一年前，2013年9月14日，中国大陆人权捍卫者曹顺利女士在前往日内瓦参加国际人权学习和观摩联合国人权理事会途中，在北京首都国际机场被带走，此后失踪、刑拘，在朝阳看守所遭到迫害及非人道待遇，身染重病，被剥夺及时医疗救助，于2014年3月14日在北京309医院重症监护室溘然辞世。这是一启震惊全世界的中国政府报复打击民间人权捍卫者的恶性事件。
随后，世界各民主国家、NGO人权团体等纷纷表示谴责和抗议，对曹顺利被迫害离世表示哀悼，中国大陆的维权人士也以各种方式纪念曹顺利，并要求政府允许第三方独立查明曹顺利死亡真相，追究相关部门和官员的法律责任。
但是，中国政府罔顾事实、推卸责任、敷衍塞责，至今没有答应家属和律师关于准许独立调查、追究罪责的要求。
鉴于曹顺利女士对人权事业的巨大贡献和牺牲；
鉴于曹顺利女士为人权事业无私无畏的奋斗精神，她的生命将唤起世人关注遭受打击迫害的中国和世界其它地方的人权捍卫者；
鉴于曹顺利女士生命最后阶段的遭遇，向全世界揭示了中国及世界其它地方人权捍卫者面临的艰难境遇和巨大风险；
鉴于曹顺利女士已经过成为全球人权捍卫者的榜样和顽强抗争的象征；
为了使曹顺利女士不被强迫遗忘，为了持久地纪念她，也为了推动她未尽的事业，从根本上杜绝其他人权捍卫者再遭受报复、迫害打压，维权网、民生观察、权利运动三家中国大陆民间人权团体，联合发起建立“曹顺利人权捍卫者纪念奖”。
“曹顺利人权捍卫者纪念奖”旨在纪念曹顺利女士，弘扬她的精神，继承她的事业，推进人权保护。
“曹顺利人权捍卫者纪念奖”将在每年3月14日“人权捍卫者日”公布获奖人。奖金额度六万元人民币。奖金须用于推动和倡导人权，尤其是推动公民社会监督政府履行其人权义务、参与国际人权机制运作，包括消除对人权捍卫者的报复和打压。
特此公告。
“曹顺利纪念奖”发起团体兼筹备委：
2014年9月26日
附：人权捍卫者曹顺利女士简介
曹顺利，女，北京人，生于1961年，享年53岁。毕业于北京大学法学院，获法学硕士学位。曾在中国劳动人事部工作，因维护自己的住房权受到单位排挤，最后被迫辞去了工作而上访。在上访过程中，曹顺利了解到访民群体人权被侵害和求诉无门的严酷现实，从而开始关注调查上访人员的人权状况，之后为许多上访维权者义务提供法律咨询，最终成长为一名坚定的人权捍卫者。
2006年开始，曹顺利重点关注访民群体的生存权和人身自由权，发起“北京维权之旅”活动，带领访民前往国家新闻办示威，要求新闻办给予访民合法上访的权利。
2009年3月，她与访民一道前往北大抗议教授孙东东有关“老上访户99%有精神病”的言论，并针对《国家人权行动计划》提出“人权行动计划书”。
由于曹顺利积极投身于维权活动，而遭到当局不断打压。不仅因维权失去工作，而且还经常被软禁、监控，多次被拘押，两次被劳教。2009年4月10日曹顺利被以“毁坏财物罪”劳教一年。刑满后仅十余天，2010年4月29日，她被当地派出所以毁坏会议室玻璃为由行政拘留十天，之后又以“毁坏财物”为名再次劳教一年零三个月。
2011年曹顺利重获自由后，仍奋斗在维权第一线，继续征集上访人员填写人权状况调查表，还着手就《国家人权行动计划》向国务院申请信息公开，并向国务院相关单位提交申请要求参与人权行动计划的撰写工作。
2012年6月，曹顺利等各地上访维权人士向国务院提交要求“公开拒绝上访维权群体参加《国家人权行动计划》依据和理由、公开联席公文的成员和邀请的专家学者向两届联席会议及评估会议提交的资料，调研报告和自我评估报告的目录”等相关信息；同年10月，曹顺利等各地上访维权人士到外交部新闻办，要求外交部公开2013年10月在联合国会议上做有关中国人权报告的相关信息，并要求参加人权报告的起草和撰写，因此曹顺利本人及多名上访维权人士遭到警方的软禁、绑架、传唤。
在十数次的申请无果之后，曹顺利等各地维权人士于2013年6月到外交部请愿静坐，14天后遭到北京治安总队的清场。但曹顺利等各地维权人士仍然坚守在外交部前静坐整整一个暑期。
2013年9月14日，曹顺利在北京首都机场前往日内瓦参加国际人权知识培训时遭到阻拦、被关检带走，失踪近一个月后，外界才得知她已于9月14日当天被关进北京市朝阳区看守所，被以涉嫌“非法集会罪”刑事拘留；10月21日，曹顺利被变更罪名为涉嫌“寻衅滋事罪”逮捕。
最终曹顺利在被关押半年中，因身患重病没有得到及时有效治疗，以至抢救无效，而在2014年3月14日去世。
Announcement:
Cao Shunli Memorial Award For Human Rights Defenders
Established To Honor Her Memory
On September 14,
Chinese human rights defender Ms. Cao Shunli (曹顺利) was preparing to travel to Geneva in order to attend
a human rights training programme and observe a session of the Human Rights
Council when police detained her at Beijing Capital International Airport, and
she disappeared into custody. Held at Chaoyang District Detention Center, Ms.
