The global Human Rights Torch Relay has officially spread to mainland China, and the residents of Shanghai have joined to support the relay and advocate universal human rights for all throughout the world.
The global Human Rights Torch Relay, an effort initiated by many overseas associations and groups, is now spreading throughout the entire country. The Shanghai residents have already launched their Human Rights Torch Relay activities.
280 Shanghai residents wrote in an open letter, “The same world, the same human rights. As the human rights torch spreads around the world, we welcome the human rights torch to China, and welcome it to Shanghai. The Human Rights Torch Relay symbolizes light, peace, justice, fairness and universal love. Let those false gods, corrupt officials and those who promote class struggle, racial segregation and hatred leave this world!”
They expressed, “The Shanghai residents fully support the objectives of the Human Rights Torch Relay—namely promoting human rights, advocating democracy, opposing persecutions, and advocating goodness. We will use various avenues to carry out the Human Rights Torch Relay activities.”
In June 2007, roughly 800 Shanghai residents used their real names to publish an open letter titled “An Open Letter of Urgent Appeals from Shanghai Residents: We Want Human Rights, Not the Olympics ” online. The letter expressed that even though the 2008 Beijing Olympics is approaching, it has not brought them good fortune nor joy. Instead, since 2006, they have experienced unprecedented human rights disasters.
The letter also points out that having the Olympics in China should be the glory and good fortune of the Chinese people since the Olympics symbolizes peace, friendliness, unity, and nonviolence. However, the Chinese people are deprived of their basic human rights and freedom. The communist regime spends massive amounts of financial resources on the Olympics for its own reputation and good publicity. The regime not only does not care about the life or death of the citizens, but is also unceasingly encroaching upon their rights, causing the citizens not to care for the Olympics in China.
