Fiona Bruce MP presents world renowned blind Chinese Human Rights Activist, Chen Guangcheng, with first ever “Westminster Award”
On Monday 20th May in House of Commons, Fiona Bruce MP presented blind Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng with the first ever “Westminster Award” for his contribution to human rights, human life and human dignity.
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(left to right) Chris Whitehouse, (Trustee of the Right to Life Charitable Trust), Lord Alton of Liverpool, Fiona Bruce MP, Chen Guangcheng and Yuan Weijing (Chen’s wife)
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Intimidated, beaten, arrested and imprisoned, Chen Guangcheng, blind from the age of one, is a self-taught lawyer and human rights activist who has exposed and challenged the brutal practices the Chinese Authorities regarding their One Child Policy which have left whole communities in China with a high imbalance of young men and women – in some villages there are up to thirty more young men than women. The policy involves forced abortion and compulsory sterilisation of women pursued by the authorities in China which have led to tens of millions of babies being killed, predominantly girls.
Under attack from the authorities, Chen escaped house arrest, fled to the American Embassy in Beijing and was eventually permitted to fly to the USA with his wife and children. Chen refuses to be silenced and visited London and Brussels to share his experiences with senior politicians and to call for tough international action to put pressure on the Chinese Government to end these barbaric practices.
The award, an engraved silver platter to be known as the Westminster Award for Human Life, Human Rights and Human Dignity, was presented to Chen in the Grand Committee Room of the House of Commons, London, by the Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-life Group, Fiona Bruce MP, in the presence of an invited audience of MPs, Peers, human rights activists and the media.
Fiona Bruce MP speaking after presenting the Award in the House of Commons said:
“Chen Guangcheng’s fight for respect for life from its earliest moments - at great personal cost to himself - stands out as a beacon of bravery across the world. It was an honour to present him with his very much deserved human rights Westminster Award in the House of Commons. We must do more as a nation to challenge China’s One Child Policy which is having devastating consequences – for example there will very soon be a complete imbalance of the age groups in China’s population with millions of old people with no one to care for them.”
Chen Guangcheng commented through a translator saying:
“I am truly honoured and delighted to receive this first ever Westminster Award on this my first ever visit to the British Parliament. I have always been encouraged in my work by the knowledge that I had friends here in the Palace of Westminster and throughout the United Kingdom. I thank them all for their support.”
Lord Alton of Liverpool, Chair of the Human Dignity, said:
“Chen must rank as one of the great men of this generation. He loves his country and its people but not its coercive one child policy. One day he will be celebrated in China as a national hero who bravely stood against the system and paid a heavy price for doing so".
- Chen’s campaigning work is supported by China Aid. For more information about please visit www.chinaaid.org
- During Chen’s visit to London he was featured on Channel 4 News, BBC World, BBC World Service, BBC Newsnight and presented at the Oxford Union
- Chen had interviews with the Daily Mail, The Economist, the Spectator, the Daily Telegraph and spoke at a press conference attended by 80 media outlets
- Meetings during Chen’s visit included; Shadow Foreign Minister Kerry McCarthy MP, Lord Alton, Baroness Cox, Amnesty International and David Blunkett MP.
