The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in The People's Republic of China.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) has been informed by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), a member of the OMCT network, that 14 demonstrators are still being held in police custody in Hong Kong following mass arrests made during a protest rally on December 17th 2005. The 14 are being held on a charge of illegal assembly and may face the more serious charge of assaulting the police. They are due to face trial on December 23rd 2005.

The demonstrators were Korean farmers protesting at the rising poverty and unemployment they face as result of trade policies, and their supporters. According to the information received, most of those in custody are Korean, and include members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). The 14 also include one Taiwanese from a labour website called Coolloud web, two Japanese and one mainland Chinese.

OMCT has been informed of the excessive use of force by the police against the protestors, and of the use of tear gas and pepper spray. Reports suggest that about 60 people suffered injuries as a result of the heavy handed intervention of the police, and three had to be hospitalised. In addition, according to the information received, ill treatment of those in custody has also been reported.

Action requested

Please write to the authorities in the People's Republic of China urging them to:

1. Take all measures necessary to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the 14 detainees;
2. Order their immediate release in the absence of valid charges or, if such charges exist,
3. Order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of this event and the allegations of ill-treatment in custody, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
4. Guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
   
   

Addresses:

• President Hu Jintao, People's Republic of China, c/o Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations in Geneva, Chemin de Surville 11, PO Box 85, 1213 Petit-Lancy 2, Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +4122 793 70 14, E-mail: mission.china@ties.itu.int
• Minister of Justice of the People's Republic of China, Zhang Fusen Buzhang, Sifabu, 10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyangqu, Beijingshi 100020, People's Republic of China, Fax: +86 10 65 292345
• Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Li Zhaoxing Buzhang Waijiaobu, 2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Beijingshi 100701, People's Republic of China, Fax: +86 10 6588 2594, Email: ipc@fmprc.gov.cn
• Mr. Donald Tsang, Chief Executive, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, fax no: +(852) 2509 0577. E-mail: ceo@ceo.gov.hk
• Mr. Ambrose Lee, Security Secretary, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, fax no. +(852) 2530 3502. E-Mail sbeng@sb.gov.uk
  

Please also write to the embassies of the People's Republic China in your respective country.

Geneva, December 22nd 2005