【新聞稿】
台灣發起全球連署 聲援中國「新公民運動」
【2013年7月 24日，台北】
台灣公民團體今天公布〈公民社會關注中國「新公民運動」聲明〉，同時發起全球連署聲援許志永等中國「新公民運動」被捕人士，並呼籲中國政府終結非法軟禁，落實法治與人權。發起這項連署的團體包括：華人民主書院、台灣人權促進會、台灣關懷中國人權聯盟、台灣守護民主平台、兩公約施行監督聯盟、「兩岸」協議監督聯盟、華人民主文化協會。
台灣公民團體今天公布〈公民社會關注中國「新公民運動」聲明〉，同時發起全球連署聲援許志永等中國「新公民運動」被捕人士，並呼籲中國政府終結非法軟禁，落實法治與人權。發起這項連署的團體包括：華人民主書院、台灣人權促進會、台灣關懷中國人權聯盟、台灣守護民主平台、兩公約施行監督聯盟、「兩岸」協議監督聯盟、華人民主文化協會。
聲明指出，以許志永為代表的中國「新公民運動」，是促進中國社會健康發展的力量。聲明強調：
「中國公民意識的成熟和理性的政治參與，正是中國社會健康發展的表現。對於中國社會的健康力量遭到中國政府如此敵視和無情的待遇，我們感到悲哀與失望。我們深信，如果人權的價值無法受到保障，不但中國人民將繼續受害，香港的民主自由無法增進，中國與台灣的關係不可能健康發展，甚至區域的和平與全球人權建制都可能面臨威脅。」
聲明中指出，今年三月以來，中國因「新公民運動」被捕人士至少已有二十人，包括北京和江西15位要求「官員財產公示」的人士、北京非政府組織「公盟」的負責人許志永及其三位同事；安徽異見人士張林等。聲明中說「上述人士以和平方式行使權利的行為，依據國際法和中國現行法律均應受到保護」，但他們卻遭到當局控告，因此要求立即予以無條件釋放，或儘速進行公正、公開的審判。
聲明並指出，還有其他許多維權人士持續受到非法軟禁，例如諾貝爾和平獎得主劉曉波的妻子劉霞、薩哈羅夫人權獎得主胡佳、藏族作家唯色等人，此外，包括北京傳知行研究所在內的一些非政府組織，不斷受到政府騷擾或取締。聲明說，這些狀況使人「不僅擔憂這些公民運動人士的人身自由與安全，更憂慮中國公民社會的發展將受到政府更嚴厲的系統性壓制。」因此，聲明要求中國政府「終結一切未經法定程序限制公民人身自由的非法軟禁行為」。
發起團體將向陸委會王郁琦主委提出正式拜會，要求馬總統及陸委會對北京打壓維權人士表達嚴正關切，並拿出具體行動，改善中國來台尋求庇護者的待遇，以進步價值提升兩岸社會交流的層次，以促進跨海峽公民社會的發展。
新聞聯絡人：王興中（華人民主書院）0939-321-179
附件：中／英文聲明
公民社會關注中國「新公民運動」聲明
（歡迎各國公民社會團體或個人連署）
2013年7月24日
自2013年春開始，中國許多參與「新公民運動」的人士陸續遭遇中國當局嚴厲打壓，例如：今年3、4月間，至少15位反貪運動人士陸續被捕，包括北京的袁冬、張寶成、馬新立、侯欣、丁家喜、趙常青、孫含會、王永紅、李蔚、齊月英和江西的劉萍、魏中平、李思華、李學梅、鄒桂琴；今年7月中，北京非政府組織「公盟」的負責人許志永及其三位同事李煥君、李剛、宋澤分別遭到刑事拘留或強迫失踪；安徽異見人士張林為女兒爭取就學權而遭刑事拘留。上述人士以和平方式行使權利的行為，依據國際法和中國現行法律均應受到保護，卻遭當局控以「非法集會」、「尋釁滋事」、「聚眾擾亂社會秩序」、「聚眾擾亂公共場所秩序」甚至「煽動顛覆國家政權」等罪名。同時，還有其他許多維權人士持續受到非法軟禁，例如諾貝爾和平獎得主劉曉波的妻子劉霞、薩哈羅夫人權獎得主胡佳、藏族作家唯色等等；一些非政府組織也不斷受到無理的騷擾或取締。我們不僅擔憂這些公民運動人士的人身自由與安全，更憂慮中國公民社會的發展將受到政府更嚴厲的系統性壓制。
中國「新公民運動」不是一個正式組織化的社會運動，而是在近十餘年維權運動的基礎上，進一步超越個別利益，以「公民」為共同身份，追求民主法治、自由人權與公民社會的一個開放的協作平台。根據其主要倡導者之一許志永的提議，這個運動以「自由、公義、愛」為核心價值，主張「公民從個體做起，團結協作，推動中國完成政治文明轉型，建設公平、正義、自由、幸福的公民社會」。證諸世界各地的歷史經驗，公民社會不但是解決社會矛盾的重要渠道，也是和平轉型的重要因素，更是民主鞏固的必要條件。中國公民意識的成熟和理性的政治參與，正是中國社會健康發展的表現。對於中國社會的健康力量遭到中國政府如此敵視和無情的待遇，我們感到悲哀與失望。我們深信，如果人權的價值無法受到保障，不但中國人民將繼續受害，香港的民主自由無法增進，中國與台灣的關係不可能健康發展，甚至區域的和平與全球人權建制都可能面臨威脅。
中華人民共和國憲法明文規定「公民有言論、出版、集會、結社、游行、示威的自由」（第35條）;「公民的人身自由不受侵犯…禁止非法拘禁和以其他方法非法剝奪或者限制公民的人身自由」（第37條）；「公民對於任何國家機關和國家工作人員﹐有提出批評和建議的權利；對於任何國家機關和國家工作人員的違法失職行為﹐有向有關國家機關提出申訴、控告或者檢舉的權利」（第41條）。中國已先後簽署《公民及政治權利國際公約》、批准《經濟、社會、文化權利國際公約》，是聯合國禁止酷刑等公約的締約國，並已在憲法中納入「國家尊重和保障人權」的條文。因此，無論就國際法或國內法而論，中國政府均負有保護基本人權與公民自由的義務，責無旁貸。
