Joint Statement - NGOs and Lawyers Groups Call on Governments & Lao Authorities to Ensure the Immediate Release of Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Lu Siwei (English & Laotian Translations)

NGOs and Lawyers Groups Call on Governments & Lao Authorities
to Ensure the Immediate Release of Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Lu Siwei

A Joint Statement

(1 August 2023) Lao authorities have reportedly arrested and detained well-known Chinese human rights lawyer Lu Siwei since 28 July 2023. We are gravely concerned that he is at serious risk of forced repatriation to China where he faces the high likelihood of torture and other ill-treatment.

Southeast Asian governments have frequently been pressured into forcibly returning vulnerable individuals back to China, where they have faced arbitrary detention, unfair trials, torture, enforced disappearances, and other ill-treatment. Our organizations have documented numerous cases, ranging from the 2009 forced return of Uyghurs from Cambodia to the August 2022 disappearance of Chinese democracy activist Dong Guangping from Vietnam into Chinese custody. Gui Minhai, a bookseller, was disappeared in Thailand in 2015 only to resurface in China without his passport. These individuals are effectively disappeared for extended periods, with family members and colleagues unable to obtain information until months or years after.

We urge third party governments to:

Ask Lao authorities to immediately halt Lu Siwei’s repatriation and to move quickly to ensure he has access to the relevant UN authorities and a lawyer of his choice; and,
Publicly call on Chinese authorities to drop any potential charges against Lu Siwei.

By handing Lu Siwei over to the Chinese authorities, the Lao government would be putting Lu Siwei at grave risk of torture and inhuman treatment. UN rights experts have found that the Chinese government frequently subjects rights defenders and lawyers to torture and inhuman treatment. ¹Under international customary law and as a state party to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) since September 2012, the Lao PDR government has a non-refoulement obligation as stipulated in Article 3 of the CAT not to return a person to a state where they are at high likelihood of being subjected to torture.

We urge the Lao government to:

Halt all processes of repatriation for Lu Siwei and release him immediately according to its international human rights obligations;
Arrange for him to meet with the relevant UN authorities and a lawyer of his own choosing;
Allow him to meet with diplomats from the United States and other countries, as needed, to help him resume his journey to reunite with his family currently in the United States; and
Pending the above, to disclose his whereabouts and ensure his personal safety as well as his physical and mental well-being.

Lu Siwei is a renowned rights defender and lawyer in China, advocating for vulnerable groups and representing numerous political dissidents. As the Chinese authorities have become increasingly intolerant of independent rights advocacy, they have targeted Lu with intimidation and harassment, including disbarment in January 2021 for online speech that allegedly “endangered national security”. Lu Siwei was also physically attacked while traveling to the hearing for his disbarment. Since then, Lu has been closely monitored by the Chinese authorities and subject to an exit ban since May 2021. It is understood that Lu was in Laos en route to joining his family in the United States.

Undersigned, in alphabetical order

1. ALTSEAN-Burma

2. Amnesty International

3. ARTICLE 19

4. Asia Democracy Network (ADN)

5. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

6. Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales

7. Bytes For All, Pakistan

8. Campaign For Uyghurs

9. Chicago Solidarity with Hong Kong

10. ChinaAid

11. China Change

12. Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)

13. Civic Initiatives

14. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation 15. Comité pour la Liberté à Hong-Kong

16. Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation

17. Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt (CADTM)

