Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BRUSSELS783
2009-06-05 11:05:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
USEU Brussels
Cable title:
CHINA/EU: HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE IS PRODUCTIVE,
how-toVZCZCXRO1468 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHAT RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHTRO RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHBS #0783/01 1561105 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 051105Z JUN 09 FM USEU BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 000783
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/ERA; DRL/MLGA; EAP/CM; IO/RHS; S/GC; EUR/PGI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KDRG EUN CZ CH
SUBJECT: CHINA/EU: HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE IS PRODUCTIVE,
WITH GOOD ATMOSPHERE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 000783
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/ERA; DRL/MLGA; EAP/CM; IO/RHS; S/GC; EUR/PGI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KDRG EUN CZ CH
SUBJECT: CHINA/EU: HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE IS PRODUCTIVE,
WITH GOOD ATMOSPHERE
1. (SBU) Summary: The EU troika held its annual EU-China
Human Rights Dialogue on May 14 in Prague. EU participants
found the atmosphere to be more positive and productive on
most issues than at the last dialogue in December 2008 in
Beijing.
2. (SBU) The EU held legal seminars in Prague two days
before the main dialogue meeting. These sessions, which
European and (officially approved) Chinese NGOs attended,
focused on the right to health, and access to justice.
3. (SBU) The dialogue itself lasted 6-7 hours and took place
in Prague. China warned the EU of unspecified serious
consequences if any EU Member State resettled Uighurs from
Guantanamo Bay. China declined to hear an EU pitch for it to
sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture
(OPCAT),but later, during a field trip, an enterprising
Czech official hijacked the public address system on a
chartered bus to deliver his OPCAT pitch to a then captive
Chinese audience. China said that it would soon revise its
State Secrets Law to define what constitutes a state secret.
China also said that it would invite the UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the UN Rapporteur on Economic,
Social, and Cultural Rights to visit. China said it did not
support the opening of a new office for the UNHCHR in
Beijing. End Summary.
4. (SBU) INDIVIDUAL CASES (PRISONER) LISTS. The EU
expressed frustration with the lack of Chinese response to
the previous list passed in December 2008. The Chinese said
that they did not respond because of the "bad atmosphere"
surrounding the cancellation of the EU-China summit, but
promised to respond to the EU's latest submission. The EU
submitted approximately 85 names, which were made up of the
previous list plus a few additions. The EU has not received
any response from China yet.
5. (SBU) REVIEW OF DEATH PENALTY CASES. China sent a judge
from the Supreme People's Court to talk about the death
penalty in China. He said that the central government is
attempting to reduce the number of death penalties handed
down by Chinese courts. Chinese authorities are offering
training to local judges, mandating reduced sentences for
certain categories of crimes, requiring three judge panels to
meet in person and rule unanimously on death penalty
sentences, and are attempting to strengthen evidentiary
standards for death penalty cases. The judge asserted that
death penalty cases are down this year over last year, but
offered no specific figures.
6. (SBU) THE FIGHT AGAINST TORTURE. The Chinese said that
this was a top priority of their Human Rights National Action
Plan. They acknowledged that torture does take place in
China, even though the central government has issued clear
guidelines on the treatment of prisoners. The Chinese human
rights authorities reportedly hap?slkzQto a Czech prison facility. The Czech official
responsible for OPCAT, previously rebuffed by the Chinese
side in formal talks, apparently used a microphone on the bus
to give his OPCAT pitch to a captive Chinese audience.
8. (SBU) CHINESE HUMAN RIGHTS NATIONAL ACTION PLAN. China
was eager for comments from the EU on its Human Rights
National Action Plan. The EU told China that, among other
problems, there was no provision for political rights, but
said the plan was a good start. China remarked that many
countries, including many in the EU, did not yet have an
action plan. China revealed that the State Secrets Law is
being revised and should be ready soon. Chinese officials
BRUSSELS 00000783 002 OF 003
said that the law would finally define what constitutes a
state secret.
9. (SBU) RIGHT TO HEALTHCARE. The EU received superficial
replies from Chinese officials, who seemed genuinely puzzled
about why this was being discussed in a human rights context.
China sent an official from the Health Ministry who was
unprepared to speak to the human rights aspects of
healthcare. The EU specifically raised mental health and the
one child policy. China said they were open to cooperation
on these issues. The EU took this to be a generic answer,
versus a genuine interest in working on health as a human
rights problem.
10. (SBU) HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS. China dismissed the
concept of "human rights defenders," contending that the EU's
Human Rights Defenders appeared to be nothing more than
criminals who had broken the law.
11. (SBU) FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. The EU pressed China to
show more respect for petitioners, raising the case of the
earthquake victims' families who recently petitioned. The
Chinese side claimed that petitions were not a major issue,
and that most petitions were fQed with fake signatures
anyway.
12. (SBU) INTERNET CONTROLS. China gave an expected answer,
saying that the Chinese people supported the government's
controls and that they were necessary to preserve order.
