China Accuses US of Human Rights Hypocrisy
Source: Al Manar TV, 13-03-2008
China accused the United States on Thursday of human rights hypocrisy, as it branded the US invasion of Iraq the "greatest humanitarian disaster" of the modern world. In an annual response to Washington's criticism of China's human rights record, the Chinese government labeled the United States 'arrogant', and highlighted what it said were 'widespread US failures at home and abroad'.
"America's arrogant critiques on the human rights of other countries are always accompanied by a deliberate disregard of serious human rights problems on its own territory," said the report, released by the state Xinhua news agency. "This was not only inconsistent with universally recognized norms of international relations, but also exposed the double standards and downright hypocrisy of the United States on the human rights issue, and inevitably impaired its international image."
The US-led war in Iraq that began in 2003 was one of the many issues of concern highlighted by China in the report, entitled "The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2007." "The United States has a notorious record of trampling on the sovereignty of and violating human rights in other countries," it said. "The invasion of Iraq by American troops has produced the biggest human rights tragedy and the greatest humanitarian disaster in the modern world."
It also criticized civilian deaths in Afghanistan, secret prisons and torture of detainees. "'Secret prison' and 'torturing prisoners' have become synonymous with 'America'," the report said. The report added that US citizens' right to join unions had been restricted, prisoners' rights had been violated, and authorities attempted to manipulate the media.
China said it had released the report to give the world a clearer insight into US failings and address the imbalance of the State Department's annual report on human rights, released Tuesday.
The State Department report removed China from its list of the world's worst human rights violators, but said there were still widespread problems. "The government also continued to monitor, harass, detain, arrest, and imprison activists, writers, journalists, and defense lawyers and their families, many of whom were seeking to exercise their rights under the law," it said.
China accused the United States on Thursday of human rights hypocrisy, as it branded the US invasion of Iraq the "greatest humanitarian disaster" of the modern world. In an annual response to Washington's criticism of China's human rights record, the Chinese government labeled the United States 'arrogant', and highlighted what it said were 'widespread US failures at home and abroad'.
"America's arrogant critiques on the human rights of other countries are always accompanied by a deliberate disregard of serious human rights problems on its own territory," said the report, released by the state Xinhua news agency. "This was not only inconsistent with universally recognized norms of international relations, but also exposed the double standards and downright hypocrisy of the United States on the human rights issue, and inevitably impaired its international image."
The US-led war in Iraq that began in 2003 was one of the many issues of concern highlighted by China in the report, entitled "The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2007." "The United States has a notorious record of trampling on the sovereignty of and violating human rights in other countries," it said. "The invasion of Iraq by American troops has produced the biggest human rights tragedy and the greatest humanitarian disaster in the modern world."
It also criticized civilian deaths in Afghanistan, secret prisons and torture of detainees. "'Secret prison' and 'torturing prisoners' have become synonymous with 'America'," the report said. The report added that US citizens' right to join unions had been restricted, prisoners' rights had been violated, and authorities attempted to manipulate the media.
China said it had released the report to give the world a clearer insight into US failings and address the imbalance of the State Department's annual report on human rights, released Tuesday.
The State Department report removed China from its list of the world's worst human rights violators, but said there were still widespread problems. "The government also continued to monitor, harass, detain, arrest, and imprison activists, writers, journalists, and defense lawyers and their families, many of whom were seeking to exercise their rights under the law," it said.
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