18. CSW

19. Defense without Borders-Solidarity Lawyers (DSF-AS)

20. Exile Hub, Thailand, Myanmar

21. FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

22. Focus on the Global South

23. Foundation for Media Alternatives

24. Free Expression Myanmar

25. Freedom Seekers International

26. Freiheit für Hongkong e.V.

27. Fresh Eyes, United Kingdom

28. Front Line Defenders

29. Georgetown Center for Asian Law

30. Gill H. Boehringer, Professor, Chair, Australian Branch, IAPL

31. Girl Up Southeast Asia

32. Hong Kong Aid

33. Hong Kong Democracy Council

34. Hong Kong Watch

35. Hongkonger in Deutschland e.V.

36. Human Rights in China

37. Human Rights Now

38. Human Rights Online Philippines (HRonlinePH)

39. Human Rights Watch

40. Humanitarian China

41. HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement

42. ILGA Asia

43. Indonesia Save Uyghur

44. Innovation for Change 45. Innovation for Change-East Asia

46. Innovation for Change South Asia

47. International Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL) Monitoring Committee on Attacks on Lawyers

48. International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute

49. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

50. International Society for Human Rights

51. International Tibet Network Secretariat

52. Internet Policy Observatory Pakistan

53. Japan Hong Kong Democracy Alliance (JHKDA)

54. Judicial Reform Foundation

55. Lady Liberty Hong Kong (LLHK)

56. Lamp of Liberty

57. Lawyers for Lawyers

58. Manushya Foundation

59. Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)

60. New School for Democracy Association

61. New Yorkers Supporting Hong Kong (NY4HK)

62. Open Net (Korea)

63. PakVoices.pk

64. PEN America

65. Public Virtue Research Institute

66. Safeguard Defenders

67. Saskatchewan stands with Hong Kong

68. Social Innovations Advisory

69. Society of Young Social Innovators (SYSI)

70. Solidarité Chine

71. Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet)

72. Taipei Bar Association Human Rights Committee

73. Taiwan Bar Association Human Rights Protection Committee

74. Taiwan Support China Human Rights Lawyers Network 75. Texans Supporting Hong Kong (TX4HK)

76. The Rights Practice

77. Tibet Initiative Deutschland e.V.

78. Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy

79. The 29 Principles

80. Uyghur Human Rights Project

81. Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation

82. Wang Dan, Dialogue China

83. We The Hongkongers

84. Winnipeg Hong Kong Concern

85. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

86. Young Leadership for Social Change Network

87. Re-water CIC

¹ E/C.12/CHN/CO/3, CESCR Concluding observations on the third periodic report of China, including Hong Kong, China, and Macao, China, 2 March 2023; and CAT/C/CHN/CO/5, CAT Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of China, 3 February 2016.

Laotian Translation

（老撾語）

ອົງການ NGO ແລະ ກ ຸ່ມທະນາຍຄວາມຮຽກຮ້ ອງໃຫ້ລັດຖະບານ ແລະ ເຈ ້ ົ າຫນ ້ າທ ຸ່ ທ ຸ່ ກຸ່ ຽວຂ້ ອງ

ຮັບປະກັນໃຫ້ປ ຸ່ ອຍຕົວທະນາຍຄວາມສິດທິມະນດຊາວຈນ Lu Siwei ໂດຍທັນທ.

ຖະແຫ ຼ ງການຮຸ່ ວມ

ສາລັບການປ ຸ່ ອຍຕົວ

ໃນວັນທີ 1 ສິງຫາ 2023 ທີ ີ່ ຜີ່ານມາມີການລາຍງານວີ່າທາງການລາວໄດ້ ກະທ

າການຈັບກຸ ມ ແລະ

(Lu Siwei) ຕັ ້ ງແຕີ່ ວັນທີ . ທາງພວກເຮາເອງມຄວາມກງວົນເລ ີ່ ອງຄວາມປອດໄພຂອງ ທ້ າວ ລູ ຊີເຫວີ ີ່ ຍ

ຄວບຄຸ ມໂຕທະນາຍຄວາມຊ ີ່ ດັງດ້ ານສິດທິມະນຸ ດຊາວ

ສ.ປ ຈີນ ທ້ າວ ລູ ຊີເຫວີ ີ່ ຍ

28 ກລະກົດ 2023 ທີ ີ່ ຜີ່ ານມາ ົ ີ ັ (Lu Siwei) ທີ ີ່ ອາດຈະສີ່ ຽງຖກບັງຄັບໃຫ້ ມີການສົ ີ່ ງຕົວລາວກັບປະເທດຈີນ

ເຊິ ີ່ ງມີຄວາມເປັນໄປໄດ້ ສ ູ ງທ ີ່ ີ ລາວຈະພົບກັບການຖ

ອາດລວມໄປເຖິງການປະຕິບັດໜ້ າທີ ີ່ ຕ ີ່ ກັບ

ລາວ.

ກທລະມານດ້ ານຮີ່ າງກາຍ ແລະ

ໃນພາກອາຊີຕາເວັນອອກສຽງໃຕ້ ທາງລັດຖະບານສີ່ ວນໃຫຍີ່ມັກຈະຖກກົດດັນໃຫ້ ສົ ີ່ ງຕົວບຸ ກຄົນທີ ີ່ ຖກ

ທາຮ້ າຍຮີ່ າງກາຍໄດ້ ງີ່າຍກັບໄປທີ ີ່ ປະເທດຈີນ

ເຊິ ີ່ ງຜູ້ ທ ີ່ ີ ຖ

ກສົ ີ່ ງຕົວກັບໄປຈາເປັນຕ້ ອງປະເຊີນໜ້ າກັບຄວາມບ ີ່ ເປັນທ

າໃນການພິຈາລະນາຄະດີ

ຍັງລວມໄປເຖິງການຖກທາຮ້ າຍຮີ່ າງກາຍ, ການທາລຸ ນະກາ ແລະ ການກາຍເປັນບຸ ກຄົນທີ ີ່ ຫາຍສາບສູ ນ

ທາງອົງກອນຂອງເຮົາໄດ້ ບັນທຶກເຫດການຕີ່ າງໆ

ນັບຕັ ້ ງແຕີ່ກ

ລະນີທີ ີ່ ຊາວອູ ຣູ ກວຍທ ີ່ ີ ຖ

ກສັ ີ່ ງກັບປະເທດກ

າປູ ເຈຍໃນປີ 2009 ໄປຈົນເຖິງການຫາຍໂຕໄປຂອງ

Dong Guangping ນັກເຄ ີ່ ອນໄຫວປະຊາທິປະໄຕສັນຊາດຈີນຈາກຫວຽດນາມເມ ີ່ ອເດ ທີ ີ່ ຜີ່ານມາ.

ເຮົາຂຮຽກຮ້ ອງໃຫ້ລັດຖະບານ ແລະ ບກຄົນທສາມປະຕິບັດດັ ຸ່ ງນ ້ :

ອນສິງຫາ ປີ 2023

1. ໃຫ້ທາງການລາວຢດການສົ ຸ່ ງຕົວ

ລູ ຊເຫວ ຸ່ ຍ

ທັນທ ແລະ ດາເນນການໂດຍໄວ

ເພ ຸ່ ອຮັບປະກັນໃຫ້ລາວເຂ ້ ົ າເຖິງໜຸ່ ວຍງານອົງການສະຫະປະຊາຊາດ

ທະນາຍຄວາມທ ຸ່ ລາວສາມາດເລ

ອກເອງໄດ້ .

ແລະ

2. ໃຫ້ອານານການປົກຄອງຈນຍົກເລກບັນດາຂ ້ ກຸ່ າວຫາທ ຸ່ ກະທ

າຕ ຸ່ ລູ ຊ ຸ່ ເຫວິຍ

ການສົ ີ່ ງຕົວທີ່ານ

ລູ ຊີເຫວີຍ ໄປຍັງເຈົ ້ າຫນ້ າທ ີ່ ີ ຈີນ

ລັດຖະບານລາວຈະເຮັດໃຫ້ ລູ ຊີເຫວີຍ

ຕົກຢູ ີ່ ໃນຄວາມສີ່ ຽງທີ ີ່ ຈະຖ

ກທລະມານ ແລະ ການປະຕິບັດທີ ີ່ ບ ີ່ ມີມະນຸ ດສະທ

າ.

ບັນດາຜູ້ ຊີ່ ຽວຊານດ້ ານສິດທິມະນຸ ດຂອງອົງການສະຫະປະຊາຊາດໄດ້ ພົບເຫັນວີ່ າ

, ທະນາຍຄວາມທີ ີ່ ຖກທລະມານ ແລະ າ ພາຍໃຕ້ ດໝາຍສາກົນ ແລະ

ລັດຖະບານຈີນບ ີ່ ໄດ້ ສົນໃຈຜູ້ ປົກປ້ອງສິດທິມະນຸ ດ

ການປະຕິບັດທີ ີ່ ບ ີ່ ມີມະນຸ ດສະທ

ກົ

ເປັນລັດພາຄີຂອງສົນທິສັນຍາຂອງສະຫະປະຊາຊາດ.

ພວກເຮົາຂຮຽກຮ້ ອງໃຫ້ລັດຖະບານລາວ: 1. ຍຕິການສົ ຸ່ ງຕົວຄນປະເທດຂອງ ລູ ຊເຫວຍ ແລະ ປ ຸ່ ອຍຕົວລາວໂດຍທັນທຕາມພັນທະດ້ ານສິດທິມະນດສາກົນ.

2. ໃຫ້ລາວພົບປະກັບເຈ ້ ົ າໜ ້ າທ ຸ່ ທ ຸ່ ກຸ່ ຽວຂ້ ອງຂອງສະຫະປະຊາຊາດ ແລະ ທະນາຍຄວາມທ ຸ່ ລາວເລອກ.

3. ອະນຍາດໃຫ້ລາວພົບກັບນັກການທູ ດຈາກສະຫະປະຊາຊາດ ແລະ ປະເທດອ ຸ່ ນໆຕາມຄວາມຕ້ອງການ ເພ ຸ່ ອຊຸ່ ວຍລາວສບຕ ຸ່ ເດນທາງໄປເຕ ້ ົ າໂຮມກັບຄອບຄົວຂອງລາວໃນສະຫະລັດອາເມລິກາ

4. ເປດເຜຍທ ຸ່ ຢູ ຸ່ ຂອງລາວ ພ້ ອມທັງຮັບຮອງຄວາມປອດໄພໄປຈົນເຖິງຮຸ່ າງກາຍ ແລະ ຈິດໃຈ.

ລູ ຊເຫວຍ ເປັນນັກປົກປ ້ ອງສິດທິ ແລະ ທະນາຍຄວາມທ ຸ່ ມຊ ຸ່ ສຽງໃນປະເທດຈ ລາວເປັນຜູ ້ ສະໜັບສະໜູ ນຕ ຸ່ ກ ຸ່ມທ ຸ່ ມຄວາມສຸ່ ຽງ ແລະ ເປັນຕົວແທນໃຫ້ແກຸ່ ົຄນທ ຸ່ ັຄດຄ້ ານການເມອງຫ ຼ າຍ ົຄນ.

ນ.

ຂະນະທ ຸ່ ອານາດການປົກຄອງຈນບ ຸ່ ສະໜັບສະໜູ ນສິດເອກະລາດນັບມ ້ ນັບຫ ຼ າຍຂ ້ ນ ພວກເຂົາເຈ ້ ົ າໄດ້ ້ ຕັງເປ ້ ົ າໃສຸ່ ລູ ຊເຫວຍ ດ້ ວຍການຂົ ຸ່ ມຂູ ຸ່ ແລະ ຄກຄາມ.

. ັຫ ຼ ງຈາກນ ້ ັ ນ,

ເຊິ ຸ່ ງລວມເຖິງການປົດອອກຈາກຕາແໜຸ່ ງໃນເດອນ ມັງກອນ 2021 ສາລັບການກຸ່າວຄາປາໄສທາງອອນລາຍທ ຸ່ ຖກກຸ່ າວຫາວຸ່າ “ເປັນໄພຕ ຸ່ ຄວາມໝ ້ ັ ນຄົງຂອງຊາດ” ລູ ຊເຫວຍ ຍັງຖກທາຮ້າຍຮຸ່ າງກາຍໃນຂະນະທ ຸ່ ລາວເດນທາງໄປພິຈາລະນາຄະດເພ ຸ່ ອປົດປະຈາການ ້ ຕັງແຕຸ່ນ ້ ັ ນມາ ລູ ຊເຫວຍ ກໄດ້ຮັບການຕິດຕາມຢ ຸ່ າງໃກ້ຊິດໂດຍທາງການຈນ ແລະ ຖກຫ້າມບ ຸ່ ໃຫ້ອອກນອກປະເທດຕ ້ ັ ງແຕຸ່ເດອນພຶດສະພາ 2021 ເປັນທ ຸ່ ເຂ ້ ົ າໃຈກັນວຸ່າ ລູ ຊເຫວຍ ຢູ ຸ່ ໃນລາວເພ ຸ່ ອເດນທາງໄປໂຮມກັບຄອບຄົວຂອງລາວໃນສະຫະລັດອາເມລິກາ.