Joint Statement: NGOs and Lawyers Groups Call on Governments & Lao Authorities to 
Ensure the Immediate Release of Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Lu Siwei

August 1, 2023

“We urge the Lao government to: 1. Halt all processes of repatriation for Lu Siwei and release him immediately according to its international human rights obligations; 2. Arrange for him to meet with the relevant UN authorities and a lawyer of his own choosing; 3. Allow him to meet with diplomats from the United States and other countries …

Open Letter Calling for Urgent Action for Girls, 6 and 2, Locked up in a Psychiatric Hospital for over Two Years in China

June 29, 2023

“We are writing to draw your attention to the alarming current circumstances of a Chinese family - Ms. He Fangmei, Mr. Li Xin, and their three young children. He Fangmei’s case is already known to UN human rights experts. She has been illegally detained for over two years without having received a sentence; she has a severe congenital hearing impairment. Her husband, Li Xin, a former journalist, has been sentenced through a closed-door trial to five years in prison. Their three young children have been left without parental care, and their families have been refused permission to visit them.

Joint Letter to US Secretary of State on His Visit to China：US Top-Level Visit Should Focus on Rights

June 14, 2023

“At a time when the Chinese government is committing widespread and grave human rights violations both inside and outside China, it is crucial for you to use the opportunity of your visit to inform your counterparts that the United States intends to work alongside other concerned governments to seek accountability for Chinese government abuses.   

30 Organizations Call for Congressional Urgency in Examining Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices

May 10, 2023

“We write to request that your respective committees schedule business meetings to markup the bipartisan The Hong Kong Economic and trade Office Certification Act (S. 490; H.R. 1103). This bipartisan legislation would force a review of the preferential treatment that Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) currently receive under U.S. law. These organizations may have deserved special treatment when they represented a relatively autonomous Hong Kong; they now operate as little more than propaganda machines for the Chinese Communist Party. We believe this charade must come to an end.

Joint Letter to President Joe Biden: Renew and Expand D.E.D. for Hong Kongers

Dec. 23, 2022

“Amid the global threat of authoritarian expansion, Hong Kongers have stood on the front line. D.E.D. safeguards and empowers those of us who have contributed to that effort. Therefore, we hope you will reauthorize the program for another 18 months to cover existing participants, as well as expand its scope to benefit newer arrivals who have set foot in the U.S. after Aug. 5, 2021.

Joint Statement at NGO Committee Consultation with ECOSOC Accredited NGOs

Dec. 13, 2022

“Beyond accreditation, genuine NGO participation must be enabled free from the fear of reprisals. . . . The depth of global challenges necessitates that NGOs working to promote the UN’s work must be welcomed as partners, and not blocked due to arbitrary and political reasons.

Joint Appeal to Members States of UN General Assembly Third Committee: Sign on to Cross-Regional Joint Statement on Reprisals at the 77th session of the GA Third Committee

Oct. 10, 2022 

“By joining the statement, you will affirm your commitment to rights to freedom of expression and association; show solidarity with human rights defenders, civil society actors and victims of violations worldwide; demonstrate your commitment to dialogue, cooperation and the institutional integrity of the UN; and contribute to ensuring that UN bodies and processes are informed by, and respond effectively to, the needs of communities on the ground.

Joint Open Letter to Xi Jinping Requesting Submission of PRC’s State Report on the Implementation of the Convention Against Torture

Oct. 6, 2022

“Almost three years have passed since the due date (9 December 2019) of the PRC’s latest State party report to the UN Committee Against Torture. We are writing on behalf of the people in the PRC, and human rights defenders worldwide, to request the submission of the above-mentioned report without further delay.

Joint Statement: China Must Protect the Rights of Detained Human Rights Defenders Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing

Sep. 19, 2022

“We, the undersigned civil society groups, call on Chinese authorities to respect and protect [Huang and Wang’s] rights in detention, including access to legal counsel, unfettered communication with family members, their right to health and their right to bodily autonomy. We emphasize that their detention is arbitrary, and we call for their release and for authorities to allow them to carry out their work and make important contributions to social justice. 

Joint Statement: China Must Ensure Basic Rights of Detained Human Rights Defenders Cheng Yuan and Wu Gejianxiong

Jul. 21, 2022

“Ahead of July 22, the third anniversary of their arrest, we urge the Chinese authorities to respect the fundamental rights protected under international law of anti-discrimination activist Cheng Yuan, and to ensure his colleague Wu Gejianxiong is fully released from prison upon completion of his arbitrary sentence. 

Joint Statement: CSOs Urge the Human Rights Council to Renew the Mandate of the Independent Expert on Violence and Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity During its 50th Session

Jun. 17, 2022

We, the 1117 NGOs from 134 States and territories around the world, urge this Council to ensure we continue building a world where everyone can live free from violence and discrimination. To allow this important and unfinished work to continue, we urge the Council to renew the mandate of the Independent Expert on violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Joint Statement: UN High Commissioner Must Uphold Principled and Coherent Response to China’s Human Rights Crisis

Apr. 19, 2022

In anticipation of her upcoming visit to China, HRIC joins 59 human rights NGOs around the world in calling upon Michelle Bachelet to improve her office’s approach to addressing China’s human rights abuses. Among the NGOs’ requests are: release the long-delayed OHCHR report on Xinjiang, ensure the independence of her visit, and secure confidential and unsupervised meetings with arbitrarily detained human rights defenders to assess their well-being.

Open Letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: OHCHR Report on Grave Human Rights Violations in Xinjiang Can Wait No Longer

Mar. 8, 2022

“We, the undersigned [192] human rights organizations, write to follow up on your commitment last year to release a report on grave ongoing human rights violations by Chinese authorities targeting Uyghurs and other Turkic communities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (the Uyghur region). The release of the report without further delay is essential – to send a message to victims and perpetrators alike that no state, no matter how powerful, is above international law or the robust independent scrutiny of your Office. 

(Illustration: The Xinjiang Date Project/Australian Strategic Policy Institute, https://xjdp.aspi.org.au/map/?)

Beijing Olympics Begin Amid Atrocity Crimes: 243 Global Groups Call for Action on Rights Concerns

Jan. 27, 2022

We urge governments to send messages of support to human rights defenders in prison or detention who are paying a great price for advocating reform, defending the rights of others, or simply discussing ways to strengthen civil society in China,’ said Sharon Hom, executive director of Human Rights in China.

Sharon Hom delivers address, “To remember is to resist,” at the 61st anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day, Mar. 10, 2020

Mi Ling Tsui addresses a rally organized by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation commemorating the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre, June 4, 2019

Sharon Hom speaks at rally in support of the Hong Kong 2019 movement October 13, 2019.