On June 6, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on China to release Liu Xiaobo and Lee Ming-che, and to ensure that all detained individuals are afforded procedural safeguards in accordance with Chinese law, including the right to family visits and the right to engage legal counsel of their own choosing.
Marking the second anniversary of the “709 Crackdown” — a sweeping nationwide detention of human rights lawyers in China that shocked the international community — several Taiwan-based NGOs concerned with human rights in China held a press conference calling on the Chinese government to immediately release Lee Ming-che, Liu Xiaobo, and all individuals still detained in the 709 crackdown. The groups also expressed support for Teng Biao’s initiative designating a “China Human Rights Lawyers’ Day” and urged the Chinese government to provide all detained defendants and suspects with due process in accordance with international standards.
Legislator Yu Mei-Nu, convener of the Taiwan Parliamentary Human Rights Commission, expressed anger over the persecution of Lee Ming-che, Chinese human rights lawyer Xie Yang, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo. She noted that the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) has formally taken up Lee Ming-che’s case, and that the European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for the release of both Lee and Liu.
Yu further criticized the Chinese authorities for what she described as deliberate delays and concealment regarding Liu Xiaobo’s medical treatment, stating that such actions were inconsistent with China’s official claim that it “protects the right to life and health of prisoners in accordance with the law.” In this context, she expressed concern as to whether China could ensure Lee Ming-che’s health and personal safety. She also emphasized that, two years after the 709 crackdown, persecution of human rights lawyers and their families had not ceased, and urged the Chinese government to guarantee due process protections in line with international standards.
Lin Tzu-Lin, Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Taipei Bar Association, stated that two years after the 709 crackdown, some lawyers remain detained, noting that Wang Quanzhang has been held for more than 700 days without access to family or counsel. She said that such conditions fall short of adequate procedural protections and called on the Chinese government to comply with both its domestic laws and its international human rights obligations. Lin also urged Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan to expedite passage of a Refugee Act and reiterated support for the detained lawyers and legal assistants in the 709 crackdown, as well as for Teng Biao’s proposal for a “China Human Rights Lawyers’ Day.” She emphasized that no lawyer or citizen should face punishment or adverse treatment for defending human rights.
Wei Chien-Feng, Deputy Convener of the Taiwan Support China Human Rights Lawyers Network, expressed solidarity with Lee Ming-che, Liu Xiaobo, and the detained lawyers in the 709 crackdown. He remarked, “What kind of country can detain two or three hundred lawyers and legal staff within the span of one or two weeks?” Referring to recent developments concerning the Sino-British Joint Declaration, Wei stated that the pattern of pressure extends beyond China’s domestic repression and reflects broader concerns regarding Hong Kong, Tibet, and Taiwan. He said that while Taiwan must safeguard its own democracy, it should also continue to support human rights in China.
Chiu E-ling, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR), noted that during the European Parliament’s debate on the resolution, Members of the European Parliament emphasized that even extensive trade relations with China should not come at the expense of human rights values. She expressed regret that there had not been broader cross-party statements in Taiwan addressing the issue. She stated that the second anniversary of the 709 crackdown should not be a moment of commemoration, but rather a reminder that Lee Ming-che and others remain detained.
“Although they have been forcibly disappeared and are not physically present before us, we will not forget them or the human rights and democratic values they advocate. We choose to stand with these values,” she said. “If we abandon these values, remain silent, and compromise with authoritarian power, then we truly forget them.” Chiu called on both the Taiwanese government and civil society, asking: “When international media, human rights organizations, the European Parliament, and UN human rights mechanisms have already made their positions clear, what is the position of the Taiwanese government? And what is Taiwan’s position?”
Huang Yi-Bi, Executive Director of Covenants Watch, explained that in early April, following Lee Ming-che’s detention, the organization submitted a complaint to the urgent action mechanisms under the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). By late April, the Chinese government had been requested to provide clarification regarding Lee’s case, and the matter was subsequently taken up by the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Huang explained that the Working Group serves as a channel of communication between families of the disappeared and the governments concerned, and that any response from the Chinese government would be relayed to Lee’s family and to Covenants Watch. The event concluded with an announcement that, to mark the second anniversary of the 709 crackdown, documentary screenings would be held on Sunday, July 9. The film Retreat Is Not An Option (《退無可退》) will be screened from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the NTU Alumni Building (Room 3A), and 709 People (《709人們》) will be screened simultaneously at the Taiwan Library in Yonghe. A public petition and outreach event will also take place from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at No. 4 Park in Yonghe.
Attendees:
