(July 2 State Department statement) (440)
Following is the text of the response to a question taken at the July 2 regular State Department briefing on the human rights situation in China; the answer was posted later in the day:
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
July 2, 2003
QUESTION TAKEN AT JULY 2, 2003 PRESS BRIEFING
China: Human Rights Deterioration
Question: Can you elaborate on your comment that there has been a “deterioration in human rights” in China recently?
Answer: During much of 2002, we saw incremental, but unprecedented steps in the right direction on human rights, including the release of a number of prominent prisoners of conscience, the visit of representatives of the Dalai Lama to China for the first time in two decades, and numerous commitments undertaken by the Chinese government at the U.S.-China human rights dialogue last December aimed at systemic human rights reform. We were hopeful that these were signals of a new commitment by the Chinese government to cooperate with the United States on human rights issues.
We have been disappointed, therefore, to see negative developments in 2003. The commitments to make progress on human rights concerns made by China at the conclusion of the December human rights dialogue have not been met, and there have been a number of troubling incidents since the beginning of the year. For example:
— The execution of a Tibetan without due process and despite assurances that his case would receive a review by the Supreme People’s Court
— The arrests of a number of democracy activists
— Harsh sentences handed down to internet essayists and labor protesters
— The forced repatriation of 18 Tibetans from Nepal in contravention of UN practices
— The muzzling of media outlets reporting on politically sensitive issues
— The failure of PRC authorities to respect due process rights of those accused of political crimes, and
— Lack of access for us diplomats and family members to trials of those detained for political activities
This backsliding on human rights is of great concern to the United States and the international community.
Our decision not to raise a China resolution at the Geneva Human Rights Commission this year was based on assurances by the Chinese government that human rights cooperation would get back on track. This was a good faith effort to try to find a new way forward on improving human rights in China.
We urge the Chinese government to take steps to ensure that its citizens are not persecuted for the peaceful expression of their views, and to release all prisoners of conscience.
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
