VZCZCXRO5944
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHHK #0976/01 1491341
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 291341Z MAY 09
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7715
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HONG KONG 000976 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM, 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/29/2034 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ECON ELAB ETRD OREP PELOSI
NANCY), HK, CH 
SUBJECT: CODEL PELOSI, ACTIVISTS DISCUSS CHINA'S LABOR 
RIGHTS MOVEMENT 
 
Classified By: Consul General Joe Donovan for reasons 1.4 (B,D). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Prominent Hong Kong-based human rights and 
labor activists Han Dongfang and Robin Munro told CODEL 
Pelosi May 29 that a maturing grassroots rights movement in 
China gives them hope, though pervasive corruption remains a 
major obstacle to protecting Chinese citizens' rights and 
welfare.  The central government recognizes local officials 
are "fleecing" ordinary Chinese and sees this as an issue on 
which to engage the people and help ensure regime survival. 
Chinese citizens for now generally direct their anger at 
local officials.  Han and Munro, Director and Research 
Director, respectively, of the China Labor Bulletin, noted 
progress in the areas of winning labor lawsuits and promoting 
collective bargaining in mainland China.  They contend 
Western companies should continue to be role models for 
Chinese enterprises, but the Chinese people will have to do 
the heavy lifting in fighting for their basic economic and 
labor rights.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Speaker Pelosi started the meeting by introducing Han 
as someone she has known since 1993 and has admired for much 
longer.  Calling him a true hero who fought for human rights 
under a Communist regime, she remarked it was an honor for 
the delegation to have a chance to meet with him.  Speaker 
Pelosi called Robin Munro a "true voice" of the rights and 
labor situation in China who "never burns out." 
 
 
Maturing Grassroots Labor Rights Movement 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶3. (C) Responding to the Speaker's question on the future 
hope for human rights in China, Han recalled how during the 
first 10 years following the Tiananmen crackdown, no one 
dared do anything in a pervasive atmosphere of fear.  In the 
last decade, however, Chinese people have chosen to overcome 
their fears to fight for basic labor and economic rights they 
feel have been robbed by corruption.  Despite lack of money 
and education, many farmers and workers recognize they need 
to stand up and demand their rights.  Han was proud to be 
part of the fight when the movement first started on the 
Mainland, but even more proud now to be able to follow 
closely the movement's development and apply the resources of 
his organization, China Labor Bulletin (CLB), to the workers' 
cause. 
 
 
NGO Expands Focus, Sees Real Results 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) Munro explained that about 5 years ago CLB expanded 
its focus from just monitoring and reporting on the labor 
rights situation in China to actively running programs in 
mainland China. One program is funding mainland rights 
lawyers to represent Chinese workers and farmers in large 
collective lawsuits.  CLB currently operates these legal 
representation programs in 10 Chinese provinces.  While CLB's 
ultimate goal is to see China obtain democracy and rule of 
law, they had realized "waving these banners" was not the 
most effective way to instill these concepts into Chinese 
people's consciousness; it was more effective to make it 
relevant to the people's daily lives.  In 2008, CLB-funded 
cases won over USD 1.5 million in compensation for Chinese 
workers, said Munro. 
 
¶5. (C) Representative Sensenbrenner asked about the level of 
success in litigating against employers who are state-owned 
enterprises (SOEs).  Munro responded that most of the 
lawsuits CLB supports are against private enterprises, but 
admitted the continued close links between private employers, 
many of whom used to manage SOEs, and government pose a 
difficult challenge to getting a fair trial. 
 
¶6. (C) Another CLB program generating positive results is 
promoting collective bargaining in China.  Munro, thanking 
the Speaker for her letter of support that helped CLB get USG 
funding for the program, noted the current situation in China 
is ripe for workers to engage in such actions.  Although the 
protests occurring across the country are not coordinated, an 
independent workers' movement is emerging; all the workers 
need are the tools to help them fight for their rights. 
While workers in China are prohibited from forming unions, 
collective bargaining is not illegal.  Han added that 
protests and strikes are part of the bargaining process, but 
CLB aims to help the workers learn to bargain "at the table." 
 Munro noted the Shenzhen government's recent endorsement of 
collective bargaining and Xiamen province's latest labor laws 
as positive signs that the government is willing to listen. 
 
