Trending Now - Zambia's Rights Summit Canceled Amid Chinese Influence on Activists
WHO:
ABC News - Access Now, a New York-based advocacy group, organized the RightsCon summit.
ABC News - Lin Yi-jing, Taiwanese Minister of Digital Affairs, commented on the cancellation.
The Guardian - Thabo Kawana, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Information & Media in Zambia, announced the cancellation.
The Guardian - Linda Kasonde, a Zambian lawyer and civil society activist, criticized the decision.
The Guardian - Karna Kone, from Côte d’Ivoire, was scheduled to participate in the summit.
The Guardian - Chioma Agwuegbo, director of TechHer, was also scheduled to speak at the summit.
The Guardian - Sibongile Ndashe, a South African lawyer and human rights activist, commented on the implications of the cancellation.
WHAT:
ABC News - The RightsCon summit in Zambia was canceled due to pressure from China to exclude Taiwanese activists.
ABC News - The summit was originally planned to host over 2,600 participants in person and 1,100 online from more than 150 countries.
The Guardian - The summit was scheduled to take place from May 5-8, 2026.
The Guardian - The cancellation was described as a blatant act of censorship by rights campaigners.
WHERE:
ABC News - The RightsCon summit was to be held in Lusaka, Zambia.
The Guardian - The conference venue was donated by China.
WHEN:
The Guardian - The RightsCon summit was scheduled for May 5-8, 2026.
WHY:
ABC News - The Zambian government cited the need for the conference to align with the country's “national values, policy priorities, and broader public interest considerations.”
ABC News - Access Now stated that foreign interference was the reason for the cancellation.
The Guardian - Reports suggested that pressure from China influenced the Zambian government's decision to cancel the summit.
HOW:
ABC News - The Zambian government initially announced a postponement of the conference before ultimately canceling it.
The Guardian - Access Now had spent months liaising with the Zambian government to ensure transparency and mutual understanding around the conference.
(UPDATED May 2, 2026 17:15 UTC)
The RightsCon summit, which was set to take place in Lusaka, Zambia from May 5-8, 2026, has been canceled due to pressure from China to exclude Taiwanese activists, a move described by rights campaigners as blatant censorship. Access Now, the advocacy group behind the summit, had been working for months to ensure transparency with the Zambian government, which initially announced a postponement before ultimately deciding to cancel the event. The Zambian government cited the need for the conference to align with the country's national values and policy priorities, while critics, including Zambian lawyer Linda Kasonde and South African activist Sibongile Ndashe, condemned the decision and its implications for free speech.