DATE=6/2/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43555
TITLE=TIANANMEN ANNIV / US-CHINA-HUMAN RIGHTS
BYLINE=STEPHANIE MANN
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: HUMAN RIGHTS HAS LONG BEEN A SOURCE OF DISAGREEMENT IN
SINO-AMERICAN RELATIONS. IN THE 10-YEARS SINCE THE CRACKDOWN ON
THE TIANANMEN SQUARE PROTEST MOVEMENT, CONCERN OVER HUMAN RIGHTS
HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DETERMINING THE DIRECTION OF U-S
POLICY TOWARD CHINA. AS V-O-A'S STEPHANIE MANN REPORTS, ANALYSTS
DO NOT AGREE ON HOW THE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE SHOULD PLAY IN THE
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP.
TEXT: IN THE WAKE OF THE JUNE FOURTH, 1989, CHINESE ARMY
CRACKDOWN ON THE TIANANMEN PROTESTS, THE UNITED STATES IMPOSED A
VARIETY OF SANCTIONS AGAINST CHINA. THESE INCLUDED RESTRICTIONS
ON TRADE AND EXCHANGES OF VISITS, TECHNOLOGY, AND INFORMATION.
THERE WAS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT AS CHINA MADE SPECIFIC
IMPROVEMENTS IN ITS HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION, THOSE SANCTIONS WOULD
BE LIFTED. IN THE COURSE OF THE PAST DECADE, MOST HAVE BEEN
REMOVED.
THE WASHINGTON DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH/ASIA, MIKE
JENDRZEJCZYK (JEN DREE ZIK), SAYS CHINA HAS SUCCEEDED IN REMOVING
THE STIGMA OF THE JUNE 4TH CRACKDOWN IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ITS
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL RELATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES. MR.
JENDRZEJCZYK SAYS THE EXCHANGE OF VISITS BY PRESIDENT CLINTON AND
PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN HELPED CHINA REMOVE HUMAN RIGHTS AS AN
OBSTACLE TO BUSINESS AS USUAL.
// JENDRZEJCZYK ACT //
THE U-S, AS YOU KNOW, DOES MAINTAIN A FEW TOKEN
SANCTIONS LEFT FROM 1989 -- THE ONLY GOVERNMENT TO DO
SO. BUT I THINK JIANG ZEMIN'S VISIT HERE IN WASHINGTON
IN OCTOBER, 1997, AND THE PRESIDENT'S TOUR OF CHINA LAST
YEAR FINALLY REMOVED THE STIGMA OF 1989 FROM U-S/CHINA
RELATIONS. BOTH SIDES SIGNALED THAT HUMAN RIGHTS WOULD
NOT BE ALLOWED TO GET IN THE WAY OR IN ANY WAY INTERFERE
WITH CLOSER ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL RELATIONS. INDEED,
HUMAN RIGHTS WOULD BE A TOPIC FOR FORMAL DIALOGUE AND
DISCUSSION EVEN AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE TWO
GOVERNMENTS.
// END ACT //
MR. JENDRZEJCZYK SAYS BY ELEVATING HUMAN RIGHTS TO A FORMAL
AGENDA ITEM, CHINA CAN TALK ABOUT IT WITHOUT COMMITTING ITSELF TO
REAL CHANGES IN PRACTICE.
IN THE WAKE OF THE NATO BOMBING OF THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN
BELGRADE, BEIJING SUSPENDED THE DIALOGUE ON HUMAN RIGHTS, AND MR.
JENDRZEJCZYK SAYS THE UNITED STATES SHOULD TRY HARD TO GET HUMAN
RIGHTS BACK ON THE AGENDA. HE SPOKE AT A WASHINGTON CONFERENCE
ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS AND U-S /CHINESE RELATIONS IN THE 10-YEARS
AFTER TIANANMEN.
FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEMOCRACY,
CATHERIN DALPINO, ALSO SPOKE AT THE MEETING. SHE SAYS AMERICANS
TAKE TOO NARROW A VIEW OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND POLITICAL CHANGE IN
CHINA. SHE SAYS POLICYMAKERS FOCUS THEIR EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN
ON CHINA'S TREATMENT OF A SMALL NUMBER OF DEMOCRACY ADVOCATES AND
IGNORE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE, SUCH AS THE EXPANSION OF
VOLUNTARY CITIZENS' ASSOCIATIONS AND LEGAL AID SOCIETIES.
// OPT // MS. DALPINO, NOW A SCHOLAR AT THE BROOKINGS
INSTITUTION IN WASHINGTON, SAYS THE UