December 2011, Pages 55-56

Human Rights

Protest at L.A. Chinese Consulate

The chants broke through the hot morning air: "China, China you can't hide, stop supporting genocide." Then another slogan was shouted: "China, China don't you care? Syrian blood is everywhere," followed by another: "China, China you will see, Syria's people will be free."

Nearly 100 men, women and children carrying American and Syrian flags and placards were gathered Oct. 14 across Shatto Place from the Los Angeles Chinese Consulate. They were protesting China's and Russia's Security Council veto earlier that month of a U.S.-sponsored resolution to reprimand Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for his violent crackdown on peaceful citizens demonstrating against his regime.

About 30 sign-carrying members of the Syrian American Council (SAC) crossed the street and marched to the consulate. Susan Misto, chair of SAC's L.A. chapter, and board member Samir Twair requested permission to present a formal letter in person to Consul General Qiu Shaofang.

Two U.S. State Department representatives emerged from the consulate and rejected Misto's and Twair's request. They were told instead to send the letter by certified mail to the consulate.

In part, the letter read: "It is unconscionable that China rejected a U.N. resolution that condemns the human rights violations being perpetrated by the Syrian government, demands an immediate end to the use of force against Syrian civilians peacefully demonstrating for their fundamental rights, and calls for a Syrian-led political process to address the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people."

The singing, chanting throng continued its calls for freedom for another two hours. Lubana Adi of Diamond Bar, who was an 8-year-old when Bashar's autocratic father, Hafez Assad, destroyed her hometown of Hama in 1982 for an earlier uprising against the dynastic dictatorship, worked for hours on her sign. It was written in English: "China stop supporting the killing machine in Syria" and in Chinese characters which her Chinese neighbors had taught her.

—Pat McDonnell Twair