Chinese Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs Li Song (L) speaks at a committee meeting of the 10th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the UN headquarters in New York on Aug. 5, 2022. Photo: Xinhua

Frightening assault and killing on civilians by some private military and security companies (PMSCs) of certain countries including the US is a very disgraceful page in human rights record book, said Chinese representative to UN office, urging the US and Australia to adopt effective supervision on PMSCs to avoid such behaviors that violate human rights from happening again.

Li Song, the deputy permanent representative to UN office in Geneva, expressed concern about the lack of transparency, oversight and accountability over such activities during his remark at 51st regular session of the Human Rights Council.

Li pointed out that over the years the number of PMSCs has gradually increased, but they are frequently suspected of violating human rights and cannot be held responsible for their illegal behaviors due to the lack of effective international supervision, causing wide international concern and criticism.

The Chinese representative highlighted necessity of PMSCs from the US and Australia to be compliant with international human rights law, humanitarian law and domestic laws.

Employees of some private security companies in the US wantonly kill unarmed civilians overseas, committing serious crimes, but they have been pardoned by the US government. Australia's offshore detention centers have been detaining a large number of refugees, where violation of human rights is appalling, Li said.

Li continued that the detention centers outsourced to private security companies are poor in their living conditions, where detainees have suffered physical and psychological damage for a long time, and even abnormal deaths have occurred from time to time.

The violent activities of PMSCs in the US, Australia and other countries to attack and kill civilians, abuse and torture, and force many displacements seriously violate the detainees' basic human rights, especially the rights of women and children, Li pointed out.

The Chinese representative called on countries including the US and Australia to respect, promote and protect human rights without discrimination, take practical measures to effectively monitor the activities of PMSCs so that activities in violation of human rights would not happen again.Li urged the need to conduct comprehensive investigations into these PMSCs to hold the perpetrators accountable.

Global Times