NORWEGIAN DETAILS ON POSSIBLE BERN PROCESS MEMBERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 001195 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2016 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL CH NO SUBJECT: NORWEGIAN DETAILS ON POSSIBLE BERN PROCESS MEMBERS DEMARCHE IN BEIJING REF: A. STATE 155944 ¶B. OSLO 1180 Classified By: DCM Kevin Johnson, reason 1.4 (b) and (d) (C) Odd Magne Ruud, Special Advisor on the Bern Process and former diplomat in both Washington and Beijing, added details to the earlier information reported in Reftel B that Norway is very engaged in the Bern process. He explained that Norway would like to see more use of the group to pressure China on human rights violations and supports US efforts to pressure China on human rights. However, the GON does not support engaging in a joint demarche as requested in Reftel A, as they just recently did a joint demarche with the Swiss in Beijing that included many of the points that the US wishes to raise. Specifically, on 8 September, the Norwegian and Swiss DCMs in a demarche officially condemned Chinese violations of human rights in the cases of five people (spelling as provided by GON): Zheng Enchong (attorney),Chen Guangcheng (attorney),Gao Zhisheng (attorney),Zhao Yan (journalist for NY Times),and Ching Cheong (Strait Times journalist). Additionally, the GON raised the situation of Rebiya Kadeer's family to the Chinese Embassy in Oslo on 30 August, in anticipation of her visit to Norway later this year. As noted in Reftel B, she is one of the anticipated nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize. The Chinese Embassy has not officially responded and the GON will follow-up on their previous inquiry this week. WHITNEY