GENEVA — A Chinese diplomat repeatedly interrupted a speech by a prominent Chinese dissident to block him from addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council, a failed attempt that bared China’s sensitivity on human rights. Yang Jianli, a dissident in exile in the United States, was disrupted seconds into his remarks as he questioned the Chinese Communist Party’s right to represent China at the U.N. body. Yang was invited to appear before the Human Rights Council meeting by U.N.-accredited advocacy group UN Watch. Yang participated in the pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and served five years in prison in China. Tuesday’s conflict came during debate about the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action, which says non-governmental organizations “should be free to carry out their human rights activities, without interference.”

Source: National Post March 20, 2018 19:45 UTC