Human Rights and Freedom in China

China People's Republic of China [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	67th best
Location	Asia
Population	1.4b1
Life Expectancy	78.21yrs (2017)2

The concept of Human Rights has not been accepted by the Chinese government. Although outright draconian abuse only exists in terms of censorship and political limitations, there are many areas where human rights are more generically denied. Since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, a "broad and sustained offensive on human rights" has ensued, according to Human Rights Watch's 2017 report₃. Forced confessions and televised sham trials were used to harass and silence human rights supporters and "the government also tried to eliminate the country's few independent human rights news websites by jailing their founders"₃. The government remains "hostile to women's rights activism" even though "women and girls in China continue to confront sexual abuse and harassment, employment discrimination, and domestic violence"₄. China's censorship of Internet access is already one of the most draconian worldwide and these controls were made even stronger in 2017₃.

China does worse than average in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₅, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₆, LGBT equality in the 2020s₇, its average Freedom in the World rating and in freethought₈. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of supporting press freedom₉ (amongst the worst in Asia).

"Foreign governments did little in 2017 to push back against China's worsening rights record at home and abroad"₃. China and Russia both worked together to prevent and delay investigations of widespread human rights abuses in Syria by the International Criminal Court₁₀. Australia and Germany both applied some pressure, and although the USA followed suit, their efforts were undermined by their own President Trump's applause of President Xi.

1. China's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets
   1. Press Freedom
   2. Slavery in the 2020s
   3. Freedom in the World
   4. Human Rights Watch Comments
   5. Nominal Commitment to HR
   6. HR Treaties Lag
3. Gender Equality Datasets
   1. Gender Inequality
   2. Gender Biases
   3. Year Women Can Vote
4. Prejudice Datasets
   1. Anti-Semite Opinions
   2. LGBT Equality in the 2020s
   3. Freedom of Thought
5. Hong Kong and Tibet
6. Freedom of Belief and Religion
7. Links

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1. China's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#china #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Asia (2025)11
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank11
1	Japan	31.6
2	Taiwan	42.2
3	S. Korea	45.2
	...
25	Lebanon	109.7
26	Cambodia	110.8
27	Tajikistan	111.0
28	China	112.5
29	Laos	113.4
30	Malaysia	117.3
31	Jordan	119.6
32	Azerbaijan	123.0
33	Uzbekistan	123.5
	Asia Avg	110.11
q=51.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)11
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank11
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
135	Cambodia	110.8
136	Tajikistan	111.0
137	Sao Tome & Principe	111.8
138	China	112.5
139	Tanzania	112.9
140	Congo, (Brazzaville)	113.3
141	Laos	113.4
142	Vatican City	113.6
	World Avg	90.04
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₂. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₂.

30 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₂, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₂.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in China stated:

“The government continued to stifle criticism of its policies and actions and discussion of topics considered sensitive through increasingly pervasive online censorship. Government critics, human rights defenders, pro-democracy activists and religious leaders and practitioners were among those subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention. Systematic repression of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet continued. Authorities attempted to prevent the publication of an OHCHR report documenting potential crimes against humanity and other international crimes in Xinjiang. Women continued to endure sexual violence and harassment and other violations of their rights. The Hong Kong government continued its crackdown against the pro-democracy movement. Journalists, broadcasters and book publishers were among those prosecuted and imprisoned under the National Security Law and other repressive legislation, while civil society organizations both in Hong Kong and abroad faced criminal charges or harassment for legitimate activities.”

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₃

“Xi Jinping got away with little resistance to his imposition of the most intense crackdown since the brutal smothering of the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy movement because other nations were afraid to jeopardize lucrative Chinese contracts by standing up for the rights of the Chinese people. [...] China detained its citizens who hoped to engage with United Nations bodies on its rights abuse.”

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₄

Some commentators are more positive in their outlook, although China since the 2000s has been going backwards:

“[In] late nineteenth century [China] Western ideas of political rights... became of considerable interest. Marina Svensson, in Debating Human Rights in China (2003), tells a nuanced story of the Chinese engagement with ideas of rights. ... China came to Western ideas of rights, rather than had them imposed upon them, and they came to those ideas largely as a result of their dissatisfaction with the sufferings of China at the hands of Western state power and the global economy. The concept of human rights was embraced by Chinese writers as useful in their struggle to save China (Svensson 2003: 73). As Svensson emphasizes, national survival rather than the freedom of the individual from an oppressive state was the main preoccupation of early-twentieth-century Chinese advocates of rights (2003: 98).”

"Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice" by Jack Donnelly (2013)₁₅

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better9
Pos.		20259
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
172	Vietnam	19.74
173	Turkmenistan	19.14
174	Afghanistan	17.88
175	Iran	16.22
176	Syria	15.82
177	China	14.80
178	N. Korea	12.64
179	Eritrea	11.32
	Asia Avg	39.69
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

China is 3rd-worst in the world regarding supporting press freedom.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₁₆

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

• "Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

Averages by decade for China (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
China:	89.57	23.52
World Rank:	169th	⇣  175th
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better17
Pos.		Slavery in the 2020s Per 100017
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
48=	Israel	3.80
49=	Guinea	4.00
49=	Sudan	4.00
49=	China	4.00
49=	Mongolia	4.00
53=	Vietnam	4.10
53=	Angola	4.10
53=	Estonia	4.10
	Asia Avg	9.89
	World Avg	7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

In terms of combatting modern slavery, China is positioned 49th in the world.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and the poverty-stricken vulnerable.₁₈. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₁₉, Eritrea₁₉, Indonesia₂₀) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₁₉, and, nearly two-thirds of those in forced labour are employed at the end of supply chains working for large multinationals that creating products consumed by rich countries₂₁.

For more, see:

• "The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

Averages by decade for China (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s  Average	2020s  Average
China:	2.80	4.00
World Rank:	57th	⇡  49th
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
183=	Cuba	6.5
183=	Saudi Arabia	6.5
183=	Laos	6.5
183=	China	6.5
183=	Chad	6.5
183=	Burundi	6.5
183=	Swaziland	6.5
183=	Syria	6.5
	Asia Avg	5.0
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

With respect to its average Freedom in the World rating, China ranks 20th-worst in the world.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for China (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
China:	6.6	6.1	6.9	6.5	6.5
World Rank:	148th	⇡  128th	⇣  186th	⇣  189th	⇡  188th
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.4. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better5
Pos.		2017 Score5
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
76=	Kyrgyzstan	-4
76=	Kuwait	-4
78=	Azerbaijan	-5
78=	China	-5
78=	Cambodia	-5
78=	Uganda	-5
78=	S. Sudan	-5
78=	Zimbabwe	-5
	Asia Avg	-5.0
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

With respect to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, China comes 78th in the world.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

• "Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

2.5. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better6
Pos.		2009 Treaties6
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
114=	Japan	14
114=	Jamaica	14
114=	Jordan	14
114=	China	14
114=	Mauritius	14
114=	Botswana	14
114=	Madagascar	14
114=	Syria	14
	Asia Avg	12.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

In terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights, China ranks 112th in the world.

There are many international agreements on Human Rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of Human Rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

• "Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

2.6. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better22
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty22
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
78	India	9.18
79	Bangladesh	9.18
80	Sierra Leone	9.33
81	China	9.36
82	Lesotho	9.44
83	Gabon	9.47
84	Turkey	9.48
85	Malta	9.60
	Asia Avg	10.97
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

China ranks 81st in the world regarding speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

China is on the way towards ending gender inequality.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

"The Chinese government remains hostile to women's rights activism. [...] Women and girls in China continue to confront sexual abuse and harassment, employment discrimination, and domestic violence"₃. In 2017 "between May and June, Guangzhou police forced five activists from their homes in retaliation for their campaign to raise awareness about sexual harassment on public transportation.₃

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better23
Pos.		202223
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
43	Slovakia	0.18
44	Russia	0.18
45	USA	0.18
46	China	0.19
47	Ukraine	0.19
48	Bahrain	0.19
49	Qatar	0.20
50	Malaysia	0.20
	Asia Avg	0.33
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

China is positioned 46th in the world when it comes to opposing gender inequality.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

• "Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Note there were only 2 datapoints in the 1990s, but the values are consistent with the following decade's trends, so it's still listed as a valid average.

Averages by decade for China (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
China:	0.29	0.27	0.22
World Rank:	32nd	⇣  44th	⇣  47th
World Avg:	0.44	0.41	0.37

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better24
Pos.		2022 %24
1	Sweden	31.825
2	New Zealand	34.426
3	Australia	37.026
	...
41	Bolivia	91.326
42	Russia	91.426
43	Turkey	91.626
44	China	91.826
45	Armenia	92.126
46	Ecuador	92.326
47	Venezuela	92.426
48	Nicaragua	93.226
	Asia Avg	94.24
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

China comes 44th in the world regarding the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators).

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

3.3. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
77=	Seychelles	1948
78=	Costa Rica	1949
78=	Chile	1949
78=	China	1949
78=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1949
82=	Barbados	1950
82=	India	1950
82=	Haiti	1950
	Asia Avg	1907
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Regarding the year from which women could participate in democracy, China comes 78th in the world.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

• "Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better27
Pos.		2014 %27
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
24=	India	20
24=	Ireland	20
24=	Italy	20
24=	China	20
28	Portugal	21
29=	Ivory Coast	22
29=	Estonia	22
31	Japan	23
	Asia Avg	48.2
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

China ranks 25th in the world in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice.

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews_28,29,30,31. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₃₂, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews_33,34. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₃₅. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₃₆.

