Gov't blasts China after digital rights forum canceled over Taiwanese participation

Taipei, May 3 (CNA) Taiwan's government on Sunday condemned China after an annual digital rights conference scheduled to be held in Zambia later this week was canceled at the last minute following pressure from Beijing over Taiwanese participation.

The Executive Yuan's Department of Human Rights and Transitional Justice said in a statement that China's suppression of public- and private-sector participation in RightsCon 2026 was another attempt to isolate Taiwan internationally.

Beijing's actions were intended to "force the international community to ignore Taiwan's free and democratic system" and pressure human rights activists around the world to remain silent about surveillance and oppression by authoritarian states, the department said.

The cancellation meant Taiwan's civil society had lost an opportunity to engage with the international community on digital human rights issues, it said.

The incident also underscored the need for Taiwan to work more closely with international civil society to strengthen digital and democratic resilience, and safeguard the values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights in digital development, the department added.

The 14th edition of RightsCon had been scheduled to take place in Lusaka, Zambia, from May 5-8.

However, organizer Access Now announced on May 1 that the event had been canceled after Chinese officials pressured the Zambian government over the planned attendance of Taiwanese civil society representatives.

"As a human rights organization, we call out these violations of the fundamental freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and interference with the freedom of expression and civic space of the entire RightsCon community," Access Now said in a statement.

"RightsCon may not happen in Zambia, but we will come together again," it added.