Rights groups flood UK streets with billboards demanding arrest of China's Chen Quanguo

Several rights groups and campaigners in London recently flooded the streets with billboards demanding the arrest of Chen Quanguo who is the secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The message on the boards urged the British government to act against the Chinese leader for the repression of Uyghurs and the Tibetan communities. Chen is believed to be the person behind the security apparatus in Tibet and the mastermind behind the camps in Xinjiang, which incarcerate over a million Uyghur minorities. 

According to pictures shared on social media, the billboards titled “Unwanted” read, “Turned Tibet into a police state. #UKMustAct”. Another billboard read, “Turned Tibet into a police state,” with an illustration of Chen. 

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Chen is a member of the 19th Politburo of the CCP. He is being considered for the No.2 position in the party and therefore is most likely to take control of the Central Administration in future. For a long time, a number of rights groups and campaigners have been asking the British government to impose sanctions on Chen. 

According to ANI, a London-based human rights group, Free Tibet, has demanded the UK government to hold Chen responsible for the widespread abuses. The organisation has urged the government to add Chen’s name to the global human rights sanction regime list in a bid to send a signal to Beijing that abuses against Tibetans and Uyghurs will not just be monitored, but also punished. Chen is considered to be the most ruthless Chinese leader ever to have ruled Tibet and East Turkistan. He has been the architect of human rights abuses for the last 10 years. 

Free Tibet said, “The USA has already imposed sanctions on Chen, and it is time for the UK to follow suit. This will set a precedent that other countries can and must follow. Whether you are in the UK or elsewhere in the world, we urge you to sign this petition”. 

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Magnitsky-style sanctions

Meanwhile, back in July UK had launched its new Magnitsky-style sanctions against human rights-abusing regimes. The British government had named 49 individuals and organisations who are involved in some of the “most notorious human rights violations” around the globe. While the officials targeted individuals from Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Russia and North Korea, they, however, did not add the senior Chinese leader in the list. 

The United States, on the other hand, imposed Global Magnitsky Act sanctions and visa restrictions again Chen Quangua. According to the sanctions, Chen and his immediate relatives are barred from entering the US. He will also have US-based assets frozen. 

(With inputs from ANI) 

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