NGOs fear that the Ukraine war file will overshadow that of human rights

A president facing Beijing to talk only about Ukraine? Emmanuel Macron begins, Wednesday, April 5, a three-day state visit to China accompanied by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. A crucial meeting for Europeans who want to readjust their strategy against Beijing.

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The International Federation for Human Rights and the League for Human Rights sent a letter to the Head of State asking him to discuss human rights in China. At the same time, Human Rights Watch is stepping up to demand the release of all political prisoners, of all demonstrators arrested during protests linked to Covid-19, but also of all members of oppressed minorities such as the Uyghurs, the Tibetans, or even the Hong Kongers.

“The situation in Ukraine echoes what happened in Tibet”

For the Élysée, the subject of the war in Ukraine will be one of the priorities of the trip, because Beijing, support of Moscow, can play a role in bringing peace. But this priority should not be at the expense of human rights in China, because when it comes to horror, there can be no hierarchy according to NGOs. “The idea is not to say, it’s either Ukraine or human rights”says Bénédicte Jeannerot, France director of Human Rights Watch. It is not possible to address Ukraine, one of the main characteristics of which is the seriousness of the crimes committed in this conflict, without addressing the seriousness of the crimes and violations that are committed by the Chinese government against its own population. There is a kind of contradiction that would be difficult to understand.”

China, an impossible arbiter in the Ukrainian file, because that would forget history and the fact that it itself invaded Tibet underlines Vincent Metten, Europe director of the International Federation of Human Rights for Tibet: “The situation in Ukraine really echoes what happened in Tibet, that is to say an invasion by a third state, China claims that Tibet is part of its territory, whereas from a point From the point of view of international law, this is not the case, and claiming to act as a kind of mediator in the Ukrainian conflict is not at all legitimate for us. And Vincent Metten to recall that according to the NGO Freedom House, Tibet is one of the least free territories on the planet.