(TibetanReview.net, Jul21’24) – While defeated rulers and fallen military leaders of smaller countries with limited global influence have faced judicial scrutiny and punishment under international law, those in the Communist Party of China leadership, topped by President Xi Jinping, continue their crimes against humanity, including acts bordering on genocide, with impunity. This has outraged the global civil society which recently held a ‘people’s court’ hearing in The Hague on China’s acts of aggression in Taiwan, crimes against humanity in Tibet, and genocide against the Uyghur population in Xinjiang. The tribunal found Chinese President Xi Jinping guilty on most counts and issued a symbolic arrest warrant against him on Jul 12.
“The evidence-backed findings affirm the occurrence of severe crimes against humanity, lending credibility to calls for justice and accountability. They may compel countries to impose sanctions or reconsider their economic and political ties with China,” noted the jurist.org Jul 13.
The court confirmed charges of crimes against humanity against Chinese President Xi Jinping based on evidence of his effective control over the state organs committing widespread and systematic violations in Tibet and Xinjiang with knowledge of the situation.
Regarding China’s actions in Tibet, the court confirmed crimes against humanity, including forcible transfer of children, imprisonment, and persecution. Judge Fonseka has said, “We believe there are substantial grounds to infer a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population with knowledge of cyber attacks. Thus, the court confirms counts two, three and four of the indictment.”
The ‘people’s court’ known as ‘The Court of the Citizens of the World’, comprised of Former Ambassador for War Crimes Stephen Rapp, Former Madela appointee before the Constitutional Court of South Africa Zak Yacoob, and lawyer and international law specialist Bhavani Fonseka, and held its hearing from Jul 8-11, 2024. The cases were meticulously presented through opening statements, expert testimonies, and victim narratives, the report noted.
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Apart from lending credibility to calls for justice and accountability, the tribunal’s judgment may challenge domestic Chinese propaganda and prompt the younger Chinese populace to question their government’s policies. The rulings imply that human rights violations will not go unnoticed and signal to authoritarian regimes worldwide that justice may ultimately prevail. The tribunal’s findings validate the survivors’ and advocates’ efforts against atrocities, reinforcing their hopes for eventual accountability, noted the jurist.org report.
“The tribunal has imparted a powerful moral and legal message against human rights violations, even if current geopolitical realities might impede immediate action. Its comprehensive findings and unequivocal moral stance ensure these crimes remain in global consciousness. This judgment provides enduring hope that future international legal bodies might hold even the most powerful leaders accountable, thus upholding the rights of vulnerable communities worldwide,” the report said.
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The court successfully concluded its session despite facing harassment and attempts to shut it down with fake threats that called the trial illegal by citing a series of alleged violations under Article 118 of the Dutch Penal Code “including but not limited to impersonation of judicial authority, violation of public order, defamation, false imprisonment, and complicity in criminal activities.”
Besides, an alleged spy, disguised as a new legal volunteer from Italy, was stated to have claimed on Jul 2 with no reason in an unauthorised group message to all staff members that the court was not paying its staff, was acting ‘unjustly,’ while also questioning the court’s moral legitimacy. The individual was stated to have “provoked fellow volunteers to resign and sent an email to legal participants from the official email accounts, asking them not to attend the trial this coming week in The Hague against President Xi.”
The pursuit of peace and human rights remains a universal endeavour, with the China Tribunal paving the way for a more just world, the report concluded.