Japanese Parliamentary Caucus Speaks Out About China’s Human Rights Violations

Fleur Harmsen

Tibet and Human Rights Researcher,

Global Human Rights Defence.

Japanese parliamentarians supporting Tibet, Uyghur and Southern Mongolia gathered on the 5th of December 2022 in the Parliament’s conference hall, announcing the formation of a Parliamentarian caucus to monitor human rights violations by the Chinese communist party (CTA, 2022). 

The announcement coincided with the passing of a resolution by the Japanese House of Councillors (Upper House) condemning human rights and religious freedom violations by China. The resolution underlined Japan’s concern about the human rights violations in Southern Mongolia, Tibet, Hong Kong, East Turkestan and other regions (CTA, 2022 & Lhamo, 2022).

Lawmakers and ministers criticized the international community’s silence regarding the human rights violations by China, allowing China to commit ubiquitous atrocities with impunity. They called for international cooperation to speak against China’s human rights abuses (CTA, 2022). During these gatherings and in the resolution, China was never named, referring to it as the “government of the country concerned” (Lhamo, 2022).

As of mid-2014, China is party to six UN human rights treaties, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These are: the International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the Eliminiation of All Forms of Discrmination Against Women, the International Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilites. Many of these conventions, if not all, have been violated due to China’s repressive regime, arbitrarily incarcerating writers, activists, monks, journalists and artists on ground of “inciting separatism”, relocating entire communities from their ancestral lands and subjecting many to torture, cruel and inhumane treatment. 

Japan’s condemnation of China’s exhaustive human rights violations is an important step in reaffirming the need for China to respect the principles of international law, especially concerning people’s right to self-determination. The resolution and the formation of a parliamentarians caucus reiterates the international community’s duty to uphold international law principles around the world, not solely within their terrestrial boundaries.

This is particularly important regarding the right to self-determination. The latter is enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both signed and ratified by China. Article 1 of the Charter states that the purpose of the UN is to ensure friendly relations among nations founded on the principles of equal rights and self-determination of peoples. In addition, Article 55 of the same charter summarizes a similar principle as the member states of the UN ought to foster conditions of stability and well-being in order to ensure the friendly relation stipulated in Article 1 based on the respect of the self-determination of peoples. Japan is upholding these principles by defending the rights of Tibetans, Uyghurs and Southern Mongolians in China. 

Sources and further reading:

Central Tibetan Administration (2022, December 6). Japanese Parliamentary Caucus to Monitor Human Rights in China Formed. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://tibet.net/japanese-parliamentary-caucus-to-monitor-human-rights-in-china-formed/ 

Lhamo, C. (2022, December 7). Japan adopts resolution on human rights abuses in Tibet, East Turkestan. Phayul Newsdesk. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://www.phayul.com/2022/12/07/47772/