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“One World, One Dream” and Universal Human Rights

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“One World, One Dream” and Universal Human Rights “ONE WORLD, ONE DREAM” AND UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS An open letter proposing seven changes for upholding Olympic principles At the start of the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society con - Olympics, more than 40 mainland activists and intellec - cerned with the preservation of human dignity” tuals signed an open letter addressed to Chinese leaders (Olympic Charter, Preamble); and the international community, proposing measures to end human rights abuses and calling for the release of Taking note of the Chinese government’s official 2008 prisoners of conscience before the Olympics. Jacques Olympic theme “One World, One Dream” and the Bei - Rogge, Chair of the International Olympic Committee , jing Olympic Committee’s stated objectives of hosting was in Beijing at the time to attend a two-day ceremony an “Open, Green, and Humane Olympics”; and marking the one-year countdown, and many activists were put under close watch, while petitioners were Mindful of the growing number of questions and criti - rounded up and removed from the city. cisms in our own society and from around the world about the violations of the human rights of Chinese cit - An Open Letter to Chinese and World Leaders on the izens in the name of the Beijing Olympics; 2008 Beijing Olympics: We, the undersigned citizens of the People’s Republic of Hu Jintao, President, People’s Republic of China China, here voice our concerns and to propose changes Wu Bangguo, Chair, Standing Committee of the in the ways in which our government is handling its National People’s Congress of China preparations for the Olympics. Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of China Jacques Rogge, Chair, International Olympic Today, August 8, 2007, marks the start of the one-year Committee countdown to the 2008 Summer Olympics, a mega- Doru Romulus Costea, President, United Nations event for China and the world. We, as citizens of the Human Rights Council People’s Republic of China, ought to be feeling pride in Louise Arbour, High Commissioner, United Nations our country’s glory in hosting the Games, whose pur - Office for Human Rights poses include the symbolization of peace, friendship, Leaders of democratic states concerned about and fairness in the world community. We also ought to promoting freedom and human rights feel uplifted by the watchword chosen by the Beijing International NGOs concerned with human rights Olympic Committee: “One World, One Dream.” Members of the communities of sports, arts and entertainment, academe, and business around the Instead, we feel disappointment and doubt as we wit - world ness the continuing systematic denial of the human rights of our fellow citizens even while—and some - Respected Leaders and Fellow World Citizens: times because—Olympic preparations are moving for - ward. We hear “One World” and wonder: What kind of Upholding the fundamental principles of the Olympic world will this be? “One Dream”? Whose dream is it spirit, including “respect for universal fundamental eth - that is coming true? We are gravely concerned about the ical principles” and “the harmonious development of question of whether authorities in our country can suc - “ONE WORLD, ONE DREAM” AND UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS | 69 Photo: Reuters cessfully host the Olympic Games in an authentic privileged might be punished unjustly tomorrow if fun - Olympic spirit so that the 2008 Beijing games can damental rights are not assured today. become an event of which China and the world com - munity can be proud. The government that rules our country has pledged to the Chinese people and to the world to protect human As the one world that we share “globalizes,” lives and rights. It has acceded to obligations under numerous dreams are becoming increasingly intertwined. One international human rights conventions and treaties, person’s “world dream,” especially if it is implemented including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with unchecked power, and with endorsement from the and it has amended the Chinese constitution to include world community, can turn into misery and nightmare guarantees of human rights. for others. “One world” can still be a world where peo - ple suffer discrimination, political and religious perse - In order to avoid misunderstanding, and in order to cution, and deprivation of liberty, as well as poverty, alert the international community to un-Olympic con - genocide and war. Millions of people who survived duct that tarnishes the true spirit of the Games, we, the such miseries and disasters in the 20th century have undersigned citizens of the People’s Republic of China, come to appreciate, and to pursue, human rights. Uni - endorse the government’s Olympic slogan with the fol - versal human rights have become the bedrock concept lowing vital addition: in pursuing lasting peace, sustainable development and justice. “One World, One Dream, and Universal Human Rights. ” If “one dream” is truly to belong to all cultures and Without promoting human rights, which are the fun - communities, it must involve protection of basic rights damental principle of universal ethics in China and and liberties for all. Even the powerful, the rich and elsewhere, it is gratuitous to promote “One World.” 70 | WHOSE OLYMPICS? CHINA RIGHTS FORUM | NO. 3, 2007 Without the protection of the human rights of all Chi - join hands with us, to make the Beijing Olympics a nese citizens equally —i.e., without abolition of the turning point in China’s rise to greatness. China has the rural-urban residential control system, without an end opportunity to use the Games to build true harmony to discrimination against women and sexual, ethnic on the basis of respect for human dignity and freedom and faith minorities, and without ending the suppres - and to become a respectable member of the community sion of political dissent —it is senseless to talk about of civilized nations —not by loud rhetoric or brute “One Dream” for all of China. force, but by taking action to promote human rights at home and in the world. China’s government has promised the International Olympic Committee to “promote human rights” and In the “One World” in which we live, the dreams that has pledged to the United Nations Human Rights are coming true in China today will significantly shape Council to “uphold the highest standard of human everyone’s future. Therefore, in order to promote a suc - rights.” On paper it has taken certain steps toward cessful Olympics consistent with human rights, we pro - improving human rights —in 2003, for example, abol - pose the following measures: ishing the arbitrary detention system known as “Cus - tody and Repatriation” and in 2004 adding “human 1. Declare amnesty for all prisoners of conscience so rights protection” as an amendment to China’s consti - that they can enjoy the Olympic games in free - tution. We believe that the government should be able dom. to do much more. 2. Open China’s borders to all Chinese citizens who Little has been done, in practice, to carry out the prom - have been forced into exile for their beliefs, ises that have been made on paper. On the contrary , we expression or faith, so that they can reunite with have experienced and witnessed violations of human their loved ones and celebrate the glory of the rights many times —in press censorship and control of Olympics in their motherland; the Internet, in the persecution of human rights defenders and of people who expose environmental or 3. Implement the government ordinance to allow public health disasters, in the exploitation of poor or foreign journalists to conduct interviews and disadvantaged social groups and in retaliation against reporting without preapproval by authorities them when they protest, and even in abuses by corrupt before October 17, 2008, granting Chinese jour - officials who are involved in the construction of nalists the same access and independence. Olympic facilities and city beautification projects that are aimed to prepare for the Olympics. All of these 4. Provide fair compensation to the victims of actions violate not only international standards but forced evictions and land appropriations that provisions of the Chinese constitution as well. have been done in order to construct Olympic facilities, and release people who have been We find no consolation or comfort in the rise of detained or imprisoned (often violently) for grandiose sports facilities, or a temporarily beautified protesting or resisting such actions. Beijing city, or the prospect of Chinese athletes winning medals. We know too well how these glories are built on 5. Protect the rights of workers on all Olympic con - the ruins of the lives of ordinary people, on the forced struction sites, including their right to organize removal of urban migrants, and on the sufferings of independent labor unions; end discrimination victims of brutal land grabbing, forced eviction, against rural migrant laborers and give them fair exploitation of labor and arbitrary detention. compensation. Out of deep affection for our motherland and our sense 6. End police operations intended to intercept, of duty as citizens of the world, we will do our best, and detain or send home petitioners who try to travel urge leaders in China and in the world community to to Beijing to complain about local officials’ mis - “ONE WORLD, ONE DREAM” AND UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS | 71 conduct; abolish illegal facilities used for incar - YU Haocheng (Beijing, legal scholar) cerating, interrogating and terrorizing petition
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