China, according to Freedom House and many experts, conducts the most sophisticated and comprehensive campaign of transnational repression in the world. The campaign targets several groups, including ethnic and religious minorities like Uighurs, Tibetans, and Falun Gong practitioners, political dissidents, human rights activists, journalists, and those accused of corruption. Tactics include renditions, pressuring other countries to detain and render exiles, controlling movement, intimidating and punishing families of those targeted, cyberattacks and other coercive measures. How broad is this system of surveillance, harassment, and intimidation faced by overseas Chinese and exiled communities? Which entities within the CCP’s domestic security and military apparatus are responsible for carrying out transnational repression and how do they operate? How can the targeted individuals, communities and the international community counter China’s policy and actions?
Date: Thursday, August 24, 2023
Time: 9:30 am (Washington, DC), 2:30pm (London), 7:00pm (New Delhi)
Event Type: Virtual (YouTube and Facebook)
Speakers:
| Tsewang Dorji Jeshong Research Fellow Information Centre Tibet Policy Institute, CTA |
Laura Harth Campaigns Director Safeguard Defenders |
| Peter Irwin Associate Director for Research and Advocacy Uyghur Human Rights Project |
Jeanette Tong Communication Director & Research Fellow Citizen Power Initiatives For China |
| Moderator: Sakina Batt (Host, Freedom Hour, AFI) |
Streaming Links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AsiaFreedomInstitute/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AsiaFreedomInstitute/streams
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AsiaFreedomInst
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Tsewang Dorji Jeshong
Tsewang Dorji Jeshong is a research fellow at the Tibet Policy Institute, a think tank affiliated with the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala, India. His research interests include India-China border conflict over the Indo-Tibet border; military and infrastructure developments in Tibet, Chinese strategic thinking towards Tibet and South Asia, traditional knowledge systems in the Himalayan regions. He has done his doctoral studies in Strategic and International Relations at the University of Madras.
Laura Harth
Laura Harth is Campaign Director at Safeguard Defenders, a human rights NGO that undertakes and supports local activities for the protection of human rights, promotion of the rule of law and enhancement of local civil society capacity in some of Asia’s most hostile environments. Focused on the PRC, it also works to counter growing transnational repression by the CCP around the world through direct actions, research and advocacy efforts. Laura also covers external relations for the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and acts as an adviser to Hong Kong Watch. Previously a contributor to Hong Kong-based Apple Daily’s English edition, she is a contributor to Italian outlet Formiche and co-authored a Synopsis report to expose and counter CCP malign influence operations in Italy.
Peter Irwin
Peter Irwin is the Associate Director for Research and Advocacy at the Uyghur Human Rights Project where he conducts research and writes and edits reports and other publications for audiences ranging from the United Nations and other multilateral human rights bodies to government officials to the media and the general public. He also conducts advocacy at the United Nations and other multilateral bodies, as well as with governments around the world. Mr. Irwin regularly offers commentary to the media on the Uyghur issue, which can be found in The New York Times and the BBC, among other outlets. He has also written original pieces for The Guardian, The Independent, Hong Kong Free Press and The Diplomat. Mr. Irwin is an MSc graduate of Human Rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and former Program Manager and Spokesperson for the World Uyghur Congress.
Jeanette Tong
Jeanette Tong is the Communication Director and Research Fellow at Citizen Power Initiatives for China. She also serves as the Managing Editor for YIBAO Online Publications, a subsidiary of Citizen Power Initiatives for China and an online publication of op-eds and news articles focused on human rights and the rule of law in China.
Sakina Batt
Sakina Batt is the host of Freedom Hour, a program of the Asia Freedom Institute. She is also a producer at Meeting Point, a leading audio visual production house and buying agency in Nepal. She directs promotional videos, does voice overs, writes scripts and copywriting for the videos in Meeting Point. Sakina worked for Tibet TV at the Central Tibetan Administration in India for four years (2017-2021) where she served as a news presenter and an interview host. She also made short documentaries for the channel, wrote scripts, conducted research, edited videos and anchored the show In Conversation with Tibet TV. Sakina has a Masters in Mass Communication from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi and a bachelors from Delhi University.
