Forced Eviction Protester and 2010 Gong Min Walker, Zhang Xiaogang, at Shanghai Expo on June 1, 2010
Washington, D.C. July 13, 2010– United Nations Watch, the Switzerland based NGO, is leading an International joint NGO appeal to UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon and UN HABITAT executive director, Anna Tibaijuka. The appeal calls on the United Nations to “investigate the forced eviction of 18,000 families to make way for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai” and to “take action to redress the serious violations of human rights inflicted upon them.”
The appeal coincides with the Sparrow Initiative organized by the Boston based democracy movement, Initiatives for China, and raises the pressure on the United Nations to end its silence on this issue. The Sparrow Initiative is a non violent protest action by victims of forced evictions. Its members and supporters have written several petitions to the UN. In addition, Sparrow Initiative supporters have held protests in Shanghai, Beijing, Los Angeles, and New York. Another protest is planned to coincide with the Shanghai Expo Concert in New York City’s Central Park on July 13. “It is ironically sad that an International Expo, with the theme of ‘Better City, Better Life’, began its existence by forcibly evicting 18,000 families and destroying 270 factories that employed 10,000 workers without a hint of due process,” commented Dr. Yang Jianli, President of Initiatives for China.
Initiatives for China urges all NGO’s and human rights organizations to endorse this appeal. A joint action will send a strong message to the United Nations that the world is watching Please read the following Appeal and add your endorsement by sending you name, title, organization, and country of residence to United Nations Watch,