Executive Yuan: China's Suppression of Digital Human Rights Conference Aims to Make World Ignore Taiwan
Following reports that a digital human rights conference in Zambia was canceled due to Chinese pressure, Taiwan's Executive Yuan Human Rights and Transitional Justice Office condemned China's actions as an authoritarian threat aimed at making the world ignore Taiwan's free democratic system.
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- 📰 Published: May 3, 2026 at 18:19
- 🔍 Collected: May 3, 2026 at 18:31 (12 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 3, 2026 at 18:33 (2 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Lai Yu-chen, Taipei, May 3) US media reported that the Digital Human Rights Conference, originally scheduled to be held in Zambia, was canceled due to China's suppression. The Executive Yuan Human Rights and Transitional Justice Office stated today that China's suppression is nothing more than an attempt to make the international community ignore Taiwan's free democratic system, and this behavior is precisely the authoritarian threat that the 'Global Digital Human Rights Conference' is eager to combat.
US media outlet Semafor reported that the Digital Human Rights Conference, originally planned for Zambia, was canceled because China pressured to exclude Taiwanese participants, which also led to a reduction in the scale of the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day Conference held at the same location.
The Human Rights Office stated through a press release today that the Global Digital Human Rights Conference, as an important exchange platform for international attention on digital human rights issues, originally planned agendas this year including digital sovereignty and resilient networks, digital security, artificial intelligence governance and regulation, misinformation, online surveillance, and protection of minority groups such as LGBTIQ+ and indigenous peoples.
The Human Rights Office said that in response to China's suppression, the organizer 'Access Now' condemned China's interference in the space for international civil society discussions on May 1, and called on digital human rights community partners worldwide to unite and continue to cooperate on relevant issues.
The Human Rights Office stated that China's suppression of public and private sector partners from various countries participating in this event is nothing more than an attempt to make the international community ignore Taiwan's free democratic system, and also intends to force human rights activists from various countries to remain silent on the surveillance and oppression of people by authoritarian states. This behavior is precisely the authoritarian threat that the 'Global Digital Human Rights Conference' formed by civil liberties in the digital environment is eager to combat.
Regarding this incident, the Human Rights Office believes that it not only deprives Taiwan's civic partners of an opportunity for in-depth exchanges with the international community on digital human rights issues, but also highlights that Taiwan, on digital development issues, should further consolidate the defense line of digital and democratic resilience with international civil society to defend the values of freedom, democracy, rule of law, and human rights.
The Human Rights Office stated that in the face of various challenges brought by digital development to government governance and human rights protection, the government will prioritize focusing on the potential threats of digital applications to disadvantaged groups in various situations; and will continue to combat human rights harms in various aspects of the digital environment, such as personal information and privacy protection, freedom of speech, equality and non-discrimination, and digital gender-based violence, by cooperating and exchanging with relevant government departments and domestic and international non-governmental organizations in various countries, and strengthening stakeholder participation, while promoting technological innovation and ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights. (Edited by Lin Hsing-meng)1150503
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(Central News Agency reporter Lai Yu-chen, Taipei, May 3) US media reported that the Digital Human Rights Conference, originally scheduled to be held in Zambia, was canceled due to China's suppression. The Executive Yuan Human Rights and Transitional Justice Office stated today that China's suppression is nothing more than an attempt to make the international community ignore Taiwan's free democratic system, and this behavior is precisely the authoritarian threat that the 'Global Digital Human Rights Conference' is eager to combat.
US media outlet Semafor reported that the Digital Human Rights Conference, originally planned for Zambia, was canceled because China pressured to exclude Taiwanese participants, which also led to a reduction in the scale of the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day Conference held at the same location.
The Human Rights Office stated through a press release today that the Global Digital Human Rights Conference, as an important exchange platform for international attention on digital human rights issues, originally planned agendas this year including digital sovereignty and resilient networks, digital security, artificial intelligence governance and regulation, misinformation, online surveillance, and protection of minority groups such as LGBTIQ+ and indigenous peoples.
The Human Rights Office said that in response to China's suppression, the organizer 'Access Now' condemned China's interference in the space for international civil society discussions on May 1, and called on digital human rights community partners worldwide to unite and continue to cooperate on relevant issues.
The Human Rights Office stated that China's suppression of public and private sector partners from various countries participating in this event is nothing more than an attempt to make the international community ignore Taiwan's free democratic system, and also intends to force human rights activists from various countries to remain silent on the surveillance and oppression of people by authoritarian states. This behavior is precisely the authoritarian threat that the 'Global Digital Human Rights Conference' formed by civil liberties in the digital environment is eager to combat.
Regarding this incident, the Human Rights Office believes that it not only deprives Taiwan's civic partners of an opportunity for in-depth exchanges with the international community on digital human rights issues, but also highlights that Taiwan, on digital development issues, should further consolidate the defense line of digital and democratic resilience with international civil society to defend the values of freedom, democracy, rule of law, and human rights.
The Human Rights Office stated that in the face of various challenges brought by digital development to government governance and human rights protection, the government will prioritize focusing on the potential threats of digital applications to disadvantaged groups in various situations; and will continue to combat human rights harms in various aspects of the digital environment, such as personal information and privacy protection, freedom of speech, equality and non-discrimination, and digital gender-based violence, by cooperating and exchanging with relevant government departments and domestic and international non-governmental organizations in various countries, and strengthening stakeholder participation, while promoting technological innovation and ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights. (Edited by Lin Hsing-meng)1150503
Choose to stand with the facts. Every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
Download CNA's 'Firsthand News' APP to get the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.
Keywords: