I am Canadian, so cannot help but be sympathetic to a Canadian viewpoint. This sympathy unconsciously biases my views and I do not apologize for this as it is normal. When I ask if a country has the right to kill its own citizens, I am specifically asking whether it is morally right for China or Russia to discipline and kill its own citizens.
In the Western context, which I am from, there have been recent cases where citizens have gone abroad to join foreign armies and have vowed to return home and kill their own citizens. In these cases the US and Britain have allowed their forces to kill their own citizens, citing self-defence and national security
Article 51, Charter of the United Nations
Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.
This, I understand. A citizen cannot endanger the lives of fellow citizens, for if he does his government has the right to kill him.
What is unclear to me, but really should not be, is whether a government has the right to deny basic human rights to their citizens in a systemic way. China always maintains that the human rights of its citizens is China’s inalienable right to decide, and no one else’s. With this argument China wipes away any moral obligation to abide by anyone else’s rules but its own.
Specifically, are we our brother’s keeper? Does the human race, as a whole, have any obligation to cherish and protect the basic right for another human to live?
My Judeo-Chistian values say that yes, no matter who a person is, each human being has the right to live. There is a basic standard which should be upheld. This is irregardless of country.
On the other hand, there are sayings in China such as “不管现实“ buguan xianshi, which loosely translates to “Don’t interfere with something that is not your business”. If interpreted to the context of human rights, this means that outsiders have no business in China’s internal affairs. My Russian neighbours also agree that one country should not interfere with the internal affairs of another country. I believe this lack of “interference” contributes to genocide such as the Jews in WW2 and more recently the Rohinga issue in Myanmar.
Relationships, or “关系” guanxi is very important in Chinese culture, in fact a cornerstone concept of the culture. If you are not a friend or family, there is no obligation to help someone you do not know. Even further, if a stranger does not ask for your help, you should not even consider offering assistance. This is a double whammy: You do not know them and they did not ask for your help. A more traditional Chinese viewpoint would be to not help, plain and simple.
Extrapolating to human rights, should foreign countries ask China to provide basic human rights to its citizens, whom they do not know and, in most cases have not or cannot ask for help?
Here in Canada it is pretty clear: You offer help if you see that someone needs help. If a human right is perceived as being violated, you say something. Stranger or not, asked or not.
Should Judeo-Christian countries turn a blind eye to countries such as China, who may have their own definition of “human rights”? It is quite ok in China to put on trial and jail those who speak up against the Chinese government about human rights. Ditto for their lawyers.
Countries that kill their own citizens is not limited to China. Iraq, North Korea, Russia, Syria all kill their own citizens during war or otherwise. In fact, killing their own citizens is quite common throughout history. I would argue that it is possible that the modern Judeo-Christian viewpoint may be incorrect. Maybe it is ok for countries to kill their own citizens?
