Chinese activist Cao Shunli dies, denied medical treatment, US ‘deeply disturbed’
The United States is “deeply disturbed” by reports of the death of prominent Chinese human rights activist Cao Shunli, news that came as the start of a session in Geneva of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Cao Shunli
Cao Shunli was detailed last September for organizing a “sit-in” at China’s foreign ministry. The US State Department issued a very brief statement, noting that the US “is deeply disturbed by reports that rights activist Cao Shunli has passed away.”
Shunli suffered from various medical conditions, was admitted to intensive care at one facility in Beijing and later transferred to a military Hospital where she died – she was denied medial treatment.
Radio Free Asia details the accounts, “Lawyers say they had urged officials holding her to allow her medical treatment but no action was taken until she was seriously ill. She suffered from tuberculosis in both her lungs, cirrhosis of the liver, and uterine fibroids…Cao went into detention in ill health, and told her lawyer in October that she was not receiving medical treatment…”
Human Rights in China (HRIC), a Chinese non-governmental organization based in New York and Hong Kong, confirmed the reports that the 52-year-old activist was not getting medical treatment.
There is no specific mention of this in the statement.
Full statement from the State Department:
The United States is deeply disturbed by reports that rights activist Cao Shunli has passed away at a hospital in Beijing. We offer our condolences to her family.
Chinese authorities detained Cao Shunli in Beijing on September 14 while she was on her way to participate in civil society meetings in preparation for China’s Universal Periodic Review last October. We have repeatedly raised our concerns about Cao Shunli’s detention, including her deteriorating health, with Chinese authorities.
We continue to be concerned about the human rights situation in China and will continue to urge Chinese authorities to guarantee all Chinese citizens the protections and freedoms to which they are entitled under China’s international human rights commitments.
