BACK-AND-FORTH SANCTIONS ACCUSE CHINA OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

KARISA YUASA

China placed sanctions on several British politicians on March 26, following the move of the United Kingdom to join the European Union and other countries in sanctioning Chinese officials for alleged human rights violations, according to AP News.

The Chinese government is accused of detaining Muslim Uighur people in mass detention centers in the Xinjiang region.

“We, the Foreign Ministers of Canada and the United Kingdom, and the United States Secretary of State, are united in our deep and ongoing concern regarding China’s human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang,” reads a joint statement from March 22. “China’s extensive program of repression includes severe restrictions on religious freedoms, the use of forced labour, mass detention in internment camps, forced sterilisations, and the concerted destruction of Uyghur heritage.”

On March 17, the EU decided to place sanctions on Chinese officials, which were approved by foreign ministers on March 22. These were the first sanctions the EU has evoked on China since an arms embargo following the 1989 Tiananmen Square Crackdown, according to Reuters. The 11 individuals and entities on the EU’s list faced travel bans and asset freezes.

On the day the EU sanctions were approved, the U.S., United Kingdom and Canada announced similar sanctions on Chinese officials in Xinjiang.

“Acting together sends the clearest possible signal that the international community is united in its condemnation of China’s human rights violations in Xinjiang and the need for Beijing to end its discriminatory and oppressive practices in the region,” the U.K.’s foreign ministry said.

China reacted by placing sanctions on 10 EU citizens the same day, denying all accusations of abuse, according to Deutsche Welle. Officials said the sanctions were due to “gross interference” in internal affairs and “flagrantly violating international law.”

“As long as China commits genocide on the Uyghurs, I will not remain silent,” wrote Dutch lawmaker Sjoerd Sjoerdsma—who was placed on China’s sanction list—on Twitter. “These sanctions are proof that China is susceptible to outside pressure. I hope my European colleagues will seize this moment to speak out as well.”

“I learned that I am targeted by Chinese sanctions, banished from Chinese territory (as well as all my family!) And forbidden from any contact with official institutions and Chinese companies in my defense of the Uyghur people: it is my legion of honor. #FreeUyghurs,” Raphael Glucksmann, a member of European Parliament, wrote in French on Twitter. MUSLIM UIGHURS. COURTESY OF BBC

China later placed sanctions on nine Britons, including lawmakers that “maliciously spread lies and disinformation,” according to Reuters.

“China does not stir up trouble, but China is not afraid when others do,” said Yang Xiaoguang, China’s charge d’affaires in London, at a news conference. “China is not the first to shoot, neither will we be passive and submissive to threats from the outside. Today’s world is not the world of 120 years ago. The Chinese people will not be bullied.”

The sanctions bar the nine individuals and their immediate families from entering any Chinese territory. In addition, the ministry of foreign affairs announced that “their property in China will be frozen, and Chinese citizens and institutions will be prohibited from doing business with them,” according to Deutsche Welle.

“China is firmly determined to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and warns the U.K. side not to go further down the wrong path,” the Chinese ministry said, according to Reuters. “Otherwise, China will resolutely make further reactions.”

Other countries have also released statements on the matter.

“New Zealand and Australia welcome the measures announced overnight by Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States,” wrote New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta and Australia Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne in a joint statement.

“We share these countries’ deep concerns, which are held across the New Zealand and Australian communities.Today we underscore the importance of transparency and accountability, and reiterate our call on China to grant meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang for United Nations experts, and other independent observers.”

Of those that received sanctions, some British members of Parliament have been outspoken with their criticism of the actions of the Chinese government.

“Britain puts sanctions on individuals who violate the human rights of Chinese citizens, wrote sanctioned British Member of Parliament Tom Tugendhat on Twitter. “China puts sanctions on individuals who defend the human rights of Chinese citizens. The contrast is clear.”

“It’s our duty to call out the Chinese Govt’s human rights abuse in #HongKong & the genocide of the #Uyghurs,” sanctioned Member of Parliament Ian Duncan Smith tweeted. “Those of us who live free lives under the rule of law must speak for those who have no voice. If that brings the anger of China down on me, I’ll wear that badge of honour.”

SAM GARCIA

ASKING THE QUESTION: ARE SANCTIONS ENOUGH?

