China's Olympic-themed float entry in the 2008 Tournament of Roses Parade is at the center of intense controversy in the city of Pasadena because of China's deteriorating human rights record. Since China broke its promise to the International Olympic Committee to improve its human rights violations, human rights activists say it is being unjustly rewarded with recognition on an international scale by including its float in the prestigious new year's parade seen worldwide.
PASADENA, Calif. ─ The Pasadena Human Relations Commission recently released its highly anticipated report with recommendations to the Pasadena City Council on China's Olympic-themed float entry in the 2008 Pasadena Rose Parade and on China's human rights record.
The Rose Parade has become an institution for viewing on New Year's day throughout the nation and the world. But there is a different twist for the parade on January 1, 2008 because it may include a float entry from a communist regime: The People's Republic of China, with a dismal human rights record as documented by the U.S. State Department, the United Nations, and Non-Governmental Agencies (NGOs) such as Amnesty International.
The report was seen by many concerned human rights groups as an important milestone in corroborating much of what they have been telling the Mayor and City Council members in public commentaries at several city council meetings.
Although the report describes the position of those supporting the float it also clearly presents the importance of human rights as a core value of the Olympics and the record of human rights violations in China. The eleven page report was received by the Mayor and City Council on Oct. 4, but has not yet been put on the City Council agenda.
Based on testimony by various groups' representatives at a July 16 council meeting, the City Council requested that the Human Relations Commission report back with a recommendation in 90 days.
On Aug. 7 the Commission received extensive public comment and written materials from those raising human rights issues and those in support of the float. The groups that raised the human rights issues included the Caltech Falun Gong Club, Amnesty International, Reporters without Borders, Visual Artists Guild, Los Angeles Friends of Tibet and several others. Those in support of the float included the float sponsors, Roundtable of Southern California Chinese American Organizations, Avery Dennison Corporation and several others including the China subcommittee of the Pasadena Sister Cities Committee. The Commission only attached copies of some of the statements and materials to the report but said it makes all the materials available for the Council's review.
In a subsequent Sept. 26 Commission meeting, The Jews Against Genocide also submitted a statement against the float.
Report Summary:
Listed below are the important features and findings of the report in bold subtitles with brief summaries for each.
Taking Actions on Human Rights Issues is Nothing New to the City
The Commission noted that the City Council has taken action in the past on issues regarding human rights. It notes that in 1989 the city adopted a purchasing policy that attempted to avoid companies doing business with apartheid South Africa and that it passed a resolution in 2006, based on human rights grounds, to oppose a federal bill that would change immigration law.
Commission states comment by City Council is appropriate
The Commission states that a review of the Beijing float and China's human rights is even more appropriate and says that comment by the City Council on this matter is also appropriate. This finding is based on the fact that the event takes place locally, involves city officials and staff and since some of those who claimed to have suffered or have family or friends or who suffered live in Pasadena or neighboring cities. Also noted was the stature of the Tournament of Roses and the impact of its activities on the image of Pasadena. In addition it was noted that the city already has a sister-city relationship with Xicheng District in Beijing, in which engagement with China on important matters has previously taken place.
Human Rights is a core value of the Olympics
The Commission notes that the Olympic Charter speaks of the centrality of human rights and makes references to the specific human values incorporated in the Charter. For example, "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement."
The report also emphasized the human rights principles that are championed in the cherished political documents of the U.S. such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as well as in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and other constitutions, treatises, and charters throughout the world.
Whole-hearted support of human rights is a vital prerequisite
The Commission concludes, "…Given the exaltation of human rights in these great political documents and in the Olympic Charter itself, whole-hearted support of human rights is a vital prerequisite not only to genuine support of the Olympic Movement but to responsible moral citizenship, genuine patriotism, and good government in the modern world."
Imprisoned in Xicheng Detention Center in the Sister-City of Pasadena
In the section on human rights violations in China, the report notes the testimony before the commission of an individual, Jie Li, who states she was held in prison in the Xicheng Detention Center and other prisons in China and physically tortured because she practiced Falun Gong.
In her presentation to the Commission Ms. Li said, "I am very lucky, because I did not die in the jail of the Chinese Communist Party like my grandpa did, and I came to the free world to expose these evil deeds. Since the Chinese communist party took over the power, they never stopped the persecution towards the Chinese people. My grandpa was thrown into jail by the Communist party because he was a member of the Kuomintang. Two years later, he died in jail."
"As for me, just because I refused to renounce my belief, I was sentenced to a 5-year term. During my imprisonment, I was cut-off from the outside world, forced to attend brainwashing sessions and do hard labor. When I was detained in Xicheng Detention Center (which is in our sister city of Pasadena), I held hunger strike for 8 days to protest the persecution. I was violently force-fed. More than 10 people tied me on a bed, then inserted a plastic tube from my nose to my stomach. It was so painful that I started vomiting green bile immediately."
