Jiangxi Elementary School Explosion: A Look at Human Rights in China Rhonda Maynard
aegis 2006
Introduction On March 7, 2001, thirty-seven children in a small village southwest of Shanghai were killed when firecrackers they were forced to assemble at school exploded. The blast sparked outrage throughout the world and brought to the forefront, once again, China’s record of human rights abuses. The incident presents a unique opportunity to examine human rights in China. We can analyze the event to answer the following questions: 1) Which human rights, if any, were violated? 2) Does international pressure force change? and 3) How does China define “human rights?” PART I. WHICH HUMAN RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED? According to the United Nations “Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” the following rights were violated during the course of this event and cover-up. A discussion follows. Article 23. (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment…
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Article 26. (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages…
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Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers… Article 12. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to protection of the law against such interference or attacks…1 Free Choice of Employment and Right to Free Education According to the standards set forth by the United Nations, the Jiangxi elementary school explosion serves as an example of the violation of both free choice of employment and the right to free education. Simply put, the children were forced to work; thus, they did not have free choice of employment. Moreover, reports stated the school factory was set up because of government imposed budget cuts for education. In other words, the students allegedly worked to fund the school, which is an infringement on their right to free education. After the event, Chinese people expressed shock and outrage on Web sites and Internet chat
