My ambassador once again voiced： Do Swedish laws and governments not respect human rights？
CCTV News:according toAccording to the website of the Embassy of China in Sweden,On September 17th, China’s ambassador to Sweden, Gui Congyou, accepted an exclusive interview with Larcon, a reporter from Swedish Express, at the embassy about the Swedish police’s rough treatment of China tourists. The full text is as follows:
Ambassador Gui said, I accepted an interview with your colleagues in Evening News yesterday, and I have said all I need to say. Since you also offered to interview me, I can only agree. First of all, I want to reveal a new situation to you. At noon today, the head of the police station where three China tourists were rudely treated by the Swedish police met my colleague. He confirmed to my colleagues that the three China tourists did not violate Swedish laws. At the same time, he also said that the Swedish police did not violate Swedish law. We are very puzzled by this statement by the Swedish police. First, the three China tourists were rudely treated by the Swedish police, and their life safety and dignity were threatened and hurt. Don’t Swedish laws respect human rights and human dignity? The police are law enforcers and act on behalf of the government. Does the Swedish government also have no respect for human rights and dignity? Second, if foreign police treat Swedish tourists in the same way, what kind of reaction will the Swedish government make? How will you react? Will the Swedish government agree and recognize it? Will the Swedish people agree and recognize it? Thirdly, as far as we know, in November 2011, a similar incident occurred in the southern Swedish city of Bros. At that time, the victim was a Swedish citizen, and the policeman was found to be dereliction of duty. I hope you will announce what I said above to your readers.
Q: This happened on September 2nd. Why did the China government react strongly two weeks later?
A: On September 2nd, we received an oral report from the victims. Due to technical reasons, we only received a detailed written report on the morning of the 5th, and asked the hotels involved about the situation. After fully understanding the situation, we informed the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 5th and made solemn representations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China also made solemn representations to the Swedish Ambassador to China in Beijing. We hope that China will respond as soon as possible to the demands of these three citizens, such as investigating the truth thoroughly, apologizing, punishing the police involved and making compensation. But almost two weeks have passed, and the Swiss side has not responded at all. This is not in line with international practice. Three tourists from China were physically and mentally injured, and they expected the Swiss side to respond to their reasonable demands as soon as possible, so they had to resort to the media.
Q: Have you personally contacted the representatives of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swedish police?
A: As I said just now, I personally met with the relevant person in charge of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs as soon as we learned about all aspects on September 5. As I emphasized in an interview with Swedish Evening News yesterday, the China government and our embassy cherish the life, safety and dignity of every China citizen. From the perspective of consular protection, this is by no means a trivial matter. We hope that Switzerland can attach great importance to the demands of these three victims in China and give them a proper response as soon as possible.
The reporter asked about the details of the dispute between three China tourists and the hotel. Ambassador Gui said, I answered your question here yesterday to your Evening News reporter. This is a written record. You can learn more about it.
Q: Swedish prosecutors have determined that the police have not broken the law.
A: Then I can’t help but ask, three tourists were forcibly driven away from the hotel by rough means, including two old people, one of whom was sick and took medicine, and the police abandoned them in a graveyard in the middle of the night, when the temperature was below 10℃. Their lives are threatened and their dignity is hurt. Does the Swedish Police Act allow this? Is the Swedish Police Law so inhuman and immoral? Do Swedish laws have such disrespect for people’s basic rights? !
Q: I have worked in the United States and I know that it is not a good idea to argue with the local police. I have seen the relevant video, and Mr. Zeng shouted "Kill" and was emotional. If someone quarrels with the American police in America, they may be arrested immediately. If the Swedish police arrested China tourists at that time, would this be a better choice?
A: The Swedish police have confirmed that these three China tourists have not violated the law, and the police have no right to arrest them. Of course, if they break the law, the police should act according to law. As a matter of fact, three tourists from China are strangers. Not far away, Wan Li just arrived in Stockholm late at night and needed help. Who can they call? They could have approached our embassy, but unfortunately they didn’t. If the Swedish police are unwilling to help them, the best way is to contact our embassy, but they have not done so either. Even if the actions of these three China tourists are deficient or flawed, they can’t constitute the reason why the Swedish police treated them so rudely. Aren’t we supposed to respect human rights? ! Aren’t we going to talk about human rights? !