For more, see:

• "Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

#2020s #equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

“While China de-criminalized homosexuality in 1997, it lacks laws protecting people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, and same-sex partnership is not legal. In May, Chinese authorities shut down a popular dating app for lesbians. In June, the government banned "abnormal sexual lifestyles," including homosexuality, from online video programs. In July, authorities forced the LGBT group Speak Out to cancel a conference in Chengdu. An earlier Speak Out event scheduled for May in Xi'an was also cancelled after police briefly detained the organizers and told them that LGBT events were "not welcome" in the city.”

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₃

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better7
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score7
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
128	Venezuela	-1.63
129	Central African Rep.	-1.74
130	Lebanon	-1.84
131	China	-1.91
132	Cook Islands	-2.17
133	Antigua & Barbuda	-2.25
134	Singapore	-2.31
135	Kiribati	-2.32
	Asia Avg	-2.88
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

China is 131st in the world regarding LGBT equality in the 2020s.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₇. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right and protected by privacy laws₃₈. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)₃₉. The Vexen LGBT Equality Index as part of the Social and Moral Development Index grants points to each country depending on its LGBT stance since the 1970s_40,41. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region, but in the Middle East and Africa cultural prejudice goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

• " LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Same-sex relationships were tolerated in elite circles for centuries, however, in the Qing dynasty, a 1740 decree criminalized male homosexual acts with imprisonment and corporal punishment. During the Maoist Era (1949-1976), there was no explicit law criminalizing homosexuality but it was called 'degenerate' and punished under vague morality laws. Reform in 1997 decrminalized homosexuality.

ILGA researchers in 2017 found that China had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination, and supportive NGOs are banned.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

•  ⇣  Opposed the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights tabled by Argentina.
•  ⇣  Voted against the 2016 UN Human Rights Council Resolution 32/2 to create the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
•  ⇣  In 2019, voted against renewal of the UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
•  ⇣  In 2022, voted against renewal of the UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
•  ⇣  In 2025, voted against renewal of the UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Averages by decade for China (for the ranks, lower is better):

LGBT Equality	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average	2020s  Average
China:	-4.10	-5.00	-3.85	-0.50	-1.55	-1.91
World Rank:	126th	⇣  138th	⇡  136th	⇡  95th	⇣  124th	⇣  131st
World Avg:	-2.98	-2.87	-2.60	-2.15	-1.10	-1.21

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better8
Pos.		20218
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
179=	Syria	4.5
179=	Egypt	4.5
179=	Qatar	4.5
179=	China	4.5
179=	Morocco	4.5
179=	Eritrea	4.5
179=	Malaysia	4.5
186=	Mauritania	4.8
	Asia Avg	3.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

With regard to freethought, China comes 21st-worst in the world.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₄₂. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₄₃. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₄₄ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₅. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₆. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan_8,47 and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia_8,48.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₄₉. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₄₃, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₅₀ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₅₁ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

• "Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).

5. Hong Kong and Tibet

#china #democracy #hong_kong #human_rights #UK

China's continuing erosion of the human rights gained during Hong Kong's rule by the UK continued in 2017₃; "Hong Kong courts disqualified four pro-democracy lawmakers in July and jailed three prominent pro-democracy student leaders in August"₃.

Likewise, Tibet continues to suffer under Chinese control.

“Authorities in Tibetan areas continue to severely restrict religious freedom, speech, movement, and assembly, and fail to redress popular concerns about mining and land grabs by local officials, which often involve intimidation and arbitrary violence by security forces. In 2017, officials intensified surveillance of online and phone communications.”

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₃

6. Freedom of Belief and Religion

#China #religion_in_china #religious_intolerance

China is one of a small batch of communist countries where religion overall has been actively suppressed. Mao Zedong's government was especially intolerant of religion, but from his death in 1976 China has been slowly liberalizing₅₂. There are still many restrictions, but they are unevenly applied₅₃. It is difficult for new religious groups to establish if they do not have a recognized presence. The Chinese state also pushes its power into Tibet, severely restricting religious freedom there₃.

“The government restricts religious practice to five officially recognized religions in officially approved religious premises. Authorities retain control over religious bodies' personnel appointments, publications, finances, and seminary applications. The government classifies many religious groups outside its control as "evil cults," and subjects members to police harassment, torture, arbitrary detention, and imprisonment.”

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₅₄

In China, religion is perceived as a threat to the state and is closely monitored by multiple state agencies, most extensively by the Religious Affairs Bureau. [...] China is a prominent member of a group of countries in which religion is viewed as a political threat to the state and religious freedoms are denied. [... Suppression can include] physical abuse of groups' members.”

"The Price of Freedom Denied" by Brian J. Grim and Roger Finke (2011)₅₃

For more, see:

• "Religion in China" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).

• Religion in China: 6.1. The Suppression of the Falun Gong