Category: Events 活动

Published on Tuesday, 10 December 2013 20:38

Written by Super User

Hits: 330

2013年12月10日，在经过紧急磋商之后，在美四大华人组织联名致信联合国人权理事会，要求其关注阿根廷人道主义危机。

信件全文如下：

           Boston Forward
           Chinese Association for Progress and Equality
           Chinese United
           Chinese Young Professionals Network

A Letter to United Nations Human Rights Council

December 9, 2013

Dear United Nations Human Rights Council,

We are writing to inform you of an inhumane and uncivilized phenomenon going on in Argentina, a phenomenon that tramples and ravages the most basic human rights of thousands of people. More importantly, we are writing to inform you of the irresponsible and unconcerned attitude the Argentine government is adopting toward this crime against human rights.

We learned of these events from the social media on the world wide web. We saw at least two Facebook events where Argentine people are signing up to rob and loot Chinese supermarkets and stores in Argentina. The numbers were growing fast. As of today, one event has more than 1,000 people signed up. The other one has more than 4,600 people signed up. These criminals discuss and plot how to carry out their crimes on the internet, and the whole world can see these discussions and the details they cover.

Through the internet, we also learned the urgent cries for help from the people of Chinese descent in Argentina. Robberies of stores have already happened. A Chinese store owner picked up a gun in an effort to protect his family and his property. However, the criminals set fire to his store, and his body was found in the ruins. Other Argentine store owners have also been killed and injured.

Greatly and deeply disturbed, members of Chinese American organizations contacted the Argentine embassy and consulates in America, and to our surprise, the Argentine government showed us a cold, unconcerned and irresponsible attitude. On the night of Dec. 8, 2013, a letter with the Facebook event link attached was emailed to Argentine consulate in Washington, D.C., and got no reply. On the morning of Dec. 9, phone calls were again made to Argentine embassy and consulate in D.C., and the Argentine representative refused to give ANY assurance that Argentine government will do ANYTHING about these upcoming crimes involving thousands of criminals. Instead, they asked us to call American government instead.

In New York, some of us went to Argentine consulate in person and met with the Assistant Consular. However, he refused to give ANY assurance that the Argentine government will do ANYTHING about the upcoming crimes bound to happen on Dec. 20, right before this Christmas. It is just a small thing really, he said, nothing to be worried about. Is a mass crime involving almost 6,000 criminals a small thing, by Argentine standards, and nothing to be worried about? Markets and stores will be robbed and looted; store owners, their families, and innocent bystanders can be killed in the process, and it is nothing to be worried about, according to the Assistant Consular of Argentine government in New York? Is this the world we live in today? Is Argentina still a civilized society, or is it just a wild jungle, where everyone's survival is left to chances, with no protection from the government and its forces? Again, the Assistant Consular asked our member to call Chinese embassy in Argentina instead and the meeting ended. This is their country and they refuse to do anything about a mass crime waiting to happen, and ask us to call other countries' embassies instead? For what?

We realized we can't trust the lives of hundreds, or even thousands of human beings, with the Argentine government. Only 10 days left before those planned mass crimes will happen. We need to do something quick and effective to keep this human tragedy from happening, instead of passively sitting and powerlessly waiting for it to happen. We can think of no one but United Nations Human Rights Council that can bring worldwide attention to this uncivilized phenomenon and the Argentine government's irresponsible attitude, which puts into danger the citizens of all other countries who reside in Argentina at this moment.

We implore you to use all your resources and make best efforts to keep this disaster from happening. At this moment, Facebook seems to have taken down these events from the internet, but that doesn't mean the criminals won't keep plotting through phones and emails and personal contact to prepare for this crime that they have scheduled to happen on December 20, 2013.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We sincerely hope the innocent people in danger in Argentina will survive and be able to celebrate this coming Christmas and New Year with all the rest of us. Thank you in advance.

           Sincerely yours,

           Members of Chinese American organizations:

           Boston Forward
           Chinese Association for Progress and Equality
           Chinese United
           Chinese Young Professionals Network

           (in alphabetical order)