U.S. Scolds China On Human Rights

State Dept. Report Notes "Severe Cultural And Religious Repression" Of Minorities

(CBS/AP)  The United States on Wednesday hit China for a litany of human rights abuses last year even though Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton suggested during her recent Beijing visit that the issue would take a back seat to broader concerns like the global financial crisis.

In a report on the state of human rights around the world, the State Department singled out China for numerous violations while noting a general deterioration in conditions in other countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and eastern Europe.

The department accused China of stepping up "severe cultural and religious repression" of minorities in Tibet and elswehere as well as increasing its detention and harassment of dissidents.

"The government of China's human rights record remained poor and worsened in some areas," the State Department said. The report noted that Chinese authorities continued to limit citizens' right to privacy, freedom of speech, assembly, movement and association. It said authorities also committed extrajudicial killings and torture, coerced confessions from prisoners and used forced labor.

The report said the abuses peaked around high-profile events like last year's Olympic Games in Beijing and unrest in Tibet and that toward the end of last year the government began harassing activists who signed a petition calling for respect of human rights.

The report covers 2008 and was largely drafted during President George W. Bush's administration, but Clinton signed off on the findings.

Clinton was criticized by human rights groups for saying on a trip to Asia last week that while the Obama administration is deeply concerned about human rights in China the matter could not be allowed to interfere with attempts to cooperate with Beijing on the worldwide economic meltdown or fighting global climate change.

"We have to continue to press them," Clinton said last week during her Asia trip. "But our pressing on those issues can't interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crises. We have to have a dialogue that leads to an understanding and cooperation on each of those."

Human Rights Watch said Clinton had "made a strategic mistake in appearing to concede that she expects no meeting of the minds on human rights issues."

In recent months some 300 Chinese lawyers, writers, scholars and artists signed and circulated the plea for a new constitution guaranteeing human rights, election of public officials, freedom of religion and expression, and an end to the party's hold over the military, courts and government.

[quapawsix]

You got that right!
The day that USA agrees to put GW Bush on trial for Crimes Against Humanity is the day USA has the right to start criticizing other countries on human rights abuses.
Posted by straightalk at 1:04 PM : Feb 26, 2009

[straightalk]

The day that USA agrees to put GW Bush on trial for Crimes Against Humanity is the day USA has the right to start criticizing other countries on human rights abuses.

[john878]

Google Angela Garbarino, Hope Steffey, or Jamie Leigh Jones.

And this is just the tip of the iceburg. Garry Minor hit the nail on the head, we have a LOT of cleaning up to do before we can start pointing fingers.

In searching the net, while looking for leads on the Hope Steffey case, I have found stuff you could hardly believe happened in our country.

Its enough to make you sick to your stomach.

[babooph]

Hope China does not go around the world starting "pre-emptive" wars like Hitler did.

[formrusmcsgt]

The United States on Wednesday hit China for a litany of human rights abuses last year ......
---

And China said, "call us when all your secret prisons and Gitmo are shut down and we'll talk....."

"Until then, ****."

[lambor59]

No body believe in Hillary, including Bill, that's why he paired with Monica..

[wvu74621]

Oh yeah! I forgot, Dimwit forgot to broach the subject when she was begging the Chinese to buy American T-Bills.

[brianbwb-2009]

Human Rights Watch said Clinton had "made a strategic mistake in appearing to concede that she expects no meeting of the minds on human rights issues."

This time HRW has it wrong, If Mrs. Clinton broaches the subject, that would be like serving up a high hanging curveball to Reggie Jackson, the Chinese would rightly call her a hypocrite, and challenge America to clean up it's own human rights record, a challenge which the neos would ensure could never be met.

[pepperwood2]

But our pressing on those issues can't interfere with the global climate change crisis and the security crises. We have to have a dialogue that leads to an understanding and cooperation on each of those."

We all know that the Global Climate Change & Save the Planet Agenda is far more than this Human Rights Farce. Hillary is the World's Smartest SOS and she knows that every thing points to a total destruction of life on this Planet as we know is in a couple of years according to the Experts. Hillary wouldn't lie about something as important as that. Just because Planet Earth has been around for Trillions of years doesn't mean that it will last another year without her & Al Gore's bold leadership.

No need for Hillary to cause a runkus over a few thousand Chinese Disidents who should get what they have coming or a few million Rhwandans in an overpopulated World contributing to overpopulation & pollution. Way to go Hillary.

[culturechang]

The US blasting someone on humans rights....after secret prisons, torture and Guantanamo Bay. Perhaps, also, the State Dept can acknowledge why the hold 3 Chinese nationals in federal custody for 2 years without trial or bond on simple prostitution charges. No force or children involved.

[pensacola88]

No self-respecting Chinese citizen would give much consideration to the USA's complaints about their civil rights, when the Chinese know how poorly some US Citizens treat Latins, Mexicans, Philipinos and Asians.

We have to clean up our own back yard before telling other countries to clean up theirs.

All in this country should join in a National Condemnation of Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh.

[ramos1129]

This report on human rights should have been buried long ago. At the moment, we need every customer of our debt instruments. China is one of our prime customers.

Besides given our record regarding Gitmo, Basra prisons, Abu Grahib, etc. we do not have the credibility to accuse anyone of civil rights abuses.

[PVperson2]

Did we use Gitmo as an example of our high moral standing to preach to the Chinese?

[Syndicate]

How about we bash the Europeans human rights record. They are denying people the right under the UN human rights charter to free speech. Greet Wilders was kicked out of Brittan because they didn't like what he wanted to say. Brittan clearly violated his human rights.He should sue them in the international court for such an outrage.

[noloyalisti]

A country like America that illegally spies and tortures and has corporations running the military and the government has NOTHING to say to China. In fact, I would say the only difference between the two countries is that here we hide the facts.

[poeticaintit]

Typical Recon. Never a valid point to be made and Name calling and insults aplenty.
Posted by obiden08


Recon is considered name calling....and it's insulting...and there really wasn't a valid point other than to call another person out......ouch.

[poeticaintit]

WOW. I don't know that they need to adopt our standards...especially considering that puke.wad who caused all those animals to die because of his 'additives' he cut the chow with...well...he was executued. Yeah.....no appeals and languishing on death row while he continued to have free legal council to get him off....zap. Done. He embarrassed China and put a whole bunch of nasty, evil captialism at risk....they offed him.

It was kinda refreshing....

[ammo49]

Yeah, we better scold the nation in the world that we owe the most to and has the largest population. How much debt do you think they will allow us to ring up before they make things uncomfortable? My bet is that in the next ten years there will be trouble with this sleeping giant. You think the Cold War with Russia was bad, it was a walk in the park compared to what's coming here.