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China & Tibet - Human Rights Watch World Report 1999 Chapter | The Three Chinese Detainees |
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December 9, 1998
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright Dear Secretary Albright: We urge the Administration to request that the trials of recently arrested dissidents in China, beginning on December 17, be open to the public and to international observers, including diplomats and the foreign media. We respectfully suggest that you personally contact the Chinese foreign minister and justice minister to urge that U.S. diplomats be allowed to attend.
Opening the trial of Mr. Wang to outside observers would be consistent with the Chinese constitution, which guarantees all Chinese citizens the right to a public trial. In addition, on December 2, Xiao Yang, the president of the Supreme Court, announced that judicial reform would be a high priority in the coming year, including opening court proceedings to the public in order to increase understanding of the judicial process. As you know, China has signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, though it has not ratified the treaty. The ICCPR states, in Article 14, that "everyone shall be entitled to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal." The ICCPR also guarantees the right to freedom of association (Article 22). We would appreciate your urgent attention to this matter, and look forward to your response. I am taking the liberty of sending copies of this letter to other officials in the State Department and National Security Council. Sincerely,
Sidney Jones |
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