【救助在阿同胞】四大华人组织联手致信联合国
http://www.weidb.com/voice/index.php?title=Argentina_2013_Riot
Date: 2013/12/10
Subject: A Letter to United Nations Human Rights Council
Boston Forward
Chinese Association for Progress and
Equality
Chinese United
Chinese Young Professionals Network
A Letter to United Nations Human Rights Council
December 9, 2013
Dear United Nations Human Rights Council,
We are writing to inform you of an inhumane and uncivilized phenomenon going
on in Argentina, a phenomenon that tramples and ravages the most basic
human rights of thousands of people. More importantly, we are writing to
inform you of the irresponsible and unconcerned attitude the Argentine
government is adopting toward this crime against human rights.
We learned of these events from the social media on the world wide web. We
saw at least two Facebook events where Argentine people are signing up to
rob and loot Chinese supermarkets and stores in Argentina. The numbers were
growing fast. As of today, one event has more than 1,000 people signed up.
The other one has more than 4,600 people signed up. These criminals discuss
and plot how to carry out their crimes on the internet, and the whole world
can see these discussions and the details they cover.
Through the internet, we also learned the urgent cries for help from the
people of Chinese descent in Argentina. Robberies of stores have already
happened. A Chinese store owner picked up a gun in an effort to protect his
family and his property. However, the criminals set fire to his store, and
his body was found in the ruins. Other Argentine store owners have also been
killed and injured.
Greatly and deeply disturbed, members of Chinese American organizations
contacted the Argentine embassy and consulates in America, and to our
surprise, the Argentine government showed us a cold, unconcerned and
irresponsible attitude. On the night of Dec. 8, 2013, a letter with the
Facebook event link attached was emailed to Argentine consulate in
Washington, D.C., and got no reply. On the morning of Dec. 9, phone calls
were again made to Argentine embassy and consulate in D.C., and the
Argentine representative refused to give ANY assurance that Argentine
government will do ANYTHING about these upcoming crimes involving thousands
of criminals. Instead, they asked us to call American government instead.
In New York, some of us went to Argentine consulate in person and met with
the Assistant Consular. However, he refused to give ANY assurance that the
Argentine government will do ANYTHING about the upcoming crimes bound to
happen on Dec. 20, right before this Christmas. It is just a small thing
really, he said, nothing to be worried about. Is a mass crime involving
almost 6,000 criminals a small thing, by Argentine standards, and nothing to
be worried about? Markets and stores will be robbed and looted; store
owners, their families, and innocent bystanders can be killed in the process
, and it is nothing to be worried about, according to the Assistant Consular
of Argentine government in New York? Is this the world we live in today? Is
Argentina still a civilized society, or is it just a wild jungle, where
everyone's survival is left to chances, with no protection from the
government and its forces? Again, the Assistant Consular asked our member to
call Chinese embassy in Argentina instead and the meeting ended. This is
their country and they refuse to do anything about a mass crime waiting to
happen, and ask us to call other countries' embassies instead? For what?
We realized we can't trust the lives of hundreds, or even thousands of human
beings, with the Argentine government. Only 10 days left before those
planned mass crimes will happen. We need to do something quick and effective
to keep this human tragedy from happening, instead of passively sitting and
powerlessly waiting for it to happen. We can think of no one but United
Nations Human Rights Council that can bring worldwide attention to this
uncivilized phenomenon and the Argentine government's irresponsible attitude
, which puts into danger the citizens of all other countries who reside in
Argentina at this moment.
We implore you to use all your resources and make best efforts to keep this
disaster from happening. At this moment, Facebook seems to have taken down
these events from the internet, but that doesn't mean the criminals won't
keep plotting through phones and emails and personal contact to prepare for
this crime that they have scheduled to happen on December 20, 2013.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We sincerely hope the innocent people in danger in Argentina will survive
and be able to celebrate this coming Christmas and New Year with all the
rest of us. Thank you in advance.
Sincerely yours,
Members of Chinese American organizations:
Boston Forward
Chinese Association for Progress and Equality
Chinese United
Chinese Young Professionals Network
(in alphabetical order)