Cao was subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment. Her health degenerated and
she became gravely ill. She was denied
adequate medical treatment. When she was
taken to a hospital, it was too late: Cao Shunli died of liver complications
and other organ failures on March 14, 2014, at a Beijing hospital. Her death
shocked the world, exposing the extent of the Chinese government’s harsh
reprisals against civil society activists.
Many democratic
governments, human rights INGOs, and others expressed their sadness at her
death and condemned the Chinese government for its mistreatment of Ms. Cao.
Mainland Chinese activists, lawyers, and Ms. Cao’s family have pushed for
remembering and honouring Cao Shunli, and called on the government to allow for
an independent third-party to investigate the circumstances of her death,
with the view of holding officials accountable. However, the Chinese government
has so far done nothing to investigate the allegations of official reprisal
against Cao and her mistreatment at the detention facility, and to seek
responsibility, or to allow an independent investigation.
Whereas, Ms. Cao Shunli has made an important and
unique contribution to, and sacrificed her life for the cause of promoting
human rights protection;
Whereas, because of her brave campaigns for advancing
human rights, drawing public and international attention to the suffering of
rights abuse victims and persecuted human rights defenders inside China and
around the world;
Whereas, as the final stage of Ms. Cao Shunli’s life
in detention exemplifies and alerted the world to the dangerous and challenging
conditions under which human rights defenders in China and around the world are
faced with, and the immense personal risks they must take in conducting their
work to promote human rights protection;
Whereas, since Ms. Cao Shunli has symbolized the
tenacity and strength of all human rights defenders;
In order to ensure that the world and history
remembers Ms. Cao Shunli, to make a lasting tribute to her, and to inspire more
efforts to push to advance the cause of human rights protection that was her
devotion, including putting an end to government reprisals, suppression and
persecution of human rights defenders, three Mainland Chinese human rights
groups: Human Rights Campaign in China (权利运动), Civil Rights
& Livelihood Watch (民生观察), and Rights Defence
Network (维权网) take the joint initiative to launch the
Cao Shunli Memorial Award for Human Rights Defenders.
The Cao Shunli Memorial Award aims to commemorate Ms.
Cao Shunli, so her life’s story will inspire generations to come, her dreams
will live on, and her work for the promotion and protection of human rights
will be carried on.
Every year on March 14, “Human Rights
Defenders Day,” the Cao Shunli Memorial Award will
announce the recipient of the award. The awardee will receive sixty thousand
RMB yen in funding to conduct human rights advocacy activities, in particular,
to push for civil society participation in international human rights
activities and monitor the government’s implementation of its constitutional
and international obligations to respect and protect human rights.
Cao Shunli Memorial Award Preparatory Committee and
Founding Organizations:
Cao Shunli and Her Legacy
Born in 1961, Cao was educated at China University of
Political Science and Law, and was then accepted to Peking University, where
she earned a Masters in 1986. Upon graduating, she became a civil servant at
the Ministry of Human Resources. After working for several years, Cao began to
speak up to expose corruption and ultimately lost her job in 2001 for her
whistleblowing efforts. In Cao’s own words, this launched her “walk down the
road of rights defense.”
Cao Shunli became a “petitioner,” someone who approaches the
government to lodge personal grievances and seek remedies. Initially, she
petitioned over her own grievances and then quickly became involved with other
petitioners. She realized the magnitude of human rights violations in China.
She and others sought to raise a collective voice for petitioners but found
themselves stonewalled, shut out, silenced, or worse, such as being locked up
in “black jails,” illegal and makeshift detention facilities.
In 2008, Cao learnt about the UN rights-monitoring mechanism
the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). China was coming under review for the
first time in February 2009. Cao became determined to use UN human rights
mechanisms and push China to include genuine civil society voices. Her advocacy
in this area for the next four years led to severe government reprisals,
including two stints in Re-education Through Labor (RTL), repeated harassment,
detentions and ultimately her death.
On September 14, 2013, Cao Shunli was taken away by authorities at
Beijing Capital International Airport as she was on her way to Geneva. Cao was
held incommunicado for five weeks and her relatives were reportedly threatened to keep quiet
until after China’s review before the Human Rights Council. On October 21, a
guard at Chaoyang District Denteion Center leaked that Cao was being held
there, and she wasn’t allowed a visit from her lawyer for another week. Her
lawyer immediately reported that Cao looked frail and needed medical treatment,
and submitted a bail
request on medical grounds.
Cao’s health deteriorated
at the detention facility, as she was given inadequate medical treatment and
authorities repeatedly denied applications for medical release. She had contracted tuberculosis and had a
liver condition, which had been managed in the past. But these conditions
worsened and began causing ascites, or swelling of the abdomen, and she also
developed uterine fibroid tumors and cysts. On February 17, Cao was taken in critical condition to the
intensive care unit of a Beijing emergency center. She subsequently lapsed into
a coma and was moved
to Beijing 309 Military Hospital on February 20. Tragically, Cao Shunli passed away on March 14, 2014.