Freedom House released its Freedom in the World 2024 report on February 29. There are 210 countries and territories ranked according to people’s access to political rights and civil liberties. China with a total score of 9/100 received a status of “Not Free” and is at the bottom at 189th position. Hong Kong and Tibet are listed separately.
The report states China’s “civil society has been largely decimated” and “the CCP effectively monopolizes all political activity and does not permit meaningful political competition.” It also states “the political system is dominated in practice by ethnic Han Chinese men, and that “women, ethnic and religious minorities, and LGBT+ people have no opportunity to gain meaningful political representation.”
On the question of whether Chinese authorities are deliberately trying to alter the demographics in Mongolian, Tibetan and Uyghur areas, China received a score of -3. The report says Uyghur and other Muslim women are being subjected to forced-sterilization program, thousands of ethnic minority people are being forced to work in low-wage jobs in state-owned factories where they are subjected political indoctrination, and a growing number of ethnic minority Tibetan and Uyghur children are being forced to attend state-run boarding schools “where Mandarin is the sole language of instruction and where students are subject to intense political indoctrination.”
The China section of the report also mentions the religious persecution faced by Tibetan Buddhists, Uyghur Muslims, Falun Gong practitioners, and Christian “house churches.” It says “a new law regulating religious venues, which came into force in September 2023, reinforced state control over the organizational structure and personnel of religious groups. Under the measures, religious groups must maintain files on staff activities, including contact with foreign entities.”
The report found that the situation in Tibet has regressed further with an overall score of 0/100. In the 2023 report, Tibet received 1/100. Of the 210 countries/territories ranked, only the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh (a conflict zone between Armenia and Azerbaijan) with a score of -3/100 was less free than Tibet.
On Hong Kong, the report states “the 2020 implementation of the National Security Law (NSL) has amounted to a multifront attack on the “one country, two systems” framework. The territory’s most prominent pro democracy figures have been arrested under its provisions, and NSL charges or the threat of charges have resulted in the closure of political parties, independent news outlets, peaceful nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and unions. The NSL also paved the way for Beijing to overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system beginning in 2021; the new rules permit mainland authorities to vet candidates and contain other provisions that ultimately ensure Beijing near-total control over the selection of Hong Kong authorities.”
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Freedom in the World 2024
