Last Saturday, the Chinese embassy in Bangkok, Thailand witnessed something new: the first 24-hour protest in front of its gates, advocating for improved human rights in China and "stopping the violence." The Thailand contingent of the Asia Pacific Human Rights Hunger Strike Support League officially began its month-long action at the embassy on February 18.
The League was formed on February 10 as part of an international movement initiated by celebrated Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng. Barred from practicing law and having his office closed after criticizing the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) violence against Falun Gong and other persecuted groups, Gao called for concerned Chinese to "carry out symbolic hunger strikes to support citizens who have encountered violence and illegal persecution inside and outside of China." Gao also called for international solidarity to support and inspire the participants on the Mainland.
"I want to express support for freedom. Thailand is a free country… The Chinese [authorities] have focused on economic improvements; how come human rights have made no advances, and are even backing in the wrong direction? I am here to expose their crimes against human rights," said Mr. Damronchai Tensrijron, 50, a local Thai merchant, while protesting at the embassy.
While born in Thailand and a Thai citizen, Tensrijron is of Chinese extraction himself, and proficient in Mandarin. He is one of approximately 10 people who took turns maintaining the protest between 10:00am on Saturday and 24 hours later. Anywhere between four and ten demonstrators were there at any given time, though all of them undertook the hunger strike part of the action. Approximately 30 people that did not go to the embassy participated as well.
"Many of us are professionals, and can't be here the whole time. Some of us can't come at all for personal reasons. But we are here in spirit, with Gao and the others in China, and we definitely can fast for at least 24 hours," said another protestor, who asked not to be named.
As of February 19, more than 800 people in 23 Chinese provinces have officially joined the hunger strike in mainland China, with another 4000 others supporting it, according to a recent Radio Free Asia report. Because of arrests of some of the participants by Chinese authorities and their concentrated attempts to disrupt communications among hunger strikers, Gao suggested on the 19th that others willing to act can do so under a pseudonym.
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In Asia, the League was formed with nine participating countries in the region: Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand and Macao, according to a press statement. Other countries with rotating hunger strikers include seven countries in Europe, the USA, Canada, and Australia. Thailand participants will hunger strike every nine days, with the next day of action being February 27, and the League has issued a call to Thai human rights advocates to "join a global hunger strike to protest escalating CCP violence in China and overseas."
"I want Thai society to know about this, it is one of the more significant events in modern Chinese history. Maybe it is a good model to facilitate peaceful transformation," said Bangkok Dentist and League spokesperson Dr. Paitoon Suriyawongpaisal, 55. He believes that Chinese citizens peacefully standing up for themselves, as well as for their persecuted fellows, is highly significant.
"Imagine, the Chinese Communist Party is such a powerful organization in the world, but also the most barbaric one! [It was] Very difficult, almost impossible to imagine initiating a campaign like this in the past, so we should support it," he said.
The campaign also exposed the high profile February 8 attack on U.S. Epoch Times IT tech Mr. Yuan Li in his Atlanta, Georgia home, by alleged CCP agents. The attack was denounced by several international organizations, including journalist rights advocate Reporters Without Borders.
"Right now we are just doing this as individuals. We hope that some prominent human rights organizations, as well as others interested, will join us soon," said a League spokesperson.
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