值此中國新政府上台之際，我們期待中國政府言行一致，落實其「依法治國」、「保障人權」的承諾，尊重公民權利，維護公民社會應有的活動空間，進而啟動政治改革，走向民主憲政的康莊大道。
因此，我們要求中國政府：
1.
立即無條件釋放僅因和平表達意見而被拘押的人士，或儘速予以公正、公開的審判；
2.
在相關人士仍遭拘押期間，確保其不受刑求及其他虐待；
3.
終結一切未經法定程序限制公民人身自由的非法軟禁行為；
4. 履行法律義務，保障人民言論、出版、集會和結社自由等基本權利。
身為世界公民，基於普世人權，我們呼籲各界人士共同關注中國「新公民運動」，並透過個別或集體的行動，持續聲援以和平方式從事公民倡議而遭到騷擾、軟禁、拘押或判刑的中國維權人士，要求中國政府落實法治、保障人權。
【發起團體】
華人民主書院
台灣人權促進會
台灣守護民主平台
兩公約施行監督聯盟
「兩岸」協議監督聯盟
台灣關懷中國人權聯盟
華人民主文化協會
Civil Society Statement on
Concern for the “New Citizens’ Movement” in China
July
24, 2013
Taipei,
Taiwan
Since earlier this year, many activists involved
in the “New Citizens’ Movement” in China have been successively persecuted by
the Chinese government. In March and April, at least 15 anti-corruption activists,
including Yuan Dong, Chang Baocheng, Ma Xingli, Ho Xin, Ding Jiaxi, Zhao
Changqing, Sun Hanhui, Wang Yonghong, Li Wei, and Qi Yueying in Beijing, and
Liu Ping, Wei Zhongping, Li Sihua, Li Xuemei, and Zou Guiqin in Jiangxi were
arrested; Xu Zhiyong, founder of the Beijing-based nongovernmental organization
Gongmeng, and three of his colleagues, Li Huanjun, Li Gang, and Song Ze, have
been detained or forcibly disappearance since mid-July; dissident Chang Lin was
detained in July after waging a nonviolent protest for his daughter’s rights to
education. While all these people had been peacefully exercising their rights
protected by international laws as well as Chinese domestic laws, the
government prosecuted them for crimes including illegal assembly, provoking
disorder, disturbing social order, disturbing order at public spaces, and even
inciting subversion of state power. In the mean time, many other activists have
been under illegal house arrest, such as Liu Xia, the wife of Nobel Peace Prize
laureate Liu Xiaobo; Hu Jia, the Sakharov Prize winner; and Tsering Woeser, a
renowned Tibetan writer, to name but a few. Furthermore, in the past months, many
nongovernmental organizations have been harassed or clamped down. It appears
that these are not only threats to the freedom and personal security of these
individuals, but also demonstrates that Chinese civil society is facing a severe
and systematic crackdown.
Emerging out of the past decade of increasing rights
activism, the Chinese “New Citizens’ Movement” is not a formally organized
social movement, but rather an open collaborating platform for the pursuit of democracy,
the rule of law, liberty, human rights, and civil society, based on a common
identity of “citizens.” According to one of its initiators, Xu Zhiyong, its
founding values are “freedom, righteousness, and love,” and it shall “proceed
from individual citizen’s actions, and then, through solidarity and
collaboration, promote a transition of political civilization towards a fair,
righteous, free, and happy civil society in China.” As experiences in various
part of the world have proved, a strong civil society is not only a key to
redress social conflicts. It is also an important factor in peaceful social
transformation as well as a necessary condition of democratic consolidation. The
raising of civic awareness and rational political participation are healthy
developments in Chinese civil society. However, the healthy social forces have
faced relentlessly hostile treatment by the government. The situation appears
quite bleak. As long as human rights remain unprotected, we believe that not
only will the Chinese people suffer continuously, but the democracy and freedom
in Hong Kong cannot be enhanced and the relations between China and Taiwan cannot
develop healthily. Moreover, even regional peace and the global human rights
regime will be threatened.
The
Constitution of the People’s Republic of China provides that citizens “enjoy
freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and
of demonstration” (Article 35), that “[t]he freedom of person of citizens… is
inviolable… Unlawful deprivation or restriction of citizens’ freedom of person
by detention or other means is prohibited; and unlawful search of the person of
citizens is prohibited” (Article 37), that “[c]itizens… have the right to
criticize and make suggestions to any state organ or functionary. Citizens have
the right to make to relevant state organs complaints and charges against, or
exposures of, violation of the law or dereliction of duty by any state organ or
functionary” (Article 41). China has signed the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights and ratified the International Covenant on Economic,
Social, and Cultural Rights, and it is a state party to Convention Against
Torture and many other human rights treaties. An article stipulating “[T]he
state respects and protects human rights” has been written into the
Constitution. Therefore, under both international and domestic laws, the
Chinese government is obliged to protect basic rights and liberties. This is
indisputable.
As the new Chinese leadership is busy consolidating
its authority, we urge the Chinese government to honor its own promise “to rule
the country according to the laws” and “to protect human rights.” Specifically,
it should respect civil rights and expand space for civil society activities and
start political reforms, leading the country towards democracy and
constitutionalism.
Therefore,
we call on the Chinese government to:
1.
release
immediately and unconditionally all those detained for peacefully exercising
their rights to freedom of expression, or promptly bring them before open and
fair tribunals;
2.
ensure
all such detainees free from torture and other abuses;
3.
end
all illegal house arrests which constrain citizens’ personal freedom without due
process of law;
4.
fulfill
its legal obligations to protect citizens’ rights to freedom of opinion,
publication, assembly, and association.
As
global citizens who support universal human rights, we appeal to people everywhere
to express their concern for the Chinese “New Citizens’ Movement”; to support
individually or collectively all those been harassed, placed under house
arrest, detained, or imprisoned for advocating civic participations; and to
call on the Chinese government to uphold the rule of law and human rights.
·
Initiators:
New
School for Democracy, Taiwan Association for Human Rights, Taiwan Democracy
Watch, Covenants Watch, Cross-Strait Agreement Watch, Taiwan Association for
China Human Rights, Taiwan Society for Democracy
Tags: 聲明論述