由民主党副主席刘慧卿丶香港人权监察总干事罗沃启和中国维权律师关注组执行秘书潘嘉伟等组成的香港民间代表团对国际社会高度关注中国人权状况表示欢迎。
联会国人权理事会于今天(2009年2月9日（星期一）)在日内瓦完成审议中国（包括香港及澳门）的人权状况，多个国家对中国的多项人权问题表示关注，包括欠缺司法独立和人权律师受到打压丶死刑制度丶任意拘留和劳教制度丶少数民族特别是西藏的文化和宗教自由问题丶对新闻和言论自由的限制丶童工问题，另外，国际社会亦向中国提出多项建议以保障中国人民的人权，包括批准«公民权利和政治权利国际公约»在中国落实丶取消死刑丶成立符合巴黎原则的人权机构。
在今天联合国会议上，多达115个国家报名发言，由于时间上的限制，只有60个国家获2分钟发言时间，可见国际社会高度关注中国人权状况。会上多个先进国家，包括澳洲丶加拿大丶捷克丶日本丶荷兰丶瑞士和瑞典对中国的人权状况提出批评和建议，在回应和总结时，中国驻日内瓦大使李保东「反对部份国家政治化的发言」，对澳洲的发言更提出严厉回应，指「澳洲发表错误的言论，表示反对。」
民间代表团对多个国家关注国内的人权状况表示欢迎，但对香港人权状况并未受到关注略感失望，代表团对英国政府作为香港前宗主国，在发言时只字未提香港的民主发展丶释法等问题，深感遗憾，尚不及小国贝宁共和国，向中国政府提及，希望香港和澳门二个特别行政区能维持公民权利，尊重法律。民间代表团认为中国政府对某些国家的建议无需反应过激，我们呼吁中国政府持开放态度，接纳建议，改善中国人权状况。
香港民主党副主席 刘慧卿9167 6431
香港人权监察总干事 罗沃启9788 3394
中国维权律师关注组执行秘书 潘嘉伟9417 3765
二零零九年二月九日
Press release: Welcome Country Representatives’ Concern Over China’s Human Rights Issues during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
9 February 2009
The Democratic Party, Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor and China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group welcome many country representatives’ expression of deep concern over China’s human rights record at the first Universal Periodic Review by the UN Human Rights Council.
Many countries, such as Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Japan, the Netherlands and Sweden, recommended that China should make improvement on the issues of harassment of human rights defenders and lawyers, death penalty, re-education through labour and administrative detentions, the cultural and religious rights of ethnic minorities, especially Tibetans, lack of judicial independence, freedom of expression, child labour, early ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the establishment of an independent national human rights institution based on Paris Principles.
In total of 115 countries signed up to speak on China’s UPR, but only 60 managed to make a 2-minute speech each at the 3-hour meeting which started at 9am on 9 February.
At the end of the meeting, Mr Li Baodong, Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations, said he regretted some countries had “politicised” certain issues like those on ethnic minorities, and said Australia had made “ill founded” and “politicised” comments. The Hong Kong NGOs deplore such narrow-mindedness and urged Beijing to listen to opposing views.
We are disappointed that the Hong Kong question was not addressed adequately, but welcome the attention focused on China’s gross human rights violations. Given China’s poor record, the concern is understandable.
However, we are particularly unhappy about the British Government’s failure to take up any issue on Hong Kong. Even Benin has urged China to respect the laws and the rights of the citizens in the two Special Administrative Regions.
Emily Lau, Vice-chairperson, Democratic Party of Hong Kong 9167 6431
Law Yuk-kai, Executive Director, Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor 9788 3394
Patrick Poon, Executive Secretary, China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group 94173675
