France: David Kilgour Raises Awareness about China’s Worsening Human Rights Situation at a Press Conference

On January 11th, 2007, a seminar was held at the French Senate entitled “What Is Peace? How to Achieve Peace?” David Kilgour, former Canadian Secretary of State for Asia Pacific, delivered a speech at the seminar. He talked about many of China’s current human rights problems, stating that China’s human rights situation was deteriorating.

David Kilgour, the Government of Canada’s former Secretary of State for Asia Pacific

Mr. Kilgour stated, “China had promised to improve human rights when it was applying to host the Olympic Games. But when it comes to respect for human rights, China’s behaviour runs counter to its previous promise. Take Gao Zhisheng for example. He and his family have been subjected to torture. We should have more governments and NGOs realise this problem. If we make continued efforts, there will be many people from now until 2008 deciding not to attend the Olympic Games held in China. The Chinese communist regime did nothing to improve China’s human rights.”

The seminar held in the French Senate functions efficiently to further inform people of the facts. Senators come to understand that basic elements of the problem are related to the problems within the Chinese communist regime. Now changes are being brought to the French senators, media and NGOs. They eagerly want to understand what is happening in China,” continued Mr. Kilgour.

The seminar was sponsored by the France-based Action for Human Rights Association and co-sponsored by the United Nations Regional Information Centre, the French National Human Rights Advisory Committee, the New Tang Dynasty TV and the Swiss based Sound of Hope Radio. Partners of the seminar were such NGOs as: France-Israel Association, Lawyers without Borders, CILAME, the UN NGO Committee, the Association Solidarite Chine, Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, and the Association of World Citizens.

Those invited to deliver a speech at the seminar were as follows: Mr. Bugada from the United Nations Regional Information Centre, general secretary of the French National Human Rights Advisory Committee Mr. Michel Forest, chair of Lawyers without Borders, Lawyer Mr.Goldnadel, the former director of Radio France International Chinese programmes, Mr. Wu Baozhang, a sinologist and the president of the Association Solidarite Chine, Mrs. Holzman, chair of the French Falun Gong Association Mr. Tang Hanlong and the chair of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Mr. Michel Taube.