Taiwanese legal associations and human rights groups yesterday accused the Chinese Supreme People’s Procuratorate of turning a blind eye to abuses against human rights lawyers.
“It’s not just that China does not meet international standards — it does not even measure up to its own standards in its criminal code,” Taiwanese Lawyers Network for the Support of Chinese Human Rights deputy convener John Wei (魏千峰) said in Taipei.
The Chinese Supreme People’s Procuratorate earlier this week rejected a petition by several relatives of lawyers, which called for it to file charges against the security services and prosecutors over legal breaches in their handling of the lawyers’ cases.
Many Chinese lawyers have been arrested since July last year as part of an official crackdown on the “rights protection” movement.
“According to the criminal code, you are supposed to allow the relatives hire a lawyer when someone is arrested, but what has actually happened is that no one knows where the lawyers are, or the family’s lawyer is not permitted to speak with them, or the government requires that they be represented by a government-appointed attorney,” Wei said.
Family members have also been put under surveillance or house arrest in violation of the criminal code, he said.
Activists showed a video in which the wives of arrested lawyers Li Heping (李和平), Xie Yanyi (謝燕益) and Wang Quanzhang (王全璋) said they had been forced to move house and threatened that their children would not be allowed to attend school.
“Only a government which has no faith in itself would resort to these kinds of methods,” said Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女), who chairs the legislature’s human rights caucus, accusing the Chinese government of putting pressure on family members to compensate for the weakness of its criminal charges.
Taipei Bar Association human rights committee chairman Wang Lung-kuan (王龍寬) said the Chinese government this month announced amendments to the regulations governing legal firms, requiring them to curb the activities of any “rights protection” lawyers they employ.
“They have now moved beyond the courtroom to seek total control over what lawyers can do, banning them from supporting protests or signing petitions,” Wang said.
Wei said that China is unique in revoking the licenses of lawyers who become the subject of official displeasure.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS