Václav Havel, H.H. the Dalai Lama and Other Participants of the Discussion on Human Rights in Asia Have Signed the Prague Declaration
Added 16th December 2011
Leading personalities in the global human rights arena, who participated in the discussion entitled “Democracy and Human Rights in Asia: One Year After an Empty Chair in Oslo” held in Prague on December 11, 2011, have signed the Prague Declaration. They call on the international community to support human rights and democracy activists in Asian countries.
“We are aware that the world will not change overnight by talking about human rights and democracy at conferences nor will it result in the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience. The reality is that in some cases there is little that can be done which immediately results in bringing about some positive changes. However, there are always ways and possibilities to make clear to the oppressed and persecuted that the world has not forgotten them and cares about their plight. These expressions of concern, support and solidarity are of immense importance in sustaining and strengthening the spirit and hope of the people who are engaged in the struggle for human rights and democracy even at the risk of imprisonment and endangering their own lives. It is these people who represent the forces that ultimately will achieve freedom, democracy and human rights.”
You can read the complete text of the Prague Declaration here.
Participants of the discussion included Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Iranian lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, co-drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and author of the bestseller “Indignez-vous” Stéphane Hessel from France, Chinese dissident and President of the Initiatives for China Jianli Yang and former French Minister of Foreign Affairs and co-founder of Doctors Without Borders Bernard Kouchner. Václav Havel sent us his contribution to the discussion since he could not participate personally.
The roundtable discussion focused on the current state of democracy and human rights in Asia and was held in commemoration of the first anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. A brief summary of the debate can be found here.