Q: The police also act according to the routine and have the right to decide to move them to a place far away from the incident, and there is a subway station next to it. This is nothing special, and it is a common situation.
A: As I said just now, three China tourists are not far from Wan Li. They just arrived in Stockholm late at night and are strangers. Although there was a subway station where the Swedish police forcibly dragged them, the first thing they saw was the cemetery. Can you imagine how they felt when they first saw the cemetery after being treated so rudely? Even if they find the subway station, will your subway still operate late at night? Why didn’t the Swedish police take them to a safe place? As far as I know, in winter in Stockholm, if someone is drunk on the street, the police have the obligation to send them to a warm place to prevent frostbite and freeze to death. Are the Swedish police so heartless and immoral about these three China tourists? Moreover, the three tourists are unarmed and cannot pose any threat to the police. Are Swedish police so cruel?
Q: We have all watched the live video clip of the incident. Mr. Zeng fell to the ground in front of the police and shouted "Kill someone". Is there something wrong with his performance?
A: They were forcibly evicted from the hotel. Mr. Zeng’s sick father, who was nearly seventy years old, fell to the ground and was half unconscious. His mother sat down on the ground and asked for help. Their family traveled with interest in Sweden, and when they first arrived in Stockholm, they fell into such helplessness and despair. What kind of reaction can you expect him to make? Yesterday, the reporter of Evening News also showed me that video. But why don’t you pay attention to the video of Mr. Zeng’s father lying on the ground and half unconscious? ! Why don’t you play it?
Q: Regarding Mr. Zeng’s allegation that he was beaten and abused by the police, the Swedish prosecutor found that the accusation was unfounded and the police were not wrong. What’s your response to this?
A: I have answered this question from the beginning. Do I need to repeat it?
Q: No need. Can you tell us something about this family of tourists from China? Where are they from? What were their plans in Sweden? Where did they go after leaving Sweden?
A: As for their family situation, I have no right to disclose it to you without their permission for privacy protection. After being rudely treated by the police, with the help of a local kind passerby, they took the light rail back to the center of Stockholm, called the police and reported the situation to our embassy, then gave up their travel plan in Sweden and left Sweden with fear and anger to continue their next trip.
Q: At about 10 am on September 2, someone registered a social media account named "Swedenpoliceturechineseelders" on Twitter and posted photos. Few people knew about it at that time. Is this account opened by the staff of China Embassy?
A: As I said just now, our embassy received Mr. Zeng’s oral report at 6 am on September 2, and received his detailed written report and photos on the morning of the 5 th.
Q: So this account has nothing to do with the embassy?
A: I think I answered clearly.
Q: Mr. Ambassador, I believe you can see that this incident has aroused strong repercussions in China, especially on social media such as Weibo. Are you surprised by this?
A: Now is the self-media era, and we all have to adapt to this reality.
Q: Some people say that this incident is essentially caused by cultural conflict or misunderstanding, or it may be caused by language barrier. This will happen all over the world. Why did the China government make it a big deal?
A: Do you think this is not a big deal? ! In the middle of the night, when the temperature is below 10℃, China tourists who come not far from Wan Li are not only disillusioned, but also their lives are in danger and their dignity is violated. Isn’t this a great event? ! Yesterday, I stressed to the reporter of Evening News that there are nearly 1.4 billion people in China, and the China Party and government cherish everyone’s life, safety and dignity. It is the duty of our embassies and consulates abroad to safeguard the life, safety and dignity of every China citizen abroad.
Q: I worked in China. If the China police ask me, I will listen. What advice do you have for China tourists visiting Sweden in the future if they are faced with dialogue with Swedish police?
A: The China Municipal Government has always reminded China citizens to abide by local laws and regulations, respect local customs and habits, and travel in a civilized manner when traveling abroad. On the other hand, all embassies and consulates in China pay close attention to the local security situation at all times, and issue safety reminders and warnings in time according to changes in the situation. Just look at the website of our embassy. We have issued several safety reminders since this summer. You can see the content of my interview yesterday. Frankly speaking, the relevant departments of China did not pay due attention to protecting the safety of tourists. So far, no case against China tourists has been solved. What do you say?
