Civil liberties in the People's Republic of China
Encyclopedia
Civil liberties of the People's Republic of China The People's Republic of China
ostensibly guarantees its citizens' rights and civil liberties
under the Constitution of the People's Republic of China
.
The People's Republic of China
is signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
, but has not ratified it.
In November 1992, 192 number of Chinese political activists and democracy advocates submitted a petition to the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China
to introduce political reforms. One of the six demands was the ratification of the Covenant. As a reaction to the petition, the Chinese authorities arrested Zhao Changqing, proponent of the petition, and are still holding a number of activists for attempted subversion.
According to an Amnesty International
report covering the year 2005, "Limited legal and judicial reforms did little to improve human rights protection. Tens of thousands of people continued to be detained in violation of their human rights and were at risk of torture or ill-treatment."
Freedom of speech, protected by the Fundamental Rights and Duties of Citizens of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China
, allows people the freedom to express themselves and enjoy the expressions of others in nearly all instances. However, in practice, the Government is highly sensitive to those who criticise it through claimed advocation of democracy and political reforms. Ironically, although the Central government is attempting to deal with corruption, calls from citizens for an end to end political corruption often provoke clampdowns.
The Chinese Government routinely censors its citizens' access to information on the World Wide Web
.
Great Firewall of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
ostensibly guarantees its citizens' rights and civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
under the Constitution of the People's Republic of China
Constitution of the People's Republic of China
The Constitution of the People's Republic of China is the highest law within the People's Republic of China. The current version was adopted by the 5th National People's Congress on December 4, 1982 with further revisions in 1988, 1993, 1999, and 2004. Three previous state constitutions—those of...
.
The People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
is signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976...
, but has not ratified it.
In November 1992, 192 number of Chinese political activists and democracy advocates submitted a petition to the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China
National Congress of the Communist Party of China
The National Congress of the Communist Party of China is a party congress that is held about once every five years. The National Congress is theoretically the highest body within the Communist Party of China, but in practice important decisions are made before the meeting. Since 1987 the National...
to introduce political reforms. One of the six demands was the ratification of the Covenant. As a reaction to the petition, the Chinese authorities arrested Zhao Changqing, proponent of the petition, and are still holding a number of activists for attempted subversion.
According to an Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
report covering the year 2005, "Limited legal and judicial reforms did little to improve human rights protection. Tens of thousands of people continued to be detained in violation of their human rights and were at risk of torture or ill-treatment."
Freedom of speech
Main article: Freedom of speech in the People's Republic of China and Human rights in the People's Republic of ChinaHuman rights in the People's Republic of China
Human rights in the People's Republic of China are a matter of dispute between the Chinese government, other countries, international NGOs, and dissidents inside the country. Organizations such as the U.S. State Department, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have accused the Chinese...
Freedom of speech, protected by the Fundamental Rights and Duties of Citizens of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China
Constitution of the People's Republic of China
The Constitution of the People's Republic of China is the highest law within the People's Republic of China. The current version was adopted by the 5th National People's Congress on December 4, 1982 with further revisions in 1988, 1993, 1999, and 2004. Three previous state constitutions—those of...
, allows people the freedom to express themselves and enjoy the expressions of others in nearly all instances. However, in practice, the Government is highly sensitive to those who criticise it through claimed advocation of democracy and political reforms. Ironically, although the Central government is attempting to deal with corruption, calls from citizens for an end to end political corruption often provoke clampdowns.
The Chinese Government routinely censors its citizens' access to information on the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
.
Electoral Rights and Equality
All citizens of the People's Republic of China who have reached the age of 18 have the right to vote and stand for election, regardless of nationality, race, sex, occupation, family background, religious belief, education, property status, or length of residence, except persons deprived of political rights according to law.See also
Open letter to the Sixteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of ChinaOpen letter to the Sixteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China
The Open Letter to the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was a petition from political activists in the People's Republic of China which urged the Chinese Communist Party to introduce political reforms....
Great Firewall of China