War, Human Right and Religious Persecution
To the delegates attending the 15th United Nations’ Convention on Human Right
Dear Guests: I want to take this opportunity to make my statement---the more appalling terrorism than the war is the abuse of human life by terrorism under the cover of “peace”, and the great disaster caused by the distort of human right standards.
Since ancient times, war has become the last resort to solve disputes. Though the wars can be divided as justice or injustice, they are both characterized by killings, and the victim used to be the innocent civilians, especially the modern wars make it increasingly difficult to distinguish between the front and the back. In fact, human right is not a major concern in the wartime since lives can be deprived at any time. In theory, human right is both the product and the embodiment of peace.
However, the situation is not so simple. Under the social system of “socialism with Chinese Characteristics”, the human rights of Chinese people are deprived, but the peace is “maintained”. This “peace” is more dangerous and harmful to the human being than war. From the point of safeguarding human right and to the interests of the country under this “peace”, a swift and justice war is beneficial than this “peace”. The reason is the justice war can both save people from the sufferings, and attract the attention and sympathy of people all around the world. The tanks of “June 4” in Tiananmen Square has created this effect, though the life tolls taken in that tragedy is far fewer than any “peaceful” massacre.
Anti-war movement stemmed from the value of human lives, and the desire to avoid fear and killings of innocent people, therefore we would not have any excuses to tolerate the “national terrorism” under the cover of “peace”. The “national terrorism” has taken thousands of lives, put millions of Chinese people into the “black hole” of terror. The killers are not the masked terrorists, but the uniformed law enforcement
officers, the army in tanks, legislative officials, and the gangsters under their protections. Their purpose is to terrify Chinese people, thus CCP rulers’ privilege and corruptive life can be safeguarded. This is the so-called “Stability is of the utmost significance”.
It is apparent that the persecutors of human rights are neither the ordinary gangsters nor the Nazis leftover. They are the government under the title of “dictators of people’s rule”. Ironically, the only entity that has the credit to deliver speech in the international Human Rights’ forum and make the declaration that they will improve the human rights is also the government. The message to people is that only the killer recognized by international community has the right to speak for the killed. Moreover, the methods used by government to kill its own people is entitled “legal system”. The persons against the government is named “riots”.
When people are forced to go uprisings, the God opened the door to the Heaven for common people, thus avoid the bloody conflicts.
However, the Chinese government does not regard the religious activities as a positive force that can assuage the tensions and conflicts of society, on the contrary, they pick them up specially to persecute. Unless the followers could join the churches loyal to Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and honor the absolute leadership of CCP, they would be detained by police officers at any time. They can be persecuted in any methods that can be imagined---insult and rape, money exhortation, tortured to cripple and even to death. All these are legal under the cover of “national secrecy”. The Fascist’s style law enforcement officers do not need to worry about any legal reparation, on the contrary, they can be awarded because they truly understand and follow the religious policy of CCP.
In the past half century, never have any Chinese police been put on trial for their persecution of religion, or faced any legal consequence. When human beings have entered the 21st Century, there are still numerous religion practicers who are being detained and tortured even to death. We can put it this way, China entered the 21st Century accompanied by the unprecedented religious persecution. How appalling this fact is! Let us start the struggle for human right in China in the 21st century!
The concept of human right has evolved into 21st century. Any abuse of human right and assimilation of human lives should be condemned. The justice is being sought---the war criminals are being punished based on the international law, all kinds of terrorists are hiding and on the run to save their lives. However, it seems the justice against the terrorists who have taken over the power and established their government has not been sought. An popular excuse is this abuse of human right is the cost to maintain the stability of a country (China) of such huge population. According to this theory, to safeguard the stability of this huge country, takings some lives of dangerous people are reasonable and legal.
For this reason, when the anti-war demonstration is held all around the world, Jiang Zemin, the president of China does not miss the opportunity to appeal to “solve the disputes within the framework of the United Nations”. What does he mean? Does he really mean to respect the authority of the United Nations? I do not think so. His true purpose is to imply that the abuse of human right by Chinese government is in agreement with the norms of United Nations. However, we believe Jiang Zemin is miscalculating. The United Nations’ hard work is an important reason for the great improvement of human rights in past decades.
Today, at the sunny lake shore of Geneva Lake, at this birthplace and holy land of modern human right, and at this palace of human right convention, we Chinese are appealing to all of you delegates: The most populous nation on the earth are eager to get your support and sympathy in their hard struggle for their basic human rights. They appeal you to look at the truth and voice of the persecuted covered by the official statement of Chinese government.
We pray that human beings can be free from the terror caused by both war and the covered “peace”. We pray for the peace of those souls persecuted to death. We urge all delegates can join us in appealing for justice from your conscience. We pray the Chinese people, who are 20 percent of the whole population on the earth can live under the common norms.
Shixiong Li
The President of the Committee for Investigation on Persecution of Religion in China
March 17, 2003, New York