TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — At a religious conference where the continually deteriorating conditions of human rights and religious freedom in China were at the center of discussion, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) expressed her support for those who have been persecuted or oppressed by authoritarian governments.
Activists and campaigners from 15 countries in the Indo-Pacific region gathered on Monday for the forum, “A Civil Society Dialogue on Securing Religious Freedom,” to discuss how to better protect and promote religious freedom.
A number of Tibetans and Uyghurs were also invited to give their first-person accounts of how they have faced oppression from the Chinese government due to their faith and ethnicity.
“Taiwan knows how it feels when someone tries to take away your rights, wipe out your identity, and challenge your way of life,” said President Tsai, hinting at the situations in China, where the detention of more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities, and the shutting down of Christian churches have caught the attention of international media in recent years.
“We chose to stand with those who were oppressed and whose religious rights are taken away by authoritarian regimes,” said the president, adding that her administration remains committed to creating a society where people are free from fear of persecution, or fear of exile because of their religion or ethnicity.
Sam Brownback, the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, expressed his concern over various incidents of governments violating human rights and religious freedom in the region over the past few years. He noted that the time for action has never been more urgent than it is now.
“What people do in Taiwan should be the norm for everybody throughout the region and the world,” said Brownback, lauding the nation as a vibrant society where human rights and all fundamental freedoms are guaranteed.
The forum, hosted by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), Taiwan's foreign ministry, and the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, is the first such event to be held in the region as a response to the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, which was hosted by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington D.C. last year.
Brownback said promoting religious freedom is a priority for the U.S government in terms of its foreign policy. He expressed his hope that the conference will provide a platform for promoting religious freedom and for fostering respect among religious people for those of other religions and non-believers in the region as well.
Following his trip to Hong Kong last week, the U.S. ambassador-at-large is visiting Taiwan from March 10 to 13. In addition to attending the conference, Brownback will also meet with President Tsai later on Monday at the Presidential Office, and other officials from the Taiwan Government, according to AIT.
