Aug
20
Human Rights in China
Filed Under Current Issues, News, Religion
Zenit reported in late July that 4 Chinese priests had been arrested for refusing to join the Patriotic Association, a government agency that monitors the practice of religions in the country. Zenit also reported that at least five bishops and 15 priests are also imprisoned along with and unknown number of lay people.
This is toped by MSNBC/Newsweek reporting that China has required government permission for Tibetan Buddhist Monks to reincarnate. The State Administration for Religious Affairs is quoted as calling the new law, “an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation.” The MSNBC/Newsweek article goes on to explain that the Chinese government is attempting to suppress the Buddhist presence in Tibet by controlling who the new Dalai Lama is.
These are two recent examples of the Chinese Government’s continued crimes against human rights. The existence of basic human rights has been acknowledged since the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215. The very acknowledgement that human rights exist begins to pave the way for a logical progression that recognizes the basic right of the free expression of religion. Neither the Catholic Church nor the teachings of Buddhism offer any substantial threat to the operation of an earnest government serving the needs of its subjects. These acts of the Communist Party of China to deny the basic rights of its people coupled with its continued censorship of the press and Internet stand in bold testimony to the corruption of the Communist Party.
And yet, these are not the only examples of human rights violations by the CPC. Who can forget the shootings in Tiananmen Square in 1989? It seems that anyone who dares question the CPC is quickly impression, killed, or otherwise silenced.
The 20th Century showed that Communism is neither a practical nor an effective form of government. Perhaps the greatest socio-political achievement of that century was the defeat of a system that dominated its political landscape and caused international turmoil. The international community to work diligently to protect the rights of those living in the PRC and at least reform, if not replace, a government plagued with corruption at the expense of its citizens.