Beijing, October 5 – China has strongly protested a report by the US Congress which criticized its human rights record and “tepid” response to the AIDS crisis, calling the report an “interference” in China’s internal affairs.
“The report issued by the so-called Congressional Executive Commission on China distorted the facts and attacked China by using the issues of human rights, religion and the Falungong, in disregard of China’s great achievements in the fields of human rights and legislation,” foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in a statement seen Sunday.
“This only shows the report drafter’s arrogance and prejudices. We express strong displeasure and resolute opposition over the issue,” Kong said.
He cited as evidence of improvements to China’s rights situation the country’s success in stopping the spread of the deadly respiratory disease SARS, which struck in the spring, and China’s sustained, fast-paced economic growth.
He failed to mention, however, initial slow response by the government and a cover up fueled the spread of the disease, causing it to affect more than 30 other countries.
With regards to religious freedom, Kong argued that China’s laws which prohibit organizations and individuals from carrying out illegal activities in the name of religion are meant to protect its people.
He claimed it was for the protection of human rights that the Chinese government banned the Falungong “cult.” Tens of thousands of Falungong members have been jailed.
Kong urged the US Congress to focus more on the affairs of its own country, and “stop interfering in China’s internal affairs,” and urged the Bush administration to ignore the recommendations in the report.
“The US administrative authorities should take the solemn position of the Chinese side seriously, reject the so-called proposals set forth in the report and take effective measures to eliminate the negative impact of the report,” Kong said.
The Congressional report issued Tuesday called on the US government to put greater pressure on Beijing to improve conditions.
“The commission finds at human rights conditions in China have not improved overall in the past year,” the report said.
Changes underway in the area of legal reform have been “incremental” and limited, the report said.
It said China was not keeping to international agreements on protecting workers’ rights, still bans independent trades unions, child and prison labour remains a problem and that “scores of Christian, Muslim and Tibetan Buddhist worshippers have been arrested or detained during 2003.”
Pressure should be applied on China to stop arbitrarily detaining people, it said.
Public health policies in some provinces have fostered the spread of HIV/AIDS and have left patients and orphans in dire distress, while complaints by victims have been met with fear and forceful repression, it said.
