Human Rights Watch (HRW) has recently issued a statement urging China to allow commemorations for the one-year anniversary of the ‘White Paper’ protests, a series of demonstrations incited in response to the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The renowned rights organization has also called on Chinese authorities to lift censorship of protest-related social media posts and release those currently detained for openly condemning the government’s actions. (HRW)
The Chinese government faced international criticism for substantially curtailing the freedoms of its citizens during the pandemic, sparking protests against its ‘Zero-COVID’ measures (HRW World Report 2023). A notable incident took place at the Beijing Sitong Bridge in October 2022, when activist Peng Lifa publicly condemned both President Xi Jinping’s COVID policy and the broader human rights violations in the country. This act drew significant attention, leading many to believe that Peng is now the victim of an enforced disappearance (NCHRD).
The ‘White Paper’ protests, named after the blank pieces of paper held by protesters to symbolize censorship, occurred between November and December 2022. This was prompted by a tragic incident on November 25th, 2022, where a fire in an Urumqi apartment building, believed to result from the strict lockdown restrictions, claimed the lives of ten people, causing outrage across the country (Time).
Although the government eased restrictions within weeks (Jurist), their forceful response to the protests resulted in multiple arrests, and those sentenced for promoting extremism and sedition are still serving time in prison. Some protesters, including Peng Lifa, reportedly suffered enforced disappearance (Global Voices).
A year on from the protests, HRW’s Asia Director, Elaine Pearson, has stated that China needs to allow safe public spaces for people to freely express their opinions. She further demanded the prompt and unconditional release of those detained for criticizing the government’s pandemic response and participating in the protests (HRW).