U.S. Won't Chide China Over Human Rights

[Judi Lynn]

U.S. Won't Chide China Over Human Rights

Thursday March 17, 2005 10:46 PM


AP Photo WHRE202

By BARRY SCHWEID

AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Citing recent Chinese steps to ease up on political prisoners and religious practices, the Bush administration decided Thursday to forgo a showdown with China over its record on human rights at a 53-nation U.N. human rights conference.

Three weeks ago, in an annual report to Congress on human rights violations worldwide, the State Department faulted China on several fronts. And on Thursday, a few hours after the announcement not to introduce an anti-China resolution at the conference in Geneva, a senior State Department official told Congress: ``We remain deeply concerned about China's poor human rights situation.''

At the same time, though, the official, Acting Assistant Secretary of State Michael Kozak, cited a number of advances by China. They include leniency for some of the estimated 6,000 political prisoners in China and an announcement Tuesday that the Red Cross would be permitted to open an office in Beijing this summer.

Kozak told the House International Relations Committee's human rights panel that he hoped China's decision to let some political prisoners petition for shorter terms was ``a gift that keeps on giving'' by spreading to other prisoners of conscience. He noted that China on Tuesday had also stopped classifying family religious services at home as a criminal offense, Kozak said.
(snip/...)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4873668,00.html

[Deja Q]

1. 3 choices here:

1. Blackmail bestowed upon us by China, over their holding our debt.

2. The US wants to ditch human rights practices itself.

3. Both?

[makhno]

2. Different hues of red, is it, Mr. Kozak?

From the same article: This year, Kozak said, resolutions would be introduced by the U.S. delegation criticizing Cuba and Belarus.

How is anyone in the world expected to take anything the US produces or touches in the realm of international politics as anything but self-serving, deceitful manipulation?

Why does the world hate America so much, indeed.

[leveymg]

3. If they don't chide us.

Hey, they a lot of spare kidneys and corneas on ice we might want. We have information extracted by duress that might be useful to them.

Let's trade.

[JNelson6563]

4. We turn a blind eye to the wrongs done by those we need

Like China and Saudi Arabia.

Human rights violations? Nonsense! Those are merely "domestic disputes".

Julie

[LeftistGorilla]

5. that's what happens...

when you owe someone tons of money...

[moondust]

6. and you depend on

their slave labor to make you filthy rich.

[NNN0LHI]

7. Wonder if Abu Ghraib Prison has anything to do with this decision? n/t