On the Eve of International Human Rights Day: Chinese Democracy Activists in the Netherlands Rally to Defend Human Rights and Mourn Victims of Hong Kong's Hung Fuk Estate Fire

Amsterdam, December 13, 2025 (Dutch Voice Against Communism Reporting)

On the eve of International Human Rights Day (December 10), a rally featuring Chinese democracy activists, dissidents, and human rights defenders drew approximately 170 participants to the National Monument in Dam Square, the heart of Amsterdam, Netherlands. Braving overcast and rainy weather, they gathered here, holding signs, chanting slogans, and sharing personal experiences, collectively calling for the defense of universal human rights, opposing the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) dictatorial rule and Xi Jinping's tyrannical policies, while mourning the victims of last week's Level 5 fire at Hung Fuk Estate in Tai Po, Hong Kong, and reiterating four major demands. This rally was not only an important event commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also a solemn moment for overseas Chinese dissident communities to speak out for their persecuted compatriots back home. The rally's theme, "Stop Persecution! Respect Human Rights! Oppose CCP Tyranny!" echoed across the free soil of the Netherlands, awakening passersby to China's deteriorating human rights situation and Hong Kong's tragedy.

Rally Background: From the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the Reality of CCP Tyranny

On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaiming that all people are entitled to rights of freedom, equality, and dignity. This declaration was intended to serve as the cornerstone for global human rights protection. However, 77 years later, in mainland China, dissidents, rights lawyers, and citizen journalists still face systematic persecution. The rally's organizers—primarily from the China Democracy Party Overseas Committee, Chinese democracy activists, and human rights defenders—pointed out that since the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949, it has systematically deprived citizens of their basic human rights through surveillance, torture, ideological transformation, forced confessions, and speech censorship. After Xi Jinping came to power, this tyranny has intensified further, leading to countless individuals being imprisoned, disappeared, or tortured for pursuing democracy and freedom.

According to flyers distributed at the rally, in recent years, the CCP's suppression of democracy activists has escalated. For example, rights lawyers and citizen journalists such as Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, Gao Zhisheng, Wang Quanzhang, Yu Wensheng and his wife, Zhang Zhan, Fang Bin, Guo Feixiong, and Li Qiaochu—some under long-term surveillance, some still serving prison sentences, some disconnected from their families with their fates unknown. These are not isolated incidents but means for the CCP to maintain its dictatorial rule. The flyers particularly emphasized the concentration camps in East Turkestan (Xinjiang): Since 2014, over a million Uyghurs and Muslim minorities have been detained, subjected to forced labor, torture, cultural genocide, and systematic ethnic cleansing. UN reports describe these as "serious human rights violations" that may constitute crimes against humanity. Survivors like Kalbinur Sidik witnessed systematic torture and rape; she herself underwent three forced sterilizations before escaping to the Netherlands. Alerk Ablikim's father, renowned Uyghur poet Ablikim Hesen, was imprisoned for cultural work; Abdurehim Gheni's father Abdugheni Hudaberdi died in camp in 2024. These facts reveal the cruel nature of Xi Jinping's "stability maintenance" policies.

The flyers also exposed the tragedy in Tibet: The CCP systematically erases Tibetan identity, forcibly sending over a million children to colonial-style boarding schools where Tibetan language is prohibited; thousands of monasteries have been demolished or militarized; monks and nuns endure "patriotic re-education" and imprisonment. Large-scale dam projects destroy sacred sites and ecosystems, and Beijing openly claims it will personally select the next Dalai Lama, violating millennia-old religious traditions. In Hong Kong, the 2020 National Security Law crushed the 2019 democracy movement: Over 10,000 people arrested, independent media shut down, democracy leaders like Jimmy Lai and Joshua Wong facing life imprisonment on charges of "colluding with foreign forces." These atrocities are not limited to one region but extend to the CCP's global influence; the flyers call for boycotting platforms like Temu and Shein, whose products involve Uyghur forced labor and political prisoner toil; uninstalling surveillance apps like TikTok and WeChat; rejecting privacy-invading brands like Huawei and Xiaomi; not supporting pro-China politicians, and backing lawmakers who join the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) to promote sanctions and accountability.

The rally specifically mourned last week's (November 26, 2025) Level 5 fire at Hung Fuk Estate in Tai Po, Hong Kong, which claimed at least 159 lives, including a 1-year-old infant, with many missing or severely injured. According to the latest reports, the fire originated from fire hazards in renovation work, such as substandard scaffolding nets and flammable materials; residents had repeatedly reported issues, but authorities ignored them. The Hong Kong government denied material problems, yet arrested a 71-year-old man for posting "seditious" content and threatened any "anti-China" protests under the National Security Law. Beijing warned it would suppress any "destabilizing" actions, reminding many of the unresolved anger from the 2019 protests. Rally participants emphasized that this was not a natural disaster but a result of systemic negligence and corruption, calling for the fulfillment of four major demands: Continued support for affected residents, establishment of an independent investigation committee, re-examination of engineering and regulatory systems, and holding accountable officials for regulatory failures.

