France disregards human rights in favour of promoting tourism

Urgent Campaign - 17 January 2007

The French Government has released a 65 page guide aimed at accommodating Chinese tourists in France due to the huge increase in Chinese tourists travelling to France. The guide, produced by the French Tourism Ministry, provides advice on a variety of methods designed to keep Chinese tourists happy. Alarmingly, the guide advises that self-censorship is an appropriate way of attracting Chinese tourists.

The chapter titled 'Negotiating and Doing Business' advises: "avoid talking about Chinese politics, for example: the events at Tiananmen Square, strategic questions of Taiwan or of Tibet".

The leaflet is the latest example of Western businesses and governments censoring themselves in their unprincipled stance of putting profit before basic and universal values such as the right to freedom of expression. We are constantly told that doing business in China will help improve the human rights situation there. But the French Government's tourism leaflet, and Google's decision in 2006 to censor internet searches for Chinese users of its search engine, illustrate sadly how, instead of improving China's human rights record, engagement with China often worsens our own record, with undemocratic Chinese practices being adopted here in the West. The French Government's advice not to talk about Tibet, Tiananmen Square, or Taiwan mirrors exactly those words which China's internet police use to search for Chinese internet users discussing sensitive issues and which can lead to their arrest. The French Government's decision to issue this leaflet not only betrays its own cherished principles of freedom and democratic values, it also displays a failure in its duty as one of the world's leading democracies to stand up and support those Tibetans and Chinese citizens living under oppressive dictatorship and unable to express freely their basic beliefs.

Media censorship in China is rife, all forms of the media are heavily monitored. In 2006, the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Bejing reported that it had received reports of 72 incidents of harassment of foreign journalists from 15 countries between 2004 and August 2006.

TAKE ACTION

Put direct pressure on the French Government in Britain by writing to the officials below with the following demands:

• That the French Government removes the passage calling on officials dealing with Chinese visitors not to mention Tibet, Taiwan or Tiananmen Square in its leaflet "Chinese Tourists: How Best To Welcome Them".
   
• That, instead of copying Chinese censorship methods, the French Government condemns publicly the Chinese government's harrassment of Chinese journalists and internet users who discuss politically sensitive issues.

ADDRESSES

1. Write to the French Embassy in the UK

   Name: HE Monsieur Gerard Errera (Ambassador)
   Address: 58 Knightsbridge
   London SW1X 7JT
   Tel: 020 7073 1000
   Fax: 020 7073 1004
   Salutation: Your Excellency

   You can email the Embassy via the following link which links to a page where you can submit a question or comment:www.ambafrance-uk.org

    

2. Write to the French Government Tourism Office in London

   Address: Maison de la France
   French Government Tourist Office
   178 Piccadilly
   London W1 J 9AL
   Tel: 09068 244123 (premium line number)
   Fax: 020 7493 6594
   Email: info.uk@franceguide.com

    

3. Please also write to your MP asking that he/she writes to the French Embassy in London expressing their dismay at France's attempt to censor its citizens who are dealing with Chinese tourists.

   [Name of your MP]
   Address: House of Commons
   London SW1A 0AA
   Tel: 020 7276 3000
   Fax: 020 7925 0918

   You can find the name of your MP and send them a free message via: www.writetothem.com

Please send us a copy of any correspondence you receive in reply as this helps us to monitor the situation.