Chinese officials offered online "strip poker" as an example
of the kinds of websites that can be "very dangerous to
mental health," and said they were justifiably banned.
13. (SBU) CHARTER 08. China said this group was not an
issue, and maintained that its petition was not real. The EU
asked why members of the group were jailed if it was not an
issue. China responded that the group's conduct was against
Chinese law.
14. (SBU) TIBET. China pledged to improve access for
foreign journalists and diplomats "soon," and characterized
the current lack of access as mainly a logistical problem
(e.g. lack of hotels, infrastructure). China was not willing
to discuss Tibet in a human rights context. The EU was
encouraged that the lead Chinese official conceded that
"there are absolutely human rights issues in Tibet," but
frustrated that he continued by saying that current problems
in Tibet can be traced to criminals, not to human rights
problems.
15. (SBU) GUANTANAMO DETAINEE RESETTLEMENT. China warned EU
Member States not to accept Chinese Uighurs, and promised
unspecified heavy consequences for the EU should any be
resettled in the European Union. China said it was aware of
discussions involving Germany and Sweden as possible
destinations. China said the Muslim Uighurs constituted a
security threat to the EU, and said that UNSCR 1373 required
UN Member States not to provide safe haven for terrorists.
China urged the EU to press for the Uighurs to be returned to
China, where they could be properly tried for Qir crimes.
The EU told China that the resettlement of individual
detainees is a state-by-state decision, and that the EU was
not involved. China was invited to take up its concerns
bilaterally with relevant Member States. The EU said that
even if it were involved in individual resettlement cases, it
could not support the transfer of any detainee to a country
that might employ the death penalty against them.
16. (SBU) DECLARATION ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION. The EU asked
China to consider signing this declaration. China responded
that it was supportive, but claimed the declaration could
"offend Chinese Muslims."
17. (SBU) COMPLAINTS ABOUT EU CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION
OFFICIALS. China complained of racist behavior on the part
of EU customs and immigration officials at EU airports.
China raised the case of a Chinese woman arriving in France.
The EU offered to look into any specific cases, but has not
BRUSSELS 00000783 003 OF 003
yet received a response from French authorities.
18. (SBU) UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. China said it wanted to
cooperate more with the EU in the Human Rights Council. It
said it had ideas on how the EU could work better with the
Africa Group and was willing to help lobby the Africa Group
on specific issues. China welcomed the United States back to
the Human Rights Council and was pleased that the U.S. won a
seat. China said it intended to invite the UN Rapporteur on
Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and the High
Commissioner for Human Rights to visit China this year.
China said it did not support the opening of an office of the
UN High CommisQner for Human Rights in Beijing.
DAVIS
.
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/ERA; DRL/MLGA; EAP/CM; IO/RHS; S/GC; EUR/PGI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KDRG EUN CZ CH
SUBJECT: CHINA/EU: HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE IS PRODUCTIVE,
WITH GOOD ATMOSPHERE
1. (SBU) Summary: The EU troika held its annual EU-China
Human Rights Dialogue on May 14 in Prague. EU participants
found the atmosphere to be more positive and productive on
most issues than at the last dialogue in December 2008 in
Beijing.
2. (SBU) The EU held legal seminars in Prague two days
before the main dialogue meeting. These sessions, which
European and (officially approved) Chinese NGOs attended,
focused on the right to health, and access to justice.
3. (SBU) The dialogue itself lasted 6-7 hours and took place
in Prague. China warned the EU of unspecified serious
consequences if any EU Member State resettled Uighurs from
Guantanamo Bay. China declined to hear an EU pitch for it to
sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture
(OPCAT),but later, during a field trip, an enterprising
Czech official hijacked the public address system on a
chartered bus to deliver his OPCAT pitch to a then captive
Chinese audience. China said that it would soon revise its
State Secrets Law to define what constitutes a state secret.
China also said that it would invite the UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the UN Rapporteur on Economic,
Social, and Cultural Rights to visit. China said it did not
support the opening of a new office for the UNHCHR in
Beijing. End Summary.
4. (SBU) INDIVIDUAL CASES (PRISONER) LISTS. The EU
expressed frustration with the lack of Chinese response to
the previous list passed in December 2008. The Chinese said
that they did not respond because of the "bad atmosphere"
surrounding the cancellation of the EU-China summit, but
promised to respond to the EU's latest submission. The EU
submitted approximately 85 names, which were made up of the
previous list plus a few additions. The EU has not received
any response from China yet.
5. (SBU) REVIEW OF DEATH PENALTY CASES. China sent a judge
from the Supreme People's Court to talk about the death
penalty in China. He said that the central government is
attempting to reduce the number of death penalties handed
down by Chinese courts. Chinese authorities are offering
training to local judges, mandating reduced sentences for
certain categories of crimes, requiring three judge panels to
meet in person and rule unanimously on death penalty
sentences, and are attempting to strengthen evidentiary
standards for death penalty cases. The judge asserted that
death penalty cases are down this year over last year, but
offered no specific figures.