"Slave work in the jail was very intense. Everyday we had to work for more than 16 hours, sometimes we even worked overnight. Among the 9 practitioners who were illegally sentenced together with me, at least two of them were detained again, including Yaning Liu's mother Shuying Li."
"They were detained because the communist party would like to clear the streets for the Olympics. The Olympics brought us tremendous pain. Whenever I thought about the Olympics, I thought about these innocent people illegally detained for the Olympics and the pain they are suffering now.
"I request you [the Commission] to stop the Beijing Olympic Float from joining the Rose Parade, and object to the fact that the Chinese communist party uses the Olympics to persecute Chinese people," said Li.
The Commission expressed its deepest sympathies for the individuals who shared with the Commission descriptions of their own suffering or the suffering of family members, friends, or neighbors.
Commission troubled by position expressed by majority of float supporters
In its analysis the Commission said that it is troubled by the point of view of the majority of float supporters who equate the expression of concerns over basic human rights violations as mere expressions of political viewpoint. The Commission finds this point of view to be profoundly insensitive to the plight of fellow Chinese.
To say the Olympics has nothing to do with human rights is incorrect
The report explained that to say the Olympics has nothing to do with human rights is simply not correct. As the report explains in detail, the Olympic Charter, Beijing's own Olympic motto, and the promises [to improve human rights] of Beijing when it accepted the IOC invitation to host the Olympics, all recognize human rights as a core principle of the Olympics.
Commission concerned with float supporters' single focus on Falun Gong
The report expressed concern about the many float supporters' focus on the claims of the Falun Gong and ignoring the claims of Amnesty International, Reporters without Borders, the Conscience Foundation, the Visual Artists Guild, Los Angeles Friends of Tibet, Justice for Americans in China, and China Ministries International. The report went on to say that most Chinese supporters of the float basically said the same thing [i.e., denying human rights claims by Falun Gong while ignoring claims by other human rights groups], suggesting programmed preparation.
City Council should issue a strong statement to Xicheng District Officials
In a section of the report on possible actions, the Commission states that it believes the City Council should issue a strong statement to Xicheng District officials that supports the principle of human rights and that "reaffirms the need for renewed effort in China to address the human rights issues."
Rejecting the float and other possible actions
The report includes other possible actions including those suggested by the groups and individuals who raised human rights concerns. In addition to the rejection of the float, these include among others to have a co-marshal of the parade, such as the Dalai Lama, or to allow a float or marching band on their behalf be part of the parade.
The report mentioned again the individual, a former Pasadena resident Ms. Yaning Liu, that asked the City Council for help with the release of her mother from prison. Liu's mom, a retired high school teacher in Beijing, was arrested at home in December of 2006 for keeping her Falun Gong books at home.
Other suggestions made by the Commission is that the City Council could help facilitate the convening of a summit on the human rights issues in China and that the City of Pasadena could contribute along with the two sponsors of the float to an organization such as International Bridges to Justice. The organization's purpose is to protect the basic legal rights of citizens in China and other developing countries.
Commission suggests making an attempt at meaningful dialogue
Prior to taking any final action the Commission believes that the City Council should attempt to facilitate meaningful dialogue with the Roundtable of Southern California Chinese American Organizations, the Tournament of Roses, as well as with the Caltech Chinese Students Association, and with the primary involved human rights organizations, with the goal of some resulting concrete action.
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
The Commission believes that the City of Pasadena is in a unique position to contribute to the improvement of human rights and suggested that the City Council take final action no later than 30 days from the Sept. 26 date of the Commission report or Oct. 26, 2007.
Given the fact that the Mayor and councilmembers did not receive the report until Oct. 4, makes the suggested Oct. 26 deadline for final action a little difficult.
Included in the recommendation is the creation of an ad-hoc committee for reaching out and communicating with the various individuals and groups. The ad-hoc committee would include members of the City Council, the Human Relations Commission, and any others the City Council believes will be helpful.
City Council should issue a resolution
Additionally, it is recommended that the City Council issue a resolution expressing the central importance of human rights principles and concern over the human rights issues in China and be communicated to the Xicheng District of Beijing.
The report was approved by the Commission on a unanimous vote of 5-0.
Part III will include information from an interview by Larry Mantle on his radio show, "Air Talk" on KPCC, Oct. 9, of Mayor Bill Bogaard, Shizhong Chen of the Conscience Foundation, and Tseten Phanucharas of Los Angeles Friends of Tibet.