The rally was scheduled from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM on December 7, 2025, at the National Monument in Amsterdam, a landmark commemorating World War II victims that symbolizes the defense of freedom and human rights. Participants included about 20 Chinese democracy activists, human rights defenders, and 160 Christians. Despite the cold weather—with overcast skies in the first half and light rain in the second half, temperatures around 9°C—the atmosphere remained peaceful and resolute. When sharing persecution experiences, many were moved to tears; during the slogan-chanting segment, the energy was high, with passersby stopping to watch, take photos, and even join for group pictures.

Rally Proceedings: Moments of Silence, Slogans, and Calls to Action

The rally opened with preparatory volunteer Liu Feilong, who thanked everyone for traveling from across the Netherlands in the cold weather and urged focusing on last week's Hung Fuk Estate fire in Hong Kong: "At least 159 vibrant lives were forever extinguished in just a few hours. On days like International Human Rights Day, we commemorate them, and also remind ourselves: Lives should not be ignored, suffering should not be covered up." The entire group observed a 1-minute moment of silence. Host Erin then led the event with a bilingual Chinese-English opening, condemning the CCP's trampling of human rights: "The CCP has long strived to trample human rights, yet never cares about the lives and deaths of ordinary Chinese people—this is also the purpose of us standing here today." She emphasized the global deterioration of human rights, particularly the persecution of dissidents: "The CCP systematically deprives citizens of their most basic human rights and dignity through surveillance, torture, ideological transformation, forced confessions, and strict speech censorship."

The rally featured diverse formats, including public prayers, moments of silence, slogan chanting, testimonies from dissidents, sign-holding stands, and flyer distribution. Visual elements were particularly moving: A 6-meter-long bilingual timeline poster was laid out on site, documenting the "century of humanitarian disasters" from the CCP's founding in 1921 to the present, such as the Land Reform Movement, Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, and June Fourth Incident. Participants held black banners: "Hung Fuk Estate Fire" with four demands, displaying fire photos and bilingual content; two "Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times" black flags; props representing the fire like green scaffolding nets and certification documents, symbolizing authorities' negligence.

The slogan segment was led by Henan rights activist Xing Songlin and China Democracy Party Overseas Committee member Li Qiu, with the crowd chanting: "Respect Human Rights! Stop Persecution! Faith is Innocent! Violating Human Rights is a Crime! Persecuting Prisoners of Conscience is a Crime!" The voices echoed across the square.

The prayer segment was led by host Erin, who prayed for the persecuted, retaining relevant parts:

(2) Prayer for democracy activists and prisoners of conscience lawyers: "We pray for all those who have lost their freedom for pursuing freedom and democracy, including: Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, Gao Zhisheng, Wang Quanzhang, Yu Wensheng and his wife, Zhang Zhan, Fang Bin, Guo Feixiong, Li Qiaochu, and others. May God protect them and their families, grant them strength, perseverance, and wisdom. Amen!"

(3) Prayer for Hong Kong fire victims: "God, we cry out to you for the victims of the Hong Kong fire. May you comfort the families who have lost loved ones, letting them find your consolation in their pain. May you watch over the injured, allowing them to experience your healing in treatment and recover soon. May you protect the local rescue and reconstruction efforts, ensuring proper resettlement for those who lost their homes. May you turn people's hearts to you, so that in chaos and sorrow, they can still see hope and reliance. God, also protect Hong Kong, letting this land receive your mercy, peace, and light. May your truth and justice come there, enabling the people to live in freedom and dignity. Amen."

(4) Prayer for China's future freedom: "We pray for China's future freedom and democracy, may God let China soon have true human rights, no more persecution, no more torture; may all shackles and surveillance be dismantled; may everyone be free to pursue truth and express conscience. God, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven! Amen!" The crowd responded "Amen," creating a solemn atmosphere.

Democracy Activists' Speeches: Personal Experiences Awakening International Conscience

The core of the rally was speeches by democracy activists, who shared their persecution experiences in China under real names and accused the CCP's tyranny. Brief highlights from their quotes are as follows:

Anhui dissident Yu Yang recounted Gao Zhisheng's disappearance and Anhui rights tragedies: "Power can crush the body, but not truth. Prisons can lock freedom, but not conscience. May the future China no longer make justice a crime, no longer make rights defense a offense."

Henan rights activist and human rights defender Xing Songlin accused Chen Quanguo and Xi Jinping: "Chen Quanguo is a shame to Henan, a shame to Zhengzhou University! Behind him, the CCP party leader Xi Jinping is the chief culprit of this tyrannical machine. We must unite, call on the world to sanction them, and let the iron fist of justice strike these oppressors!"

China Democracy Party Overseas Committee member Sui Xiaobo commemorated Xu Zhiyong and Gao Zhisheng: "Freedom is not a gift, but a right; speech is not a threat, but the light of truth. Those forcibly disappeared, those voices locked in darkness, their existence reminds us: Don't let fear become society's air, don't let silence become the nation's norm."

China Democracy Party Overseas Committee member and Christian Wei Zhijian exposed Guangxi persecution: "Tyranny may bind the body, but cannot imprison the soul. As long as we persist in speaking out, persist in witnessing, the CCP cannot erase truth, cannot destroy hope."

Hubei Christian Chen Zhi mourned the Hong Kong fire and prisoners of conscience: "Hong Kong is dead! Hope the truth will soon be revealed to the world, letting the departed souls rest in peace soon, letting all enterprises with Chinese investment backgrounds, involved parties no longer be political sensitive issues, under the value of life above all, every government department should do its essential work well, return Hong Kong a rule-of-law society with freedom of speech."

Henan Zhengzhou dissident and human rights defender Yue San condemned the CCP's historical crimes: "The Chinese Communist Party is a terrorist organization that seized state power, committing arson, murder, robbery, and all evils since its founding... Only by overthrowing the CCP, clearing their sins, judging their atrocities, can the Chinese people have human rights and dignity! Down with the Communist Party! Try Xi Jinping!"

Guangdong nativist, human rights defender, and event preparatory volunteer Jiang Peikun called for Hong Kong's four demands: "Immediately stop all political persecution in Guangdong! Release all Guangdong political prisoners and prisoners of conscience! Stop cultural genocide, fully restore the legal status of Cantonese in education, media, and public spheres! Support the establishment of an independent international mechanism to investigate all human rights crimes in Guangdong and Hong Kong, and sanction those responsible!"

Heilongjiang Harbin dissident Jiang Hong reviewed Northeast dilemmas: "Human rights are not alms from Beijing, but dignity bestowed by heaven on everyone! Let us promote dialogue and reform—human rights are the real needs of each of us."

China Democracy Party Overseas Committee member Li Qiu reflected on human rights history: "Since the CCP came to power in 1949... violations of human rights and persecution have set world records, unmatched by any country or government in history. The Chinese people have finally seen the dawn of democracy and freedom. And the CCP regime, laden with crimes, is on the verge of collapse."

Fujian anti-communist activist and human rights defender Rao Xing criticized CCP propaganda: "The CCP does not equal China. The Chinese people deserve freedom, dignity, and democracy, not long-term rule by a party not elected. A country without freedom cannot truly prosper. A regime that oppresses the people cannot last long."

These speeches intertwined personal suffering with universal appeals, emphasizing opposition to Xi Jinping's dictatorial policies and promoting democratic transition.

On-Site Reactions and Calls to Action

As a popular tourist spot in Amsterdam, Dam Square drew many visitors to stop and view the timeline poster, listen to volunteers explain the CCP's human rights atrocities, and accept flyers. The flyers detailed the CCP's crimes in Hong Kong, East Turkestan, and Tibet, calling for action through boycotts, uninstalling apps, and supporting IPAC. On site, 1,500 English flyers were distributed, with many tourists taking photos and videos, and even posing for pictures with participants.

At the end of the rally, the entire group took a photo together; Liu Feilong thanked all participants, emphasizing "Your presence is the most sincere response to justice."

Broader Impact and Appeals

This rally was not only an expression by democracy activists but also part of the global anti-tyranny movement. The organizers called on: The Chinese government to immediately release all prisoners of conscience detained for pursuing democracy; the international community to continue monitoring and sanctioning those responsible like Xi Jinping and Chen Quanguo; and all who cherish freedom to act together. The flyers quoted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Human rights are universal; everyone should enjoy freedom."

In the current global deterioration of human rights, this rally reminds us that human rights have no borders. The Netherlands, as a model for human rights, provided a platform for overseas dissidents, but persecution continues domestically. Participants emphasized that silence equals complicity. Only through continued exposure and international pressure can China escape tyranny and welcome the dawn of democracy.

Though the rally ended in the rain, its light shines like a torch, igniting hope. May more people join the call, making CCP tyranny history and letting human rights and freedom illuminate every corner.

Responsible Editor: Jiang Peikun