6. (SBU) THE FIGHT AGAINST TORTURE. The Chinese said that
this was a top priority of their Human Rights National Action
Plan. They acknowledged that torture does take place in
China, even though the central government has issued clear
guidelines on the treatment of prisoners. The Chinese human
rights authorities reportedly hap?slkzQto a Czech prison facility. The Czech official
responsible for OPCAT, previously rebuffed by the Chinese
side in formal talks, apparently used a microphone on the bus
to give his OPCAT pitch to a captive Chinese audience.
8. (SBU) CHINESE HUMAN RIGHTS NATIONAL ACTION PLAN. China
was eager for comments from the EU on its Human Rights
National Action Plan. The EU told China that, among other
problems, there was no provision for political rights, but
said the plan was a good start. China remarked that many
countries, including many in the EU, did not yet have an
action plan. China revealed that the State Secrets Law is
being revised and should be ready soon. Chinese officials
BRUSSELS 00000783 002 OF 003
said that the law would finally define what constitutes a
state secret.
9. (SBU) RIGHT TO HEALTHCARE. The EU received superficial
replies from Chinese officials, who seemed genuinely puzzled
about why this was being discussed in a human rights context.
China sent an official from the Health Ministry who was
unprepared to speak to the human rights aspects of
healthcare. The EU specifically raised mental health and the
one child policy. China said they were open to cooperation
on these issues. The EU took this to be a generic answer,
versus a genuine interest in working on health as a human
rights problem.
10. (SBU) HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS. China dismissed the
concept of "human rights defenders," contending that the EU's
Human Rights Defenders appeared to be nothing more than
criminals who had broken the law.
11. (SBU) FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. The EU pressed China to
show more respect for petitioners, raising the case of the
earthquake victims' families who recently petitioned. The
Chinese side claimed that petitions were not a major issue,
and that most petitions were fQed with fake signatures
anyway.
12. (SBU) INTERNET CONTROLS. China gave an expected answer,
saying that the Chinese people supported the government's
controls and that they were necessary to preserve order.
Chinese officials offered online "strip poker" as an example
of the kinds of websites that can be "very dangerous to
mental health," and said they were justifiably banned.
13. (SBU) CHARTER 08. China said this group was not an
issue, and maintained that its petition was not real. The EU
asked why members of the group were jailed if it was not an
issue. China responded that the group's conduct was against
Chinese law.
14. (SBU) TIBET. China pledged to improve access for
foreign journalists and diplomats "soon," and characterized
the current lack of access as mainly a logistical problem
(e.g. lack of hotels, infrastructure). China was not willing
to discuss Tibet in a human rights context. The EU was
encouraged that the lead Chinese official conceded that
"there are absolutely human rights issues in Tibet," but
frustrated that he continued by saying that current problems
in Tibet can be traced to criminals, not to human rights
problems.
15. (SBU) GUANTANAMO DETAINEE RESETTLEMENT. China warned EU
Member States not to accept Chinese Uighurs, and promised
unspecified heavy consequences for the EU should any be
resettled in the European Union. China said it was aware of
discussions involving Germany and Sweden as possible
destinations. China said the Muslim Uighurs constituted a
security threat to the EU, and said that UNSCR 1373 required
UN Member States not to provide safe haven for terrorists.
China urged the EU to press for the Uighurs to be returned to
China, where they could be properly tried for Qir crimes.
The EU told China that the resettlement of individual
detainees is a state-by-state decision, and that the EU was
not involved. China was invited to take up its concerns
bilaterally with relevant Member States. The EU said that
even if it were involved in individual resettlement cases, it
could not support the transfer of any detainee to a country
that might employ the death penalty against them.
16. (SBU) DECLARATION ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION. The EU asked
China to consider signing this declaration. China responded
that it was supportive, but claimed the declaration could
"offend Chinese Muslims."
17. (SBU) COMPLAINTS ABOUT EU CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION
OFFICIALS. China complained of racist behavior on the part
of EU customs and immigration officials at EU airports.
China raised the case of a Chinese woman arriving in France.
The EU offered to look into any specific cases, but has not
BRUSSELS 00000783 003 OF 003
yet received a response from French authorities.
18. (SBU) UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. China said it wanted to
cooperate more with the EU in the Human Rights Council. It
said it had ideas on how the EU could work better with the
Africa Group and was willing to help lobby the Africa Group
on specific issues. China welcomed the United States back to
the Human Rights Council and was pleased that the U.S. won a
seat. China said it intended to invite the UN Rapporteur on
Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and the High
Commissioner for Human Rights to visit China this year.
China said it did not support the opening of an office of the
UN High CommisQner for Human Rights in Beijing.
DAVIS
.