In Solidarity, We are More than Just a Conference. Always Stronger Together!

I was thinking only to join this year’s RightsCon online instead of flying to Lusaka, Zambia, after I was hospitalised in October-December 2025.

Nobody would have imagined that the Zambian government would suddenly “postpone” this year’s RightsCon (rightscon.org/rc26-stat…) only a few days before the conference was scheduled to start. The organizers received a phone call on 27 April from the Zambian Ministry of Technology and Science (MoTS) “about an urgent issue and were told that diplomats from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) were putting pressure on the Government of Zambia because Taiwanese civil society participants were planning to join us in person”. Human Rights Measurement Initiative, the organization that I’m freelancing, also issued a statement (humanrightsmeasurement.…) in solidarity with the organizers and other participants.

It’s a clear case of transnational repression. Again, Taiwan is placed at the centre of controversy. China is just so keen kick Taiwan out of all kinds of international engagement, even including such a conference among the global civil society community. Communist China always accuse others of “politicizing” everything. In fact, they are always the one that politicizes everything, including this meeting.

No matter how good the intention is, the China government can always adopt a draconian approach to force others to follows its own way. Some people would still try to argue that we should collaborate with governments, no matter whether they are authoritarian or not. I think we all want to have goodwill, but what kind of response we would receive from governments like China? They would just always want to show you that they are the one that exerts control. How can we feel any mutual respect at all under such situation? We need to stay strong and united to show solidarity to our fellow civil society partners. Those in power can stop an event, but they can never stop us from exchange views through other means.

As someone who has worked in various NGOs for over 20 years, I always, as will always, stand by our fellow civil society partners. In solidarity!