Zambia Cancels Digital Human Rights Summit; Organizers: China Pressured to Exclude Taiwan
The 'RightsCon Summit 2026' in Zambia was abruptly canceled after China allegedly pressured the host country to exclude Taiwanese activists. The organizer, Access Now, confirmed the cancellation, stating they would not accept any exclusion of Taiwanese representatives and attributed it to foreign interference. This incident highlights tensions in digital human rights and international relations.
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- 📰 Published: May 3, 2026 at 02:44
- 🔍 Collected: May 3, 2026 at 03:01 (17 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 3, 2026 at 03:03 (1 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Cape Town, Central News Agency, May 2 - Reuters) The organizers of the global digital human rights conference, Access Now, announced that a meeting scheduled for next week in Zambia was abruptly canceled just days before its opening. The reason cited was pressure from China on the host country, Zambia, to exclude Taiwanese activists.
According to an Associated Press report, the Zambian government initially announced a postponement of the 'RightsCon Summit 2026'. However, Access Now, a New York-based advocacy organization, later confirmed the cancellation of the meeting.
Access Now stated that Zambian officials informed them that the Zambian government was under pressure from China 'due to the planned in-person attendance of Taiwanese civil society participants.' The organization emphasized that it would not accept any exclusion of Taiwanese representatives.
Access Now stated in a press release: 'We believe that foreign interference is the reason why the RightsCon Summit 2026 could not be held in Zambia as scheduled.'
The organization revealed that the Zambian government had privately conveyed to them through various channels that if the postponement was to be lifted, the condition was that 'we must review specific issues and exclude at-risk communities, including Taiwanese participants, from attending either physically or online.'
The Zambian government had earlier announced that the postponement was to obtain more information about the discussion topics to ensure they aligned with the local 'national values, policy priorities, and broader public interest considerations.'
Zambia, rich in mineral resources, has close political and economic ties with China due to China's investments in its mining sector.
The Global Digital Human Rights Summit is an annual international conference focusing on human rights and technology issues, covering topics such as internet censorship, electronic surveillance, and cyber warfare. According to Access Now, more than 2,600 people were expected to attend in person in Zambia this year, with another 1,100 people originally scheduled to participate online, coming from over 150 countries.
The previous Global Digital Human Rights Summit was held in Taiwan last year.
Digital Development Minister Audrey Tang wrote on Facebook today that what truly bothers the Chinese government is 'Taiwan and the freedom, democracy, and rule of law represented by RightsCon.'
Human Rights Watch stated that the Zambian government should provide an explanation for this incident. (Compiled by: Hong Peiying) 1150503
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(Cape Town, Central News Agency, May 2 - Reuters) The organizers of the global digital human rights conference, Access Now, announced that a meeting scheduled for next week in Zambia was abruptly canceled just days before its opening. The reason cited was pressure from China on the host country, Zambia, to exclude Taiwanese activists.
According to an Associated Press report, the Zambian government initially announced a postponement of the 'RightsCon Summit 2026'. However, Access Now, a New York-based advocacy organization, later confirmed the cancellation of the meeting.
Access Now stated that Zambian officials informed them that the Zambian government was under pressure from China 'due to the planned in-person attendance of Taiwanese civil society participants.' The organization emphasized that it would not accept any exclusion of Taiwanese representatives.
Access Now stated in a press release: 'We believe that foreign interference is the reason why the RightsCon Summit 2026 could not be held in Zambia as scheduled.'
The organization revealed that the Zambian government had privately conveyed to them through various channels that if the postponement was to be lifted, the condition was that 'we must review specific issues and exclude at-risk communities, including Taiwanese participants, from attending either physically or online.'
The Zambian government had earlier announced that the postponement was to obtain more information about the discussion topics to ensure they aligned with the local 'national values, policy priorities, and broader public interest considerations.'
Zambia, rich in mineral resources, has close political and economic ties with China due to China's investments in its mining sector.
The Global Digital Human Rights Summit is an annual international conference focusing on human rights and technology issues, covering topics such as internet censorship, electronic surveillance, and cyber warfare. According to Access Now, more than 2,600 people were expected to attend in person in Zambia this year, with another 1,100 people originally scheduled to participate online, coming from over 150 countries.
The previous Global Digital Human Rights Summit was held in Taiwan last year.
Digital Development Minister Audrey Tang wrote on Facebook today that what truly bothers the Chinese government is 'Taiwan and the freedom, democracy, and rule of law represented by RightsCon.'
Human Rights Watch stated that the Zambian government should provide an explanation for this incident. (Compiled by: Hong Peiying) 1150503
Stand with facts. Every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Texts, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.