Society of American Law Teachers—SALT—Statement Condemning China’s Crackdown on Civil Rights Lawyers

Central Islip--On June 10, 2008, SALT issued a Statement condemning the harassment, intimidation, and disbarment of Chinese human rights lawyers.  As recently reported by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Human Rights Watch, China’s crackdown against these lawyers has seriously escalated.  Among the targeted lawyers are those representing Tibetan protesters, parents of children killed during the Sichuan earthquake or sickened by tainted milk powder, patients with HIV/AIDS, farmers evicted from their land, victims of police brutality, and members of the Falun Gong sect.  China’s attempts to silence these lawyers have ranged from threats of disbarment to arrests and physical attacks.

One of the targeted human rights lawyers is Jiang Tianyong whose license renewal was delayed last year when he refused to stop representing Tibetan protesters and whose license is in jeopardy again because he has continued to represent Tibetan monks in high profile cases.

Other prominent human rights lawyers have faced physical violence.  In April 2009, Cheng Hai was badly beaten in Chengdu for representing a student imprisoned for practicing Falun Gong.  In May 2009, Zhang Kai and Li Chunfu were detained and beaten by police officers for representing the family of a man who died in a re-education-through-work camp.

China’s strategy of attempting to intimidate and control lawyers by threatening to delay or deny license renewal is not a new one.  What is new is the breadth and intensity of the current crackdown.  More than twenty prominent civil rights lawyers are currently encountering difficulty renewing their licenses. Law firms have reportedly been advised to issue poor performance evaluations to civil rights lawyers as a way of assisting authorities in disbarring these lawyers.  Law firms have also been warned of adverse consequences should they continue to hire lawyers willing to take human rights cases. 

Both American and Chinese law students learn about the critical role of the rule of law in promoting social stability.  It is incumbent upon both countries to demonstrate to law students, and the general public, that our respective governments will adhere to the rule of law even when individuals take positions with which the government disagrees.  An attack on lawyers representing victims of governmental abuse is a direct attack on the rule of law.  Lawyers who represent the powerless and the politically unpopular symbolize all that is noble in the profession.  By ensuring access to justice, these lawyers work to promote the rule of law and thereby stabilize society.  We applaud their courage and condemn the policy of the Chinese government to deprive its citizenry of legal representation by retaliating against human rights lawyers.

SALT calls on the government of China to desist from its repressive and punitive campaign of intimidation against human rights lawyers; urges the government of China to comply with its June 2008 promise to initiate reforms to protect the independence of lawyers; and calls on the United States government to condemn China’s recent crackdown against lawyers.

SALT Co-Presidents

Recommend this article...

Did you enjoy this article? Please bookmark it onto:

Be first to comment this article

Write Comment

Please keep the topic of messages relevant to the subject of the article. Personal verbal attacks will be deleted. Please don't use comments to plug your web site. Such material will be removed. Just ensure to *Refresh* your browser for a new security code to be displayed prior to clicking on the 'Send' button. Keep in mind that the above process only applies if you simply entered the wrong security code.
Name:
E-mail
Homepage
Title:
BBCode:
Comment:
Code:*
	I wish to be contacted by email regarding additional comments

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.4