Q: In fact, Swedish natives are also facing the same problem of being robbed. Do you think Sweden is more dangerous for tourists than other European countries?
A: I answered the same question yesterday. You can show it to your interview record. I have also discussed the safety of tourists with the ambassadors of other countries in Sweden, and some ambassadors have also said that their citizens have also been frequently robbed. We hope that the Swedish government and relevant departments will attach great importance to this and take effective measures to avoid the recurrence of robbery against foreign tourists and make Sweden safer than other countries!
Q: Some people in Sweden and China think that China’s handling of this case has something to do with Gui Minhai’s case, and it is retaliation against Sweden. What’s your comment on this?
A: I saw this statement in your report in Express on the 16th. I want to stress once again that three China tourists were treated so rudely by Swedish police. Is this a trivial matter? ! Their lives are threatened and their dignity is hurt in the middle of the night. We made solemn representations to the Swiss side in this regard, demanding that the Swiss side respond to the reasonable demands of China tourists as soon as possible. Do we need to find other reasons? ! For those who put forward this statement, it shows that they simply don’t pay attention to or care about the life safety and human dignity of China tourists! For those who put forward this statement, I hope they will talk about basic human rights! We are very shocked and puzzled that China tourists have been treated so rudely and fallen into such a desperate situation and they have not paid attention to it.
Q: Regarding the Gui Minhai case, China has always believed that Sweden has interfered in China’s internal affairs. So can we say that in this incident, China’s actions interfered in Sweden’s internal affairs?
A: First of all, I want to add one more point. As mentioned in your report in the Express yesterday, some people said that it is not excluded that the incident of China tourists being rudely treated was deliberately directed by China. I want to say that the person who put forward this statement is too imaginative! They are so fabricated! We all live in reality, not in fictional detective stories!
As for Gui Minhai’s case, Gui Minhai committed a serious crime in China, and China acted in accordance with the law. The Swiss side unreasonably demanded the Chinese side to release it, which is obviously an interference in China’s judicial sovereignty, with no regard for the rule of law and ignorance of the law. The three China tourists did not violate Swedish laws, but they were treated rudely by Swedish police, and their body, mind and dignity were hurt. Our tourists hope that the Swiss side will respond to their reasonable demands as soon as possible. As an embassy, we shoulder the responsibility of providing consular protection to China citizens abroad, and of course we have the obligation to explain to the Swiss side. This is a diplomatic practice and an international practice.
Q: The Swedish prosecutor thinks that the police have not broken the law, and the Swedish police have also rejected the demands for apology and compensation from China tourists. So what will happen next?
A: In a word, we will continue to ask the Swiss side to investigate the case thoroughly, act in accordance with the law and respond to the reasonable demands of China tourists as soon as possible. In doing so, we are defending the basic human rights of China citizens.
Q: What if the Swedish police refuse?
A: We urge the Swedish police to respond as soon as possible, but they will not answer the hypothetical questions.
Q: What do you think of the relationship between Switzerland and China? Sweden was the first western country to establish diplomatic relations with New China, and bilateral relations have always been good.
A: The people of China have always kept in mind that Sweden took the lead in establishing diplomatic relations with China among western countries, and they have friendly feelings towards the Swedish people. Our task is to work with Switzerland to safeguard, develop and consolidate the friendly feelings between the two peoples and promote the continuous development of Sino-Swiss relations. However, the development of Sino-Swiss relations must have a good foundation and principle, that is, equal treatment and mutual respect. In recent years, some forces, media and people in Sweden have not treated China as an equal. They keep saying that Sweden is a small country, but they always tell China what to do and give orders everywhere. They pretend to be teachers, full of arrogance, prejudice, prejudice and ignorance about China. We hope these forces, media and individuals in Sweden will give up their "high profile" and treat China as an equal. Only on this basis and principle can Sino-Swiss relations further develop.