Taipei, May 10 -- China has been accused of pressuring Zambia to block Taiwanese participation and censor discussions critical of Beijing ahead of the RightsCon digital rights summit, prompting organisers to condemn what they described as "transnational repression." The controversy forced the cancellation of the global human rights gathering that was scheduled to take place in Lusaka from May 5 to May 8, as reported by Focus Taiwan.

According to Focus Taiwan, RightsCon organiser Access Now said Zambian authorities attempted to impose conditions linked to Beijing's "one China" policy before allowing the event to proceed. Access Now Co-Executive Director Alejandro Mayoral Banos stated that demands to exclude Taiwanese delegates and moderat...