Wencen1

HumanRightProject
WencenZou
Per.5
Ms.Alvarado
TigerchairsareasymboloftortureandsufferinginChineseprisonsIsatonaniron
chairallday,morningandnight,myhandsandlegswerebuckled,onewomanheldthiswayfor
weekssaid.Isatuntilmybuttocksbled.1Thiseventdemonstrateshowhumansrightsare
ignoredinChina.
HumanRights
arebelievedtobelonginnatelytoeveryperson.Oneofthe
majorrights,whichistherighttonotsufferfromtorture,haslongbeenneglectedbythe
CommunistPartyinChina.WhileChinamayappeartobetakingstepstosolvetheproblemof
torture,inrealitytheyarentmakingmuchprogressandtheviolationofthishumanrightstill
remainsahugeissue.
Beginningwithsomebackgroundinformation,inChina,humanrightshavebeen
neglectedforalongtime.Thishascausedsomanypeopletosufferfromtorture.Oneofthemost
notablecasesoftortureinvolvesGaoZhishengwhoisafamoushumanrightsactivist.Afterhe
criticizedtheChinesegovernment,hewasabductedbypolicemen.Duringhistimeinprison,he
wasbrutallytorturedhedescribeditas,
beatings,electricprodsandeventoothpickstohis
nakedbody,followedbyweeksofemotionaltorture.2Becausethemanwasrevealingtheugly
sidesofthegovernment,hereceivedthepunishment3whichiscruelandinhumane,causing
1

EmmaGrahamHarrison
TorturestillroutineinChinesejails,HumanRightsWatchreportfinds

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/13/torturestillroutineinchinesejailssayshumanrigh
tswatchreport
2

JohnGarnaut
Tiprevealsdetainedlawyeralivebutlocationremainsamystery

http://www.smh.com.au/world/tiprevealsdetainedlawyeralivebutlocationremainsamystery20100119m
j7c.html
3

JohnGarnaut
Tiprevealsdetainedlawyeralivebutlocationremainsamystery
http://www.smh.com.au/world/tiprevealsdetainedlawyeralivebutlocationremainsamystery20100119mj7c.html

Wencen2

himsufferingandemotionaldisruption.Thetorturecausespeopletosufferandimpactstheirlife
afterprison.Furthermore,
thereisalotofevidencedetailingtheactionsoftherepressive
Chinesegovernment.OnedocumenttellsofaBeijingbasedlawyernamedYuWenshengwho
spokeoutagainstthegovernment.Becauseofthis,Wenshengwasinterrogatedabout200times,
oftenlateintothenight,andwhileinseverepain.4Thepurposeoftheinterrogationwasnot
simplytofigureouttruth,butmoreimportantlytocausesuffering.Ifitwereaboutfindingthe
truth,theywouldnthavedoneit200times.Theiractualgoalwasreallytocausethismanpain.
Asexplainedbyonescholar,theculturalattitudeinChinaisthatthepreservationofthecountry
supersedestherightsofanindividual.EversincetheCulturalRevolution,thismindsethas
dominatedchineseculture.Assuch,tortureisjustifiabletothemifitmeansthattheycan
maintainstability.Intheend,itisthewellbeingofthegrouporthewhole,notofthe
individual,thatholdsprecedencefortheChinesegovernment,whichiswhytheirtortureisso
widespread.5
IncontrastwiththeneglectingofhumansrightsandtheprevalenceoftortureinChina,
othercountrieshavebeenmovingtowardsstrengtheningofthoserights.Forexample,the
HumanRightsActwaspassedbytheUnitedKingdomin1998.Thisactisasupplementtothe
humanrightsguaranteedbytheirconstitution.Asdescribedbyahumanrightsorganization,the
actincludes
theprohibitionoftortureandinhumantreatmentyoushouldneverbetorturedor
treatedinaninhumanordegradingway,nomatterwhatthesituation.6Thisactreinforcesthat

Tang,Didi

Rightsgroup:Chinauseoftortureuncurbedbylegalreform
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h&AN=AP38c0f3db9b924467bc022a36d29dca2d&site=ehostlive
4

LeighAnnMcChesneyInstitutionalizingTorture:TheCaseofHospitalsandPrisonsinChina
http://www.du.edu/korbel/hrhw/researchdigest/china/TortureChina.pdf
6
Humanrightact
https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/humanrights/whatarehumanrights/humanrightsact

Wencen3

thepublicauthorityisnotallowedtocausecruelandunusualsufferingthecountrymustprovide
therightbasedontheact.Conversely,ifthisactwerepassedinChina,itwouldnotchangevery
much.TheprobleminChinaisntwiththelawsthatprohibittorturebecausetherealreadyare
thoselaws.Instead,theproblemlieswiththeattitudeofthegovernment,whichdoesntwant
torturetoend.Becausethisactwouldnotchangethegovernmentsattitude,itwouldbefairly
ineffective.Anotherexampleoftheprogressofthehumanrightoffreedomfromtorturecanbe
seeninUSin2006,thegovernmentreleasedanewU.S.ArmyFieldManual,whichis
essentiallylawforthearmy.Themanuallimitsthemilitaryfromtorturinganyone,statingthat
noone
regardlessofnationalityorphysicallocation,shallbesubjecttotortureorcruel,
inhuman,ordegradingtreatmentorpunishment,inaccordancewithandasdefinedinU.S.law.7
Withthisnewmanual,evenaprisonerofwarwillnotgettorturedandsuffertreatmentsuchas
waterboarding.ThemanualhelpsprotectHumanRightsbutalsohelpstheUSarmytobemore
organizedwithinitslimits.Similarly,thistypeofruleforthearmymayhavesomeimpacton
tortureinChinabecausethearmyiscontrolledbyChairmanXiJinpingandhehasstatedthathe
doesnotwanttorturetocontinue.However,hehasallowedtortureforalongtimenow,which
callsintoquestionwhetherhereallycaresiftorturecontinues.Thismeansthatislikelythatifthe
torturebenefitstheChinesegovernment,theywillstilltrytodoitbecausenoonecanstopthem.
DespiteChinaseemingtonotcareaboutendingtorture,theyhavemadesomestepsinthe
positivedirection,eventhoughtheyareofquestionableefficacy.ThePeoplesRepublicof
ChinawasoneofthefirstcountriestosigntheUnitedNationsConventionAgainstTortureon
thetwelfthofDecember,1986andratifieditonthefourthofOctober,1988.TheConvention

U.S.ArmyFieldManuals
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_and_the_United_States#Military_Commissions_Act_of_2006

Wencen4

wasmeanttoendtorturearoundtheworld,whichiswhymanypeopleweresurprisedthatChina
signedtheagreement.However,theyonlydidsoundertwoconditions:(1)TheChinese
GovernmentdoesnotacknowledgethecompetenceoftheUNCommitteeagainstTorture,as
prescribedinarticle20oftheConvention.(2)TheChineseGovernmentisnotboundbythefirst
paragraphofarticle30oftheConvention.8TheUNCommitteeagainstTortureisthebodythat
enforcestheagreement,andthefirstparagraphofarticle30istheprocessthroughwhichnations
thatbreachthetreatymaybebroughttotheInternationalCourtofJustice.Bynotacceptingor
recognizingthosetwocomponentsoftheconvention,Chinasadherencetotheagreementcannot
beenforcedatall.AlltheagreementdoesforChinaismakeitseemliketheyaremaking
positivechangesregardingtorture,whenreallytheymaynotbeatall.Eventhoughmany
countriescametogetherfortheconventioninordertohelpChinaendthepracticeoftorture,they
stillhavenotstopped.Thissituationcontinueduntil2010,whentheChinesegovernmentfinally
promisedreformstoreducemiscarriagesofjusticeandtorture.Duringthistimeperiod,the
UnitedNationwasthemostferventinstitutionagainsttorture.Intheendthough,thereformsfell
through,meaningthesituationoftorturestillhasnotimprovedverymuchinChina.
Thesolutiontowhat'shappeningrightnowistohavemorepublicscrutinyonthe
institutionsthatarecontrolledbythegovernmentandthisisveryeasytoachieve.Thefirststep
istomakesureeveryonewhoisapprehendedhasalawyer.Everyoneshouldhavealawyerthe
minutetheyarecaughtwhetherguiltyornot,thedetaineeshouldbegivenalawyerbecausethis
willpreventthemfrombeingtorturedbeforetheygotocourt.Inaddition,itsdefinitely
achievablebecauseinUS,thestateprovidesalawyerforanyonewhocantaffordone.China

AgainsttheConventionagainstTorture
http://www.ishr.org/countries/peoplesrepublicofchina/systematictortureinthepeoplesrepublicofchina/

Wencen5

caneasilydothesame.Thesecondstepistoinstitutepunishments(nottorture)fortheofficers
whotrytomisrepresentthelawbytorturingpeople.Thispunishmentwillholdofficials
accountableandwillhelpenforcethelawsregardingtorture.Thisisimportantbecauseitwill
makeofficersthinktwiceaboutdoingsomethinglikethisbecausetheywillfaceaharsh
punishment.ThisisalsoachievablebecauseitonlyinvolvesoneortwonewlawsandChinais
veryefficientatratifyingthem.Inaddition,XiJinpinghassaidhewantstoendtorture,
providinghopethattheChinesegovernmentwillmoveinthisdirection.Finally,ahelpfulstep
wouldbetohavemorepeoplefromthepublicbepartofthecourtjuryratherthanjusthaving
governmentemployeesthere.Thiswouldensurethatthecourtsdonotuseevidenceor
informationobtainedthroughwrongfulinterrogationsandalsowouldensurethatpolicethat
torturearenotletgowithoutanycharges.ThefeasibilityofthisstepisdemonstratedintheUS
courtsystem,whereciviliansserveonjuries.WithChinasmassivepopulation,thereshouldbe
noprobleminfindingcivilianstoserveonjuries.
Allinall,theChinesegovernmenthasneglectedhumanrights,especiallythehuman
rightoffreedomfromtorture,foraverylongtime.Whilecompletelyfixingtheissueoftorture
inChinawilllikelytakeawhile,ifthegovernmenttakesthecorrectsteps,thesituationofthis
invaluablehumanrightwilldefinitelyimprove.Let'sbringeverybodytogetherandsolvethe
problemstepbystep.

Wencen6

WorkCited
EmmaGrahamHarrison

TorturestillroutineinChinesejails,HumanRightsWatchreportfinds
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/13/torturestillroutineinchinesejailssayshumanrigh
tswatchreport

JohnGarnaut
Tiprevealsdetainedlawyeralivebutlocationremainsamystery

http://www.smh.com.au/world/tiprevealsdetainedlawyeralivebutlocationremainsamystery20100119m
j7c.html

JohnGarnaut
Tiprevealsdetainedlawyeralivebutlocationremainsamystery
http://www.smh.com.au/world/tiprevealsdetainedlawyeralivebutlocationremainsamystery20100119mj7c.html

Tang,Didi

Rightsgroup:Chinauseoftortureuncurbedbylegalreform
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h&AN=AP38c0f3db9b924467bc022a36d29dca2d&site=ehostlive

LeighAnnMcChesneyInstitutionalizingTorture:TheCaseofHospitalsandPrisonsinChina
http://www.du.edu/korbel/hrhw/researchdigest/china/TortureChina.pdf

Humanrightact
https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/humanrights/whatarehumanrights/humanrightsact

U.S.ArmyFieldManuals
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_and_the_United_States#Military_Commissions_Act_of_2006

AgainsttheConventionagainstTorture
http://www.ishr.org/countries/peoplesrepublicofchina/systematictortureinthepeoplesrepublicofchina/