sovereignty of China; we do, however, question this decision of the Committee." eting, on 8 June, the Committee took note of a communication from the Korean Women's Development Institute informing the Committee that it wished to withdraw its application for consultative status.
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