Chen Guangcheng pressures the EU on 'secret' human rights talks with China
The European Union must go public with the results of human rights talks with China’s leaders, and publish its own list of people known to be suffering repression and persecution, Chen Guangcheng, the exiled Chinese dissident has demanded.
Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng Photo: AP
By Bruno Waterfield, Brussels 6:43PM BST 19 May 2013
The blind human rights lawyer, who caused an international incident last year when he escaped house arrest and took refuge in the US embassy in Beijing, wants Western leaders to be more straightforward about their dealings with China so that the public can hold them to account.
Mr Chen, who was allowed to leave China for the US one year ago, spoke to The Daily Telegraph in Brussels, where he warned of a new wave of repression in his home country.
He urged European leaders to be firmer and more open about diplomatic negotiations, which are usually focused on trade, before an EU-China “human rights dialogue” in Beijing next month.
“It is a good idea to publish the list of human rights defenders facing persecution so the public can ask what is going on,” he said. “I do not think we should do human rights in secret."
He continued: "The Chinese authorities try and pretend that they don't care about the highlighting of human right abuses but they do care. It is a responsibility to do this. If it is not pursued more actively the situation will go backwards."
Lotte Leicht, the director of Human Rights Watch’s EU office, backed his call, saying: “The EU has a list that it hands over to Chinese counterparts every year. Everyone should know who is on that list. ”
Edward McMillan-Scott MEP, a vice president of the European Parliament, who hosted Brussels talks with Mr Chen, said: "Politicians can give a voice to the voiceless and hope to those without hope. They can also instil fear in the fearless. Accountability is the watchword today."
At the end of June, Stavros Lambrinidis, the former MEP appointed by Baroness Ashton, the EU foreign minister, as special European envoy for human rights, holds his first talks in Beijing at a time when Sino-European relations are dominated by trade concerns amid a global economic slowdown.
"The situation will get even worse if the attention is on trade alone while ignoring the worsening abuses," said Mr Chen. "I hope during the visit he sticks to the principle of human rights protection and this immediately translates into solutions in China. I also have a specific request for him to go to Beijing and to ask Chinese leaders whether they are still ready to keep promises that they will protect the safety of my family members."
Since Mr Chen escaped China his family have faced persecution and beatings, and his nephew was sentenced to more than three years in prison for defending himself against officials who attacked the family’s home.
“We recently learned he developed acute, life threatening appendicitis, very serious and he was denied proper treatment,” said Mr Chen. “So when the EU envoy visits China, I want him to clearly demand the release of Chen Kegui and for him to be provided medical care.”
A spokesman for Baroness Ashton, the EU foreign minister, said that diplomats had last week issued a "demarche" to the Chinese foreign ministry asking for Mr Chen's nephew "to be released from prison in order to receive appropriate medical care".
"The EU brings up the names of priority human rights defenders in difficulties during its human rights dialogues and directly with the Chinese authorities in Beijing. Mr Chen Guangchen's nephew is amongst them," said a spokesman.
