回應《聯合國關注消除種族歧視特別報告員於國際消除種族歧視日》發表之聲明

民權教育中心

本會一直致力促進建立尊重人權和平等的社會，致力倡議消除各種形式的歧視。近月新冠狀病毒肺炎(COVID-19)首先在中國內地爆發，並蔓延至全球，感染人數至今逾42萬宗，世界各地政府及民眾均憂慮感染新肺炎病毒。與此同時，全球各地亦有針對中國內地及東亞裔人士的事件發生。為此，本會曾於上月17日向聯合國人權事務委員會(United Nations Human Rights Committee)、消除種族歧視委員會(Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination)、聯合國人權事務高級專員辦事處(Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights)，以及根據特別程序向聯合國人權理事會Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Council提交緊急申訴書(Urgent Appeal)，促請聯合國各委員會正視以上問題，並採取適當行動[1]。

聯合國關注當代形式的種族主義、種族歧視，仇外心理和相關的不容忍行為問題特別報告員(Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance) Professor Achiume，在早前國際消除種族歧視日(2020年3月21日)發表聲明[2]，指出因應新冠肺炎疫症，全球出現各種形式的種族歧視及仇外等行為，促請各國領袖在積極應對疫情之外，應亦積極防止疫症帶來的歧視，以整全的概念促進健康與幸福，包括免受種族歧視或被仇視的自由。為此，本會回應如下:

1. 本會歡迎聯合國特別報告員回應本會上月提交的緊急申訴書中的呼籲，適時發出上述聲明；聯合國是次的行動，正好反映現時因新冠肺炎疫症引發的種族歧視及排外情況非常嚴重，各國政府及人民均不能掉以輕心。這印證了本會立場，即新冠肺炎引發各地發生種族騷擾、仇恨言論、歧視標籤行為的蔓延，以及各種陰謀論，完全不利對抗疫症，社會上每一個人都應加以防範，防止出現或發表類似言論和行為。

2. 本會同意，各國領袖或元首，絕不應作出任何言論或行為，激發人民的種族歧視、種族仇恨或任何排外心理的行為，例如美國總統特朗普將新冠肺炎病毒(Novel coronavirus)形容為「中國病毒(China virus)」，如同特別報告員所形容，行為像是國家主義和民粹主義的領導人(nationalist populist leaders)，此舉既無助應對疫情，甚至因增加疑似病患者、病患者及其家人接受治療的壓力而拒絕求診，阻礙處理和控制疫情。

3. 本會呼籲香港特區政府嚴格遵從聯合國的建議，在應對肺炎疫情之時，亦須積極處理本港社會因疫情而出現各種涉及種族歧視、排外仇外等行為，包括：有食店明言「大陸人恕不招待」，或「不招待內地客人及只用粵語」[3]、有理髮店拒絕服務中國內地客人；甚至有網民在網上戲仿，利用流行曲進行二次創作，要求政府「快趕班大陸人返鄉下」等[4]。上述情況已發生近兩個月並引起社會廣泛關注，惟主責人權及反歧視政策的政制及內地事務局至今未有公開回應或表態，令人質疑當局是否默許或認同上述行為，著實令人憤慨。為此，本會促請政府主動表態回應，以正視聽。

4. 為全面消除種族歧視，履行國際責任，本會促請特區政府應全面接納平等機會委員會於2016年發表的《歧視條例檢討》[5]報告中的所有建議，完善反歧視立法的各項修例建議，包括儘快修訂《種族歧視條例》(香港法例第602章)，將對從內地來港的新移民或對中國公民作出的歧視行為定義為種族歧視。換言之，若基於「國籍」(nationality)及「居民身份」(resident status)而向某一作出歧視行為，將屬種族歧視，以全面落實法律面前人人平等的憲法規定及回應聯合國經濟、社會及文化權利委員會早年提出的建議。

5. 本會認為，特區政府應在刑法中引入規定，將“種族仇恨(racial hatred)”和“種族騷擾(racial harassment)”等行為列為刑事罪行，立法禁止種族仇恨及種族騷擾等行為；當局亦應主動執行種族歧視法例，防止任何因新冠肺炎病毒(COVID-19)傳播而引發的任何形式的歧視，保護肺炎感染的病患者、康復者，以及他們的照顧者、家人和朋友，以至任何國籍人士，免到任何形式的歧視。嚴格執行反歧視法例，調查本港所有懷疑因新冠狀病毒爆發的出現的歧視投訴個案。

香港社區組織協會

民權教育中心 謹啟

 二零二零年三月二十五日

[1] Society for Community Organization (17 February 2020) Urgent Appeal to the United Nations as Regard to the Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia against people from the People’s Republic of China and other Asian People under the Outbreak of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

https://soco.org.hk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/SoCO-Urgent-Appeal-to-UN-on-Racism-under-outbreak-of-Novel-Coronavirus_Feb_2020.pdf

[2] United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (21 March 2020) States should take action against COVID-19-related expressions of xenophobia, says UN expert International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25739&LangID=E

[3] 《蘋果日報》(2020年2月17日)〈平機會靠嚇：光榮冰室間接歧視〉

https://hk.appledaily.com/local/20200217/KGW4AVQ5ZCDWE5RFMPDAKOWQ7U/

[4] 《武漢傾情》- 晴天林 (原曲:黎明 夏日傾情) 武漢肺炎 記得戴口罩 晴天林Sunny Lam Youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvB0aZGem5I

[5]  平等機會委員會 歧視條例檢討 《向政府提交的意見書》(2016年3月)

https://www.eoc.org.hk/eoc/upload/DLR/2016330179592009850.pdf

延展閱讀：States should take action against COVID-19-related expressions of xenophobia, says UN expert 

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 21 March 2020

Spanish

GENEVA (23 March 2020) – Governments must ensure that their response to the COVID-19 pandemic does not contribute to xenophobia and racial discrimination, and must eradicate xenophobia  throughout all State policy and messaging, said E. Tendayi Achiume, UN Special Rapporteur on racism, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

“Crises like the coronavirus pandemic remind us that we are all connected and that our well-being is interdependent.

“It’s dismaying to witness State officials—including the President of the United States—adopting alternative names for the COVID-19 coronavirus. Instead of using the internationally recognized name of the virus, these officials have adopted names with geographic references, typically referring to its emergence in China.

“This sort of calculated use of a geographic-based name for this virus is rooted in and fosters racism and xenophobia. In this case, it serves to isolate and stigmatize individuals who are or are perceived to be of Chinese or other East Asian descent.

“Such irresponsible, discriminatory State rhetoric is no minor issue. As noted by the World Health Organization in 2015: ‘disease names really do matter to the people who are directly affected … certain disease names provoke a backlash against members of particular religious or ethnic communities … This can have serious consequences for peoples’ lives and livelihoods’.

“These consequences have already become a reality. Over the past two months, people who are perceived or known to be of Chinese or other East Asian descent have been subject to racist and xenophobic attacks related to the virus. These attacks have ranged from hateful slurs to denial of services to brutal acts of violence.

“COVID-19-related expressions of racism and xenophobia online have included harassment, hate speech, proliferation of discriminatory stereotypes, and conspiracy theories. Not surprisingly, leaders who are attempting to attribute COVID-19 to certain national or ethnic groups are the very same nationalist populist leaders who have made racist and xenophobic rhetoric central to their political platforms.

“Political responses to the COVID-19 outbreak that stigmatize, exclude, and make certain populations more vulnerable to violence are inexcusable, unconscionable, and inconsistent with States’ international human rights law obligations.

“Furthermore, political rhetoric and policy that stokes fear and diminish the equality of all people is counterproductive. To treat and combat the spread of COVID-19 effectively, individuals must have access to accurate health advice and sufficient healthcare without fear of discrimination.

“In commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, States should reaffirm our joint obligations to achieve equality for all and to acknowledge that our work remains unfinished. As States across the world engage in their coordinated efforts to end this pandemic, I call on all actors to ensure that their work contributes to a holistic concept of health and well-being, including freedom from racism and xenophobia.”