China’s progress is there for all to see, yet there are areas in which China is not only not progressing but rather receding. Indeed, China is on the wane when it comes for instance to the respect of human rights. I expect that the violation of human rights in China comes as no surprise to many of you as this topic has wide media coverage. Still, have you ever wondered how and if the current Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated this already precarious condition?
WHERE IT ALL STARTED
The first Covid-19 case was detected in China in mid-November2019 in Wuhan. At that point in time, China was the most affectedcountry by the coronavirus outbreak, resulting in a series of precautions to constraint its spread. However, some of the precautions adopted did not take into account personal freedoms, so one may ask if the severity of the situation and the protection of human health can justify the limitation and, to some extent, the total negation of these fundamental rights.
The initial step implemented by the Chinese government was to hide sensitive information from the public, leading to widespread misinformation and to the censoring of online debates and media reports on what was happening in the epicenter of the pandemic. Additionally, the government attempted to bypass international investigations on the origin of the virus. Thus, since the beginning of the pandemic, we can already observe an increasing government control over the press, a distortion of crucial information, and the limitation of the freedom of expression.
In the areas most affected by the virus, the Chinese government did not “just” neglect the freedom of expression, but it went far beyond. Indeed, people were obliged to take traditional Chinese medicine and the ones who tested positive were locked up in their apartments with iron bars on their doors. The treatment was even harsher for the ones who tried to violate the lockdown measures as they were chained to metal fences.
The chaos of the pandemic also witnessed an increase in racist incidents and the mistreatment of minorities. This particularly applied to the African community in Guangzhou where many African inhabitants were forced to get tested and were kicked out of their houses, having to sleep on the streets. Furthermore, hotels, restaurants, and shops denied food and services to African customers. This episode is, unfortunately, not an isolated one in China, but it needs to be added to the other cases of discrimination against minorities such as the Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
THE FRAGILITY OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION DURING THE COVID CRISIS
The Covid pandemic has shed light on an issue not new to China, namely the fragility of freedom of expression. This can be demonstrated by the detention of Zhang Zhan, Fang Bin and Chen Qiushi for sharing with the world a narrative of the management of the covid crisis in China which differed from the one promoted by the government.
Zhang Zhan, a citizen journalist and former lawyer, in February,started documenting online how the covid outbreak was beingdealt with in Wuhan. Because of that, she was sentenced to four years in prison on the charge of spreading false information, giving interviews to foreign media and going against the government.
Fang Bin, a Chinese businessman, was the first citizen journalist to denounce the covid situation in Wuhan by sharing pictures and videos on WeChat and YouTube. Because of his criticism, he hasbeen arrested several times. Chen Qiushi, a former lawyer, has been detained since January for broadcasting news from the streets and hospitals of Wuhan.
LOOKING AT THE FUTURE
Based on these developments, it is safe to say that China still has a long way to go when it comes to the respect of human rights. Yet the latest international response to China’s breaches, as the decision of some brands to not sponsor the Beijing winter Olympic Games and the intention of some countries to boycott them, give a glimmer of hope for a stronger and impactful international action.
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