The 2006 Annual Human Rights Award Ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Watch Charitable Trust was held in Auckland, New Zealand on December 6. Renowned human rights lawyers, democracy activists, and defectors were honored that evening. The ceremony was attended by many prominent public figures.
Chen Weiming, director of a New Zealand based newspaper, hosted the awards ceremony and expressed respect and admiration for the award recipients. Chen stressed that people in China are unable to enjoy the same freedom, human rights and legal processes as those residing in New Zealand.
The ceremony included outlined accomplishments of the recipients and a presentation about the mission and activities of Asia-Pacific Human Rights Watch Charitable Trust.
The Freedom Warrior awards were presented to Chinese defectors Chen Yonglin and Hao Fengjun and Falun Gong practitioner Wang Wenyi who shouted at Chinese president Hu Jintao his during visit to the United States. Lawyers Gao Zhisheng, Chen Guangcheng and Guo Feixiong received the Human Rights Fighter award. Democracy activists Wang Binzhang, Yang Jianli, Zhu Yufu and Yang Tianshui received the Democratic Patriot award.
Former Chinese diplomat Chen Yonglin expressed that he was able to be a person of conscience because of everyone's support. Chen says that the real heroes are lawyers Gao Zhisheng and Guo Feixiong, who are still fighting against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in China, as well as those thousands of Falun Gong practitioners who are spreading Nine Commentaries and risking their lives. Chen plans to donate all the prize money to an organization for victims of China's political and religious persecution in Sydney.
Defector Hao Fengjun explained that the CCP plans to "cleanse" domestic reporters and human rights activists before the 2008 Olympics so that they can apply a looser policy to journalists at that time. He appealed to people to use this opportunity to push the progress of democracy in China.
Heval Hylan, International Human Rights Attorney and Secretary of New Zealand Refugee Commission, praised the recipients as Chinese national heroes. Hylan also pointed out that China's regular infringements of human rights and freedom of association, and its persecution of Falun Gong have violated the International Human Rights Conventions signed by China in 1998. He believes that China's legal system still has many problems, such as the numerous death sentences and continued sales of organs for profit.
Tu Teng, president of New Zealand Friends of Tibet, exposed the CCP's crimes in Tibet and how the human rights violations are becoming ever more objectionable. Teng spoke of the recent shooting of unarmed Tibetans by Chinese army soldiers as well as the Panchen Lama, abducted by the Chinese in 1995 when he was only six, whose whereabouts still remain unknown.
Li Dong from New Zealand Macy University highlighted the West's double standard towards China and its human rights problems because of the strength of China's politics, economy and military. Li believes it is patriotic for overseas Chinese to expose the severity of China's human rights situations to Western society.
John Neil from New Zealand Amnesty International said that China's illegally imprisonments are out of control. Neil pointed out that China's imprisonment and live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners have left no survivors who could complain. He praised the ten award recipients as warriors of the bright future.
Feeds