First 2008 Trip Features Hong Kong Speech
In his first overseas mission of 2008, Executive Director John Kamm conducted meetings in Europe and China with diplomats and officials, NGO representatives, and many others involved in the fields of human rights and criminal justice, with his speech in Hong Kong pinpointing crucial issues for the current dialogue on China’s human rights.
First stopping in Paris on March 17, Kamm met with NGO representatives, academics, and officials of the French government working in the field of human rights. Then in Berne, he held meetings with human rights officials of the Swiss government before heading to Geneva, where he spoke with Louise Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, representatives of several human rights groups, the human rights ambassador of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the ambassador and counselor of China’s UN mission. In Oslo, Kamm met with Norwegian ministers and diplomats as well as NGO representatives during a visit given broad coverage by local media.
A major public appearance for Kamm came on March 29, when he gave the keynote speech, “China’s June Fourth Prisoners: The Long Road to Justice,” at the 12th Annual Human Rights Press Awards at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong. In his address, Kamm appealed for the release of prisoners still incarcerated for crimes committed during the pro-democracy demonstrations throughout China in 1989. (The full text of the speech can be read here.)
Later, in Beijing, Kamm met with officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, touching on the anticipated resumption of the Sino-US human rights dialogue, and also with justices of the Supreme People’s Court and foreign diplomats based in China’s capital.
Rosenzweig to Head Hong Kong Office
Joshua Rosenzweig, Dui Hua’s manager of research and programs, will be relocating to Hong Kong this summer to head operations in the foundation’s office there, which opened in mid-2007. From this new post, Rosenzweig will strengthen relations with locally-based NGOs, journalists, and foreign diplomats whose work involves human rights and also further develop ties between Dui Hua and Chinese criminal justice officials, who increasingly visit Hong Kong. The relocation will significantly benefit Dui Hua in areas of research and outreach in the SAR and allow Rosenzweig to make more trips to mainland China for exchange programs and research work. Dui Hua wishes Joshua well in this special opportunity for the foundation and anticipates his frequent returns to the San Francisco office.
Dui Hua Welcomes New Staff Member
Since February 2008, Siska Silitonga has served as Executive Assistant/Program Coordinator after an established journalism career in China, where she traveled and reported widely. A native of Indonesia, Siska moved to Beijing in 1998 to study Mandarin Chinese at Beijing Language University. Upon graduating in 2001, she worked as a freelance journalist for various international media outlets, including Minnesota Public Radio, KQED Public Radio, and Sky News, and at the Voice of America Beijing bureau as a researcher, translator, and radio journalist. In addition, Siska was a correspondent on Chinese political and social issues for Asia Calling, a program that broadcasts to Australia, Indonesia, and other parts of Southeast Asia. Dui Hua is pleased to welcome Siska to the foundation and looks forward to her contributions in many facets of our work.