Protests held across US over China's human rights abuses

WASHINGTON: Condemning the Chinese government's rights abuses, various ethnic groups including members of the Tibetan and Uyghur community protested in cities on the West Coast of the United States. Protests were held on Human Rights Day on December 10 in Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon.

Braving inclement weather including heavy rainfall and high winds, scores of people protested in front of the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco.

Protests were held on the iconic interstate highway I-5 in Seattle and in Downtown Portland. This is the first time that anti-China protests have been held in Seattle and Portland.

Some of the protestors in different cities were seen holding a blank paper in their hands in support of the recent anti-COVID demonstration held in China.

Blank sheets of paper, held by Chinese protestors, have become a symbol of a mass uprising being witnessed against the strict zero-COVID policy of Communist-ruled China. White papers are metaphors for the countless critical posts, news articles, and outspoken social media accounts that were wiped from the internet, CNN reported.

China's crackdown on anti-COVID protests has prompted calls from the global community to stand beside the protesters and take action against the Chinese authorities.

These protests came on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day and on the eve of International Human Rights Day, the United States is taking the following actions to promote accountability for corruption and human rights abuse around the world.

On Friday, the US Department of Treasury said that sanctions were announced against two Chinese officials for serious human rights abuse in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).

Chinese officials Wu Yingjie (Wu) and Zhang Hongbo (Zhang) have been named on the list. Wu Yingjie was the TAR Party Secretary between 2016 and 2021 and directed government officials to engage in stability policies, according to US Treasury Department.