HONG KONG 00000976  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
 
Corruption Still the Heart of the Problem 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Responding to Representative Markey's request for an 
example of abuse of farmers' and workers' rights, Han 
recalled a recent phone call he received from some farmers 
who were trying to avoid being arrested for protesting in 
Beijing about inadequate compensation for their land.  The 
local government confiscated their land to build a highway; 
in addition to not being notified in advance, they were only 
offered 60 percent of what central government documents 
assessed as the true value of the land.  Han, noting he 
receives similar calls "constantly," contends that 
corruption, particularly local, remains the main obstacle for 
securing workers' rights. Han, however, sees signs for hope 
as the central government and the Chinese people have come to 
realize this is an issue on which they can work together. 
Responding to Representative Inslee's question about 
Beijing's fears of a regime collapse, Han contended the 
central government sees eradicating corruption at all levels 
as essential to regime survival.  In return, the people's 
anger is generally directed at local corrupt officials and 
not the central government. 
 
¶8. (C) Robin Munro agreed with Speaker Pelosi that even a 
basic right such as having access to clean air is affected by 
corruption.  Noting that popular dissatisfaction is much more 
widespread now than 20 years ago, Munro contends local 
officials continue to have free reign to fleece Chinese 
citizens.  As a result, discontent is not only found in 
political elites as in the past, but with the ordinary 
population on a large scale. 
 
 
External Factors Have a Role to Play 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶9. (C) Representative Blumenauer asked what kind of role 
could U.S. companies play in adjusting the overall attitude 
towards workers' rights.  Munro responded that Western 
companies have played an important role by serving as role 
models for providing safe work environments and ensuring 
workers' rights, but the heavy lifting needs to be done by 
the Chinese people.  For workers' rights to become a 
permanent concept, it needs to come from the Chinese 
citizenry.  There is no shortcut, Munro said. 
 
¶10. (C) Responding to Representative Markey's question about 
the role of the Internet in the current rights movement, Han 
remarked the Internet plays a key role in pressuring the 
Chinese government to address these and other issues.  The 
Internet also allows the Chinese people and outside observers 
to have a voice on human and labor rights issues that didn't 
exist before.  As the rights movement continues to grow, the 
Internet will become even more important. 
 
Tibet 
----- 
 
¶11. (C) Han encouraged the delegation to help bring the Dalai 
Lama and Beijing together.  Han fears that the time when 
China becomes democratic will be the time when Tibet pushes 
for independence, forcing the newly-elected Chinese leader to 
either invade Tibet or step down, leaving the military leader 
to carry out the invasion.  Han contends the Chinese 
population will support the invasion.  Speaker Pelosi 
remarked that the delegation couldn't even get a visa to 
Tibet. 
 
¶12. (U) U.S. Participants: 
 
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mr. Paul Pelosi 
Consul General Joseph Donovan, Jr. 
Rep. Edward Markey and Dr. Susan Blumenthal 
Rep. James Sensenbrenner and Mrs. Cheryl Sensenbrenner 
Rep. Earl Blumenauer and son Jon Blumenauer 
Rep. Jay Inslee and Mrs. Trudi Inslee 
Professional Staff Members to the Speaker and Representatives 
Lisa Tam, Consulate Political Officer (notetaker) 
 
¶13. (U) Hong Kong Participants: 
 
Han Dongfang, Director of China Labor Bulletin 
Robin Munro, Research and Communications Director, China 
Labor Bulletin 
 
¶14. (U) Speaker Pelosi's staff have cleared this cable. 
 
HONG KONG 00000976  003 OF 003 
 
 
DONOVAN