Sir, – I am writing in reference to two news stories ("China steps up pressure on Uighurs with re-education camps", August 14th; "Beijing wants tighter grip on Hong Kong activists", August 16th) by Clifford Coonan, which both presumptuously ignored and arrogantly distorted facts.
In the former, all the wonderful progress in improving humanity livelihood and social environment is ignored, and the rest is distorted. Measures taken by the local government of Xinjiangare even labelled as “secret camps”, which are in fact continuous actions supported and embraced by all the people in China fighting against terrorism. As in whole China, people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang region have been uniting and working together for a better life, which has enabled rapid economic and social progress known to all. Exactly as Irish people do, the Chinese people also strive responsibly against terrorism and safeguard our lives and property.
It is both legitimate and right in every aspect as a priority of human rights.
As to the the latter article, no country in the world would allow itself to be divided or separated. The Hong Kong special administrative region authority always governs according to the law, which will simply enhance instead of weakening the democratic process in Hong Kong.
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In fact, since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland in 1997, the basic rights and freedoms of citizens have been guaranteed by law.
The central government of China has been all along committed to supporting the democratic and constitutional development of Hong Kong and will continue to do so in future.
I do hope the writer when writing about China would learn to follow the facts with due respect for the diversity of culture in the world. – Yours, etc,
SHEN MINGCHUN,
Spokesman,
Embassy of the
People’s Republic
of China,
Ailesbury Road,
Dublin 4.