WHEN AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES COMMIT HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, THEY’RE OFTEN MET WITH SANCTIONS—AND ONLY SANCTIONS

CONOR CARROLL

THE QUESTION

In February 2020, the International Bar Association (IBA) released a report entitled “Report on the Use of Targeted Sanctions to Protect Journalists.” It was drafted by Dr. Amal Clooney, a renowned lawyer and human rights activist.

According to the Executive Summary of this 2020 report, “abuses of media freedom around the world are stifling speech and shredding the very fabric of democracies...annual reports on democracy record that media freedom has been deteriorating around the world over the past decade in open societies and authoritarian states alike.

“Of all the indicators that go into defining a liberal democracy, freedom of expression and the media are the areas under the most severe attack by governments around the world.”

In its 2021 analysis, the international watchdog group Freedom Watch stated, “the impact of the long-term democratic decline has become increasingly global in nature, broad enough to be felt by those living under the cruelest dictatorships, as well as by citizens of long-standing democracies. Nearly 75% of the world’s population lived in a country that faced [democratic] deterioration last year.”

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin’s government has been consistently rated one the lowest on Freedom Watch’s “Freedom in the World Report” for many years. The “report card” that Freedom Watch issues on a yearly basis is a one out of 100 score, based on political freedoms and civil rights, like free and fair elections and protection of dissent.

Russia’s 2021 “score” was 20 out of 100. Other non-democratic nations have received similar scores—China received a score of 9, while Saudi Arabia was awarded a score of 7 out of 100.

The Biden administration recently disclosed an Office for the Director of International intelligence (ODNI) report on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, regarding the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, confirming that the Saudi Government, specifically the Crown Prince Mohummad bin Salman, were directly responsible for Khashoggi’s death.

The Biden administration has issued sanctions and warnings to the Saudi government, but continues to participate economically and diplomatically with the Kingdom of Saud unabated. This manner of punishment on the world stage is common among resource-rich, diplomatic partners of the U.S. and other western democracies, and some experts wonder if this is sufficient to combat such violence and anti-democratic action.

Several professors at Portland State weighed in on the issue of whether sanctions are enough to curb these assaults on democracy, and what the nature of their use means in a political context.

THE RESPONSES

From Professor Gerry Sussman, Ph.D., who bridges urban and international studies through a joint faculty position with the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning and the International and Global Studies Program:

“As I see it, there are many forms of sanctions, and they’ve been practiced for a long time, with varying levels of success. The sanctions used against Japan in 1940—oil and metals cutoffs—led to the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Pacific War. The sanctions used against the apartheid regime in South Africa, on the other hand, were quite effective in bringing down that racist regime,” Sussman said.

“Currently, the [United States] is using sanctions against many countries, some 30 countries in total, either the whole country or persons in those countries. For the most part, they do not seem to be working to force changes that the U.S. is seeking...It’s quite interesting how public officials decry the rebellion that took place on the Capitol in January, yet look the other way when US foreign policy is deliberately promoting rebellion in other countries, including those that have had democratic elections,” Sussman continued.

“If one believes in international law, then sanctions imposed without provocation, i.e., used as interventionist tools, are illegal. The U.N. Charter calls for respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and self-determination of all nations, which the U.S. in the postwar era has never respected. Saudi Arabia is a case of a brutal dictatorship, yet the U.S. supports it completely out of a sense of ‘national interest,’ without any real consideration of human rights. The same could be said about the human rights abuses in other allied states that the U.S. chooses to ignore.”

From Professor Leopoldo Rodriguez, an associate professor at PSU affiliated with International Development Studies, Latin American Studies and the Economic Department:

“U.S. foreign policy responds to geopolitical interests, not to human rights or democratic principles. Sanctions come in many forms and vary greatly in intensity. Severe sanctions are often imposed on nations that do not conform to U.S. interests, such as Venezuela or Iran, while less democratic regimes such as Saudi Arabia literally get away with murder,” Rodriguez said.

“So, [this is] the wrong question because sanctions never seek to stop authoritarian regimes. They are meant to prop up vital geopolitical interests around the world. A highly visible assassination took place under the directions of the Saudi prince and all that comes out of it is a minor slap on the wrist for his henchmen.”

“Such a response is basically a declaration that the Saudi government can continue to act with full impunity as far as the U.S. is concerned. I do not need to explain why Saudi Arabia is a key geopolitical asset for the U.S.,” Rodriguez said.

From Shawn Smallman, a professor of International Studies with a Ph.D.:

“This is an interesting question. While sanctions are an important tool, alone they are not enough to prevent the murder or kidnapping of dissidents. For example, many Russian dissidents and oligarchs have moved to Britain. In two cases— Litvinenko in 2006 and Sergei V. Skripal in 2018—dissidents were poisoned by Russian agents.”

“The British investigation was very thorough, and the guilt of particular Russian agents was clearly established. In the aftermath, Russian individuals were sanctioned, but this has not greatly changed Russian behavior,” Smallman said.

“Similarly, after the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea in Ukraine, Russia faced significant U.S. and EU sanctions. Such sanctions, however, cannot change behavior when a regime believes that its survival is threatened, or key national interests are at stake.”

“We have seen proof of this with the Navalny case. Sanctions do, however, raise the cost so that regimes are less likely to carry out such murders or actions. Sanctions are much more effective when done in concert with allies, and when accompanied by other tools of diplomacy,” Smallman said.

Economic and otherwise, sanctions are often popular methods of punishing or holding responsible those countries that refuse to adhere to democratic norms. So, If the question “do sanctions work” is not the right one, what question is?

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THIS WEEK around the WORLD

Mar. 28–Apr. 2

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March 28 MAKASSAR, INDONESIA

At least 20 people were wounded when two suicide bombers detonated outside of a packed Catholic cathedral on Palm Sunday, according to AP News. Police announced late Sunday they believed one of the attackers was associated with Jemaah Anshorut Daulah or J.A.D., the extremist group accused of carrying out other bombings in 2019 and multiple church attacks in 2018. “The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack that took place at Makassar Church in Makassar,” stated United Nations Security Council President Linda Thomas-Greenfield in a press statement. “The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.”

March 28 GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS

Officials discovered 185 baby tortoises in a suitcase headed to Mainland Ecuador, according to The New York Times. The baby tortoises were found wrapped in plastic in a red suitcase. According to Al Jazeera, Nixon Alejandro was arrested on the charge of a crime against wild flora and fauna, which can carry a three-year sentence. “No second thought is given to these people who do so much harm to society, the environment, health and the ecosystem, we will apply the full weight of the law,” Ecuador’s Minister of Environment Marcelo Mata said. “And as Ecuador’s main environmental body, we will be ready to collaborate with prosecutors and other authorities.” 10 of the tortoises were found dead and five more died the following day.

3 March 30 GERMANY

German health officials announced that use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine would be restricted to those under 60 years old following unusual blood clots being found in those that have received the shot, according to AP News. “In sum, it’s about weighing the risk of a side effect that is statistically small, but needs to be taken seriously, and the risk of falling ill with [COVID-19],” said Health Minister Jens Spahn. Germany’s vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, announced it had registered 31 cases of the rare blood clot in the brain, nine of which led to deaths, according to Al Jazeera. With the new restriction, people under 60 are able to receive the vaccine, however only after a doctor’s recommendation following a risk analysis conversation.

4 March 31 LIBYA

Following Libya’s new unity government taking office in early March, western Libyan authorities have released 105 military leader loyalists who are believed to have surrendered peacefully in 2019. The unity government was established to replace the two rival administrations that had ruled in east and west Libya. According to Reuters, the move to release the prisoners from Khalifa Haftar’s eastern-based Libyan National Army was made to solidify the ceasefire efforts started in October. “The development is a symbol of goodwill so that Libyans can turn the page and move towards bringing the country together after years of division, as we move towards coming elections,” said Malik Traina, a reporter for Al Jazeera. Although the agreement led to a ceasefire between the two major groups, on the local level, many areas are controlled by armed groups that control the country’s oil wealth.

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April 2 HUALIEN COUNTY, TAIWAN

At least 51 people died after a train carrying over 400 passengers hit a truck and derailed, according to AP News. The train came off its tracks while entering a tunnel heading from the capital of Taipei to the city of Taitung, after hitting a truck that slid off of a nearby road. “People just fell all over each other, on top of one another,” a survivor told a local news channel, as reported by Reuters. “It was terrifying. There were whole families there.” Emergency rescuers were sent to aid survivors after the crash. “In response to a train derailment in Hualien, Taiwan, our emergency services have been fully mobilized to rescue & assist the passengers & railway staff affected,” wrote Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Twitter. “We will continue to do everything we can to ensure their safety in the wake of this heartbreaking incident.”