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2d ago

RightsCon Canceled in Zambia After Organizers Cite Chinese Pressure Over Taiwan

The abrupt shutdown underscores how diplomatic leverage can narrow civic space when host governments control who speaks and what gets discussed.

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Members of Taiwan's main opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT) wave national flags to the protesters against KMT chairperson Cheng Li-wun meeting's with Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 10, in front of the party's headquarter in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
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A children hold a Chinese national flag near the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Overview

  • Access Now canceled the global digital rights summit on Friday, days before it was due to open, after Zambia first announced a postponement with no new date.
  • Organizers said they were told that Chinese diplomats pressed Zambia to block Taiwanese civil society participants and to narrow topics, and they reported no substantive replies from Zambian or Chinese missions to requests for comment.
  • Zambian officials said they halted the event to obtain more disclosure on session themes and to complete administrative and security clearances so discussions would align with national values.
  • The disruption upended travel for thousands of planned attendees and pushed related World Press Freedom Day programming from Lusaka to Paris or online, with some early arrivals told the conference was off at the border.
  • RightsCon typically gathers about 2,600 people in person to debate censorship, surveillance, and the export of digital control tools, and its cancellation in a country with deep economic ties to China has fueled warnings about shrinking civic space ahead of Zambia’s 2026 elections.