(Clearwisdom.net) The Taiwan Legislative Council passed a resolution on December 7, 2010. This resolution urges the government to deny visas to Chinese officials and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials who severely violate human rights. It also requests the Taiwan government to notify all county and city offices not to invite, welcome, or greet these human rights violators. Many Hong Kong democratic leaders and council members welcomed and praised the passing of this resolution. They also called on other governments all over the world to take similar action to stop the CCP from further violating human rights.
Urging More Governments to Follow
Chan Wai-yip, member of Hong Kong Legislative Council, said this resolution is very special. He praised the Taiwan Legislative Council for setting a good example by passing this important resolution. Chan said, “This sends a powerful message to the international community as well as the central government in Mainland China. That is, one cannot continually postpone or ignore human rights issues. In fact, any government that respects human rights should step forward and clearly demonstrate their attitude on this topic.”
Chan called on other countries to follow Taiwan in this initiative. He also gave an example, “After World War II ended, many war criminals were hiding in various countries. In the end, they were wanted worldwide. Violating human rights is indeed a crime despised by the international community. Therefore, I encourage other nations to follow this effort led by the Taiwan government.”
Chan feels the regime will face increased pressure. “International organizations and governments in various countries should continue the momentum of safeguarding basic human rights. By taking actions like this, we are sending a strong, clear message to the CCP's central government that the basic human rights issues in Mainland China can no longer be ignored.”
Chan regretfully noted, “The Legislative Council of Hong Kong does not operate independently. Instead, it has to comply with the basic agreement between Hong Kong and Mainland China. Moreover, the functional constituency system makes it impossible for the Legislative Council of Hong Kong to fully represent their citizens' voice.” He continued, “If Hong Kong had a general public-based council that has legislative power, I believe its members would follow Taiwan's lead and propose a similar resolution that highlights commitment to human rights.”
Resolution Unprecedented in Taiwan History
Council member Leung Yiu-chung agreed on the significant impact of this unprecedented endeavor in Taiwan. He said, “Taiwan council members made a joint effort to let the international community know that they do not welcome human rights violators, especially those from Mainland China, and will not tolerate their presence in Taiwan. I think this is a very good start. From this, we can sense the strong urge in Mainland China to stop the continued persecution committed by the central government there.”
In recent years, the international community has been paying increased attention to the human rights situation in Mainland China. Leung thinks that Hong Kong, which has the same “one country, two system” policy with China as Taiwan, should step forward and send a clear message to CCP officials to improve human rights. He said, “The criticism is not only coming from overseas, but also from inside China. If CCP leaders continue to ignore it, sooner or later they will pay the price.”
Szeto Wah: Support Lawsuit Against CCP Persecutors
Szeto Wah, chairman of The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, agrees that the international community needs to take legal action against the CCP's human rights abusers. He said, “I think that wherever these officials go, we should take such action. These lawsuits will expose their persecution against Falun Gong practitioners, as well as other victims.”
Prior to International Human Rights Day, seven counties or cities in Taiwan had passed resolutions with the same content as the one passed by the Taiwan Legislative Council. Chu Wan-chi, spokesperson for the Falun Gong human rights team of lawyers, said that ongoing efforts have continued, urging all counties and cities to pass this resolution. She also calls on other countries to take similar actions. Chu said, “The international community should stand up and, based on its citizens' voice, join together to stop the CCP from the continuing the tragedy of persecuting human rights on such a large scale.”
