Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying hosted her regular press conference on Mar. 23. During her normal “blatantly answering her own questions” show, she hurled curses and abuses at the U.S., U.K., Canada, and the EU countries. She once again stressed, “they will have to pay the price for their ignorance and arrogance.” After Hua’s performance, all the “patriots” in China, encouraged by the CCP, went onto the streets from the internet world and started to boycott, harass and vandalize the companies of the European and U.S. brands. Being coerced by the modern-day Boxer, many Chinese celebrities in the entertainment industry have publicly terminated their contracts as spokespersons with these brands.

As a former human rights lawyer, I totally understand the current judicial status and human rights situation in China. What I want to say is: Hua Chunying is a shameless liar.

First of all, the CCP does not represent Chinese people. Hua, as always, expresses indignation and condemnation against the U.S. and European countries in the name of the Chinese people. But neither she nor the CCP has got the right to represent the Chinese people. It is the CCP, not the Chinese people, who are anti-U.S./Europe/Japan/Canada/every democratic country. The CCP knew deep down that it established the government on the basis of violence and not the authorization of the people. Therefore, while claiming it serves the people and represents the fundamental interests of the Chinese people, the CCP would not give up the control of the military. When you have control of the military, you have control of the unarmed Chinese people. A regime built based on violence is an illegal regime, and such a regime has no relationship of representing or being represented with the Chinese people.

The most direct proof of the regime’s legitimacy is the votes, and every Chinese person who demands the right to vote is in prison.

Secondly, none of the Chinese people, even the members of the CCP, have the rights stipulated by the constitution and the law. Hua said, “people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, including the Uighurs, enjoy each and every constitutional and lawful right.” What a shameless lie. For example, Article 34 of the CCP’s constitution states that all citizens of China who have reached the age of 18 shall have the right to vote and stand for election. But Chinese people have no right to vote in the past 70 odd years. There is no universal suffrage in China, nor the Chinese people have the right to choose their representative.

Another example is Article 11 of the CCP’s criminal procedure, which states, “the defendants shall have the right to have access to defense.” But the defendants’ right to hire a defense attorney has been stripped of in most sensitive cases. When the CCP knew Huang Wan, daughter-in-law of Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) and Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, hired me to be her defense attorney, it threatened me to withdraw from the case, or else I would be “made disappeared.” Can you imagine how the others will be treated, if even a family with status like Zhou had to go through this?

Thirdly, Chinese people need international attention and help. Hua said, “what they (the U.S., U.K., Canada and European countries) have done is utter denigration and offense to the reputation and dignity of the Chinese people...We urge them not to underestimate Chinese people’s firm determination to defend national interests and dignity.” The criticism and condemnation are from the CCP and the Chinese government, and the sanctioning is from the CCP officials. None of these comes from the Chinese people.

Tyrants do not interfere with the internal affairs of the other tyrants and expect the same from them. They have weapons in their hands and slaves in the country. They do what they like in their territory. But the slaves under oppression want the world to rescue them. The relationship between the CCP and Chinese people, in essence, is ruling and being ruled, oppressing, and being oppressed. The oppressed Chinese people are in desperate need of attention and help from the world.

Also, Xinjiang, in fact, the whole of China, under the rule of the CCP, is a large prison without human rights. Hua said, “Xinjiang residents of various ethnic groups enjoy stability, security, development, and progress, makes it one of the most successful human rights stories.” The shamelessness of her is simply incredible!

Millions of people in Xinjiang have been taken the re-education camps. They received torture, abuse, torment, and assault. Many Xinjiang people have been sent to the mainland factories against their will to work under strict monitoring. Numerous children have been forced to be separated from their parents. They are being fed and brought up by the CCP so they can no longer learn about their language and culture, and they have to accept the “great, glorious and righteousness.” An uncountable amount of Xinjiang elites disappeared. Thankfully, some people managed to escape abroad. But the photos and tears reflect their despair trying to find their parents, brothers, and sisters. Moreover, a large number of women have been forced to be sterilized. I got to know a young Uighur in Washington who left behind after studying. He has already lost touch with his parents and brother and does not know whereabouts they are or if they are still alive. How dare Hua describing such living hell as “the most successful human rights stories”!

A state media of the CCP has once openly commented, “rather the Party spirit than humanity.” To a party member such as Hua Chunying, shamelessly lying is not difficult but a basic skill.

(Chen Jiangang, former human rights lawyer of China, defense attorney of the 709 Crackdown, Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow, American University Washington College of Law.)

Click here for Chinese version

We invite you to join the conversation by submitting columns to our opinion section: [email protected]

Apple Daily reserves the right to refuse, abridge, alter or edit guest opinion columns for accuracy, length, clarity, and style, and the right to withdraw and withhold columns based on the discretion of our editorial page editors.

The opinions of the writers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial board.

---------------------------------

Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app: bit.ly/2yMMfQE

To download the latest version,

iOS: bit.ly/AD_iOS

Android: bit.ly/AD_android

Or search Appledaily in App Store or Google Play