The non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized Brazilian President Lula da Silva for not ignoring Beijing’s “terrible human rights record” during his official trip to China last week.
In a text published on its online page this Tuesday, with a critical and sarcastic tone regarding Lula da Silva’s position in China, HRW recalled that the Brazilian constitution determines that the Brazilian government has as a pillar of its foreign policy the defense of human rights.
“So when President Lula visited China a few days ago, of course, he mentioned Beijing’s appalling human rights record, right?” he jokingly wrote to HRW.
During its visit to the Asian giant, Brazil signed around 20 agreements to strengthen ties in the areas of trade, phytosanitary protocols, technology, development, energy transition and other areas of collaboration within the framework of the bilateral strategic association.
“Regarding the agreements on respect for human rights: zero,” criticized the non-governmental organization, which also recalled that Lula da Silva openly defends a policy of social justice and human rights in his country, and that when he took office on January 1, he “promised to reverse the decline in human rights in Brazil, moving away from the authoritarian policies of his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.”
“Apparently, this does not apply to the relations of the Lula Administration with China. I suppose that authoritarianism and abuses are okay when they are happening to other people?”, reinforced HRW.
Beijing stands accused of en masse incarcerating Uyghurs, a majority Muslim community in western China, in vast labor camps, including in the Xinjiang region.
Several Western countries accuse Beijing of having detained, in recent years, in re-education camps, under strict surveillance, a million Uyghurs, a minority of Muslim origin, as well as members of other ethnic groups in the region.
“Beijing is also hollowing out the language, culture and religion of Tibetans, and has rapidly dismantled Hong Kong’s freedoms,” HRW charged.
As with Macao since 1999, Hong Kong agreed to a 50-year period from 1997 with a high degree of autonomy, at the executive, legislative and judicial levels, with the Chinese central government being responsible for foreign relations and defense, under the principle of “one country, two systems”.
“Throughout China, the authorities are carrying out ideological and social control, arresting, harassing and intimidating anyone who criticizes the administration. The Chinese government has long banned self-employed unions,” the non-governmental organization recalled.
Brazil’s previous administration, headed by Jair Bolsonaro, according to HRW, also did not speak out against “the horrors” of human rights in China, just that Lula da Silva “seemed to promise something different, something perhaps more in line with constitutional obligation.” “. defend human rights in foreign policy”
“Where was that spirit in Beijing last week?” HRW asked.
Source: TSF
