The head of an international organization has been abruptly detained and was forced to resign by their own country -- which had sent them to that organization. The latest case can be described as symbolizing China's heavy-handed rule, which neglects its responsibility in the international community and human rights.
Late last month, then Interpol President Meng Hongwei, who hails from China, went missing after temporarily returning home. At first, the Chinese authorities did not respond to an inquiry from Interpol, and more than 10 days after his disappearance, it was announced that action had been taken against him over bribery charges.
Interpol, which consists of about 190 member nations and regions, is an important organization tasked with issuing search instructions targeting fugitive criminals and providing database information about their fingerprints and other matters. Meng has submitted a written resignation, but without being seen in public.
China's action of unilaterally withdrawing the Interpol chief during his term of office was not conduct worthy of a major nation. International trust in China will inevitably weaken.
By dispatching personnel for important positions in the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization, China has continued to exercise its influence there, as shown by the fact that it has rejected Taiwan's participation in general meetings at such organizations.
Meng's election as the first Chinese president of Interpol in 2016 is believed to have reflected an ulterior motive held by the administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping, to utilize Meng's position in tracking down bureaucrats and others who had fled overseas. This is because Xi has continued to cement his power base by clamping down on corruption cases to overpower his political rivals.
Rectify iron-fisted rule
Meng had close ties with Zhou Yongkang, a former member of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee who was sentenced to life imprisonment for corruption. Some believe Meng's fall was partly the result of a power struggle within the party.
In China, the CCP outranks the judicial branch of government, and the judiciary has no independence there. Arbitrary law enforcement by power holders is possible. Although the details of the charges against Meng are not known, suspicions have naturally arisen that he has been removed for political reasons.
Investigations that deviate from international standards, and human-rights violations, committed by citing what China claims to be its "rule of law," are rampant in that country.
Fan Binbing, a popular Chinese actress who has appeared in Hollywood movies, was not heard from for more than three months from June. Later, it was announced that she had been punished over massive tax evasion. However, the extraordinary nature of her unexplained, protracted disappearance as a celebrity drew international attention.
In July 2015, human rights lawyers and activists were detained or taken away en masse, and such crackdowns have continued since then. Some have been unable to contact their families. The Xi administration seems to be alarmed by a situation in which such values as democracy and human rights will spread in society, thereby shaking the CCP's rule over the country.
It also cannot be overlooked that a large number of Uygurs have been detained in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in western China. The Xi government must realize that unless its heavy-handed approach is rectified, China will come under greater international criticism and pressure.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 17, 2018)
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