Chinese police harass Rainbow Run, Finland summons Chinese envoy

(CNA, reporter Wu Chi-lin, Helsinki, July 1) The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs recently summoned the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires in Finland in Helsinki to express grave concern over repeated harassment and threats by Chinese police against a Rainbow Run event held at the Chinese Embassy in Beijing. Finland's most influential newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, reported this incident this afternoon, drawing public attention.

According to a press release from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to visit Finland on Sunday, July 5, and his itinerary includes meetings with the President and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

According to a report by Radio France Internationale (RFI), the Finnish Embassy in Beijing launched the "Rainbow Run" on May 28 to respond to "Beijing Diversity Week" and promote gender inclusivity. However, before the event even began, Finnish diplomats and Chinese employees at the embassy received threatening phone calls from individuals claiming to be police, who insisted the run "goes against Chinese culture" and demanded the Finnish Embassy cancel the event.

On the day of the run, Chinese police deployed a large number of officers around the embassy, even setting up roadblocks to forcibly seal off some sections. Despite the tense atmosphere, about 15 diplomats insisted on completing the entire course that day. During the event, several plainclothes police officers followed them along the Liangma River, even taking out cameras to film the participating diplomats at close range.

A European diplomat stationed in Beijing told the media frankly that although no violent clashes erupted, the Chinese intervention was tantamount to an infringement of the "Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations" regarding the protection of embassy activities and diplomatic immunity.

The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs reported to Helsingin Sanomat and Yle (Broadcasting Company) that Finland is handling the matter through diplomatic channels.

One day after the Rainbow Run incident, another related event occurred in Beijing. Two drag queens, Choriza May and Edna Sorgelsen, who were participating in the EU delegation's "Beijing Diversity Week," were interrogated by police in their hotel room for up to 7 hours.

May revealed that the police pressured them under the pretext of visa non-compliance, intending to obtain a list of local contacts for well-known gay nightclubs in the city. The two were eventually required to sign a guarantee letter, promising to "respect Chinese culture and not engage in illegal activities," before being allowed to leave.

Furthermore, RFI's report also listed that events held by the Institut français in Beijing and Guangzhou have also faced setbacks. On June 6, a screening of two films with gay themes at the Beijing venue was abruptly canceled due to police presence to register the identities of Chinese attendees; on June 10, a screening event co-organized by the Guangzhou venue and the Canadian Consulate, authorities obtained the registration list in advance and even contacted some participants and their employers to dissuade them from attending, with police also checking attendees' identities at the scene.

In late March, during a screening event co-organized by the Goethe-Institut and the British Council, approximately 30 police officers were deployed around the venue, with some plainclothes officers sitting inside the hall to film the audience.

China decriminalized homosexuality in 1997, but the space for LGBTQ+ community activities remains highly restricted. Content related to gender and sexual orientation minorities is frequently censored on social media platforms, and accounts of relevant groups are often shut down as soon as their visibility increases; LGBTQ+ clubs are unable to be officially registered on university campuses.

Human Rights Watch stated in the RFI report that the recent series of actions indicates China's extreme sensitivity to gender diversity issues.

The aforementioned European diplomat said that Beijing Diversity Week will continue to be held next year, "This is to send a message: you exist, you are not alone" (Editor: Chen Cheng-kung) 1150702

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