The Foreign Service Journal, September 2017

80 SEPTEMBER 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Promoting Human Rights in China THE MARK PALMER AWARD FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF DEMOCRACY RENÉ GUTEL As the human rights officer at U.S. Embassy Beijing, René Gutel pro- moted fair treat- ment of dissenters and political prison- ers by the Chinese government. In China, politi- cal dissidents are routinely detained without trial and tortured. Friends and family of known or suspected activ- ists are harassed and threatened. But through creative engagement with the diplomatic community in Beijing and strong relation- ships with the Chinese human rights community, Ms. Gutel succeeded in persuading the Chinese government to take action on human rights where they might not otherwise have done so. Considering the different goals and sometimes com- peting interests of the diplo- matic community in China, it can be daunting for diplo- mats to raise rights-related issues, especially when many fear that focusing on China’s human rights record would undermine cooperation between the United States and Chinese authorities. But by working with her colleagues throughout the U.S. embassy and consul- ates in China, Ms. Gutel helped develop and maintain a strong stance on human rights abuses in China. “If we are to continue to be an example to the world,” she says, “we must consistently represent universal values, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion and free- dom of association.” While standing firmly behind the United States’ established position on human rights, Ms. Gutel worked with other embassies in China and expanded the network of diplomats willing to work together to promote human rights. Their actions have included issuing state- ments and jointly attending the trials of detained human rights lawyers and advocates. Family members of those detained without trial have confirmed that their loved ones received better treatment as a result of interna- tional attention to their cases, and lawyers have pointed to reduced sentences for so-called “dissi- dents” whose tri- als are attended by diplomats. Ms. Gutel’s advocacy for cooperative action ultimately led to a precedent-setting joint state- ment at the United Nations Human Rights Council on March 10, 2016, where more than 12 countries registered their profound concern at China’s deteriorating human rights record and particularly the ongoing detention of rights activists, civil society leaders and lawyers. Acting in concert with other countries has rein- forced to Chinese authorities that the United States does not stand alone on human rights issues. Accepting the award, Ms. Gutel acknowledged that aspects of her role can be hard, including documenting instances of torture or learn- ing that a valued contact has been detained. However, “despite the repression in China, there are reasons to hope,” she states. “Of the more than 300 lawyers and activists detained two years ago, only a handful are still in pre-trial detention.” Most impressively, Ms. Gutel has helped keep human rights at the forefront of U.S. policy in China, while still maintaining a produc- tive relationship with the Chinese government and holding productive bilateral dialogues with authorities on rights-related issues. As a testament to her efforts, reliable partnerships have been formed between the U.S. embassy and Chi- nese authorities that will aid diplomats as they navigate the evolving relationship. René Gutel joined the Foreign Service in 2010 and currently serves as the human rights officer at U.S. Embassy Beijing. Her previ- ous overseas assignments include the U.S. mission to UNESCO in Paris and the U.S. consulate in Shenyang. Before joining the Foreign Service, Ms. Gutel was a pub- lic radio journalist working at NPR member stations in Alaska, Pennsylvania and Ari- zona. Ms. Gutel is married to poet John Tynan; they have two young children. n Dr. Sushma Palmer, right, presents René Gutel with the Mark Palmer Award for the Advancement of Democracy at the AFSA awards ceremony on June 20. Dr. Palmer is the widow of Ambassador Mark Palmer, for whom the award is named. AFSA EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE AWARDS AFSA NEWS AFSA/TOYASARNOJORDAN