Sweden: The European Union Conference on Human Rights Urges China to Improve Human Rights

From the 6th to the 7th of November, a conference on Human Rights run by the European Council was held in Stockholm, Sweden.

This year is the sixtieth anniversary of the birth of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, however, according to a Reporters without Borders report, Eutelsat closed down New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV)’s broadcast to mainland China in June this year. Eutelsat used 'technical problems' as an excuse, but the truth is that the decision is due to the satellite company yielding to political pressure from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). On the issue of human rights under the rule of the CCP, some representatives who attended the conference accepted interviews.

Thomas Hammarberg, an administrative commissioner in charge of Human Rights in the European Council, accepted an interview

Thomas Hammarberg thought that the current situation of human rights in China has not connected with the philosophy of the United Nations Convention on Human Rights. He said, “I do hope that China has recognised not only the United Nations Economic and Social Conventions, but also the conventions of civil rights and political rights in order to protect freedom of speech and expression of different opinions and fully protect the freedom of religious belief and so on."

He expressed his criticism of Eutelsat's act: “I think it is absolutely very basic and essential for the free flow of information. It is because of the free flow of information that will reveal what problems are emerging in certain places. If it is not allowed for people to say anything, problems will be hidden. Today, experience around the world has shown that in those countries who allow the freedom of information, the situation of human rights is comparatively better. Therefore, it belongs to human rights and is to protect the human rights of other people.”

Bill Barker, Chairman of International Organisation of Human Rights in Australia also accepted an interview

Bill Barker also thought that there are many human rights restrictions in China. When he visited China, he was prohibited from talking about a series of topics such as the report of removing organs from live Falun Gong practitioners. He said, “Such a severe persecution of human rights should be immediately stopped by the government without the need to train people not to do this!”

Bill Barker also added, “I am very worried. Western media companies are fully aware of the importance of the freedom of speech, what worries us is that they even help the persecution of human rights when they increase their profits while trading with China!”