SW News: China’s persecution of ethnic minorities was the focus during this year’s International Human Rights Day commemorated on December 10 in American cities along the West Coast. There were protests in cities such as Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. B

In spite of the inclement weather, scores gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco. There were also protests on the interstate I-5 highway in Seattle and in Downtown Portland. In some of the cities, protesters were seen with a blank paper in support of the anti-COVID protests that took place in several Chinese cities. They have become a symbol of protest against the draconian laws of Beijing to curb the spread of the virus.

The blank white sheets stand for the innumerable critical news items, articles, and social media posts that were taken down, as per a CNN report. China's brutal crackdown on people who are opposing its COVID curbs has sparked calls from the global community to show solidarity with protesters and take action against Beijing.

The show of protest against China took place on International Anti-Corruption Day. Washington has announced that it is taking action to promote greater accountability for corruption and rights violations around the world. The US Department of Treasury announced sanctions against two Chinese officials for rights abuses in Tibet Autonomous Region. Officials Wu Yingjie and Zhang Hongbo were included in the list.

Wu was the Party Secretary of the Tibetan Autonomous Region from 2016 to 2021. He was responsible for deploying government officials to engage in stability policies, as per the US Treasury Department.