Additional Coverage:
- Rights summit in Zambia is canceled after Chinese pressure to exclude Taiwanese activists (apnews.com)
Human Rights Conference Canceled in Zambia Amid Pressure Over Taiwanese Participation
CAPE TOWN, South Africa – The upcoming international human rights conference RightsCon, originally scheduled to take place in Zambia next week, has been canceled just days before its opening, reportedly due to pressure from China on the host country to exclude Taiwanese activists.
Access Now, a New York-based digital rights advocacy group organizing the summit, announced the cancellation late Friday. The group said Zambian officials informed them that the government faced external pressure specifically because Taiwanese civil society representatives planned to attend in person. Access Now emphasized that they opposed any exclusion of Taiwanese delegates.
“We believe foreign interference is the reason RightsCon 2026 will no longer proceed in Zambia,” the organization stated.
Earlier, the Zambian government attributed the postponement to a need to review the conference’s themes and agenda to ensure alignment with the country’s “national values, policy priorities, and broader public interest considerations.” Zambia maintains strong political and economic ties with China, particularly through Chinese investments in its mining sector.
RightsCon is an annual event focused on human rights and technology, addressing critical issues such as internet censorship, electronic surveillance, and cyberwarfare. This year, over 2,600 participants were expected to attend in person in Zambia, with an additional 1,100 joining virtually, representing more than 150 countries. The previous summit was held in Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Minister of Digital Affairs, Lin Yi-jing, commented on the cancellation, stating it reflected China’s discomfort with “the ideas of freedom, democracy and rule of law that Taiwan and RightsCon represent.”
Human Rights Watch has called on Zambian authorities to provide clarity regarding their decision.
This development follows closely on the heels of another incident in southern Africa, where Taiwan accused Beijing of blocking Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s visit to Eswatini. The visit was initially called off after China reportedly pressured Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles to deny overflight rights to Lai’s plane. These three Indian Ocean nations defended their actions as adherence to the “one-China principle” in line with international law, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
China regards self-governed Taiwan as a breakaway province and exerts diplomatic pressure to prevent countries from maintaining formal ties with Taipei. Its influence across Africa remains significant.
In a surprising turn, President Lai subsequently arrived in Eswatini discreetly after the initial cancellation, underscoring Taiwan’s stance against external interference. “Taiwan will never be deterred by external pressures,” Lai declared on social media.
The unfolding situation highlights the complex geopolitical tensions playing out within international human rights forums and diplomatic relations in Africa.