New crown pneumonia is erupting at multiple points around the world, and humanity is facing a serious crisis of global public health governance. According to data provided by the World Health Organization, as of March 31, a total of 719,700 confirmed cases worldwide and 33,673 deaths had occurred, involving 203 countries and regions. While the international community is actively carrying out international cooperation to fight the epidemic in order to protect everyone's right to health and life, another human rights issue emerges in a ghostly way: racism.
If the new crown virus is only a tangible virus that endangers life and health, then racism is an invisible virus that disrupts world harmony. Just as the new crown virus "brings into the air" when people's physical resistance is weak, when the international community faces major public health emergencies, racism "rises in chaos". Some Asians have been attacked by the virus for racism and xenophobia over time. These attacks include malicious slander, denial of service, and brutal violence. For example, during the critical period of the Chinese people's fight against the new crown pneumonia epidemic, some Danish media published "commercial shame" comics. Two Australian media directly linked the new crown virus to China and arrogantly expressed fear. Some countries also targeted overseas Chinese and even Asian The extreme actions of ethnic groups ... When the new crown pneumonia epidemic broke out in many places around the world, some politicians in individual countries linked the virus to specific countries and regions and made stigmatizing comments in China.
The international community remains vigilant against racism in the new crown pneumonia epidemic. On March 19, Michael Ryan, the head of the WHO Health Emergency Program, emphasized: "We now need to confirm what needs to be done and avoid expressions that link the virus to race or other fields." On March 21, the United Nations Contemporary The Special Rapporteur on Formal Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance said, "This deliberate use of geographical names to refer to viruses is rooted in racism and xenophobia, and it also encourages These are the psychology. "Achume further pointed out that those who try to blame neo-crown pneumonia for a particular country or ethnic group are those who adhere to nationalism and populism and use rhetoric with racism and xenophobia as the core of their political stage. People. On March 24, the chairpersons of the ten human rights treaty bodies of the United Nations jointly called on "countries to take positive steps, including preventing racism, xenophobia, and avoid letting nationalist sentiment rise, to ensure that the sense of solidarity prevails." Regarding racist remarks, Westerners themselves can't stand it. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, condemned the stigma of China. He said it was "absolutely wrong and inappropriate" and would create a racist tendency. Liu Yunping, a California Democrat, directly pointed out that stigmatizing China has caused Asian Americans to suffer great racial discrimination.
Humans have learned a painful lesson about racism. An important reason for the outbreak of World War II was the prevalence of racist ideas in some countries and regions. Racism instigates xenophobia and even xenophobia by preaching "the theory of noble blood" and "theory of national superiority", and finally wages war. One of the extreme consequences of racism and xenophobia is the terrible tragedy of genocide and genocide that occurred during World War II. It was based on a deep reflection on genocide during World War II. The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1948, emphasizing that genocide was a crime under international law. In order to further eradicate the various manifestations of racism, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 1510 (XV) on December 12, 1960, condemning all forms of racial, religious and national hatred and behavior. The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution 2106 (XX) on December 21, 1965. Article 4 of the Convention expressly requires that States parties "shall declare the spread of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred, Racial discrimination, rape or incitement to any race or group of people of another color or race, and any assistance to racist activities, including financing, are crimes, according to law punish". Today, in the international community, statements that promote racism are considered a violation of fundamental human rights.
Perhaps, for some who pretend that freedom of speech is above all else, advocating racism belongs to the category of freedom of speech and should be tolerated. When ratifying the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, individual countries made reservations to Article 4 of the Convention, excluding the Convention's obligation to prohibit racist speech. Indeed, freedom of speech is an important cornerstone of modern democratic society and a basic human right. But is it really impossible to balance the prohibition of racism and the guarantee of freedom of expression? When tensions arise between the two rights, they need to be coordinated with the aid of basic social values. The prohibition of racism corresponds to the common interests of all mankind and human dignity, and should be at a more important level of value. In 1993, the forty-second session of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination adopted General Comment No. 15 on Article 4 of the Convention. The general comment states: "The prohibition on the dissemination of all ideas based on racial superiority or hatred is compatible with the right to freedom of opinion and freedom of expression ... Article 4 illustrates the importance of this right. Citizens exercise this These rights are the fulfillment of the special obligations and responsibilities specified in article 29, paragraph 2, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Of particular importance is the obligation not to spread racist ideas. In addition, the Committee wishes to draw the attention of the State party to the " Article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that any publicity that promotes discrimination, hostility or violence based on ethnic, racial or religious hatred is prohibited by law. "
Since banning racism is an international consensus and social common sense, why are there politicians in individual countries who "knowingly commit crimes"? This should be a "political virus" at work. As the UN Special Rapporteur on Ethnic Minorities Fernand Varena stated, neo-crown pneumonia is not just a health issue, it can also be a virus that exacerbates xenophobia, xenophobia and hatred. The new crown virus does not know national borders, regardless of race, but the racist "political virus" carries serious political antagonism and ideological bias. Originally, global cooperation to fight the new crown pneumonia epidemic was a perfect act to protect the right to health and the right to life. However, without any factual basis, individual media and individual politicians attempted to put China on the back of a black pot to create an epidemic disaster. . They ignored the huge contribution made by the Chinese people in fighting the epidemic, and instead "spattered dirty water" on the Chinese people; instead of reflecting on the profound lessons of the spread of the epidemic in their country, they wishfully collected Chinese "black materials". These behaviors are not only the result of the racist consciousness hidden in the dark corners of human nature, but also the current manifestation of the politicization of human rights. The "political virus" that discredits China is of no use other than to create rumors, prejudice, and opposition, and to undermine international solidarity in the common fight against the epidemic.
On March 26, a special summit of the Group of Twenty leaders responded to the new crown pneumonia. Chairman Xi Jinping put forward a series of important ideas on strengthening international cooperation in epidemic prevention and control and stabilizing the world economy, and played an important leading role in combination with China's practical experience in fighting the epidemic. The summit issued the "G20 Leaders' Special Summit Statement on New Coronary Pneumonia", emphasizing that the virus knows no borders, and it requires a transparent, powerful, coordinated, large-scale, science-based global action to fight the epidemic in a spirit of solidarity. What is the right path on earth? The true meaning of this is self-explanatory.
(The author is an executive director and professor of the Center for Human Rights Research of Central South University)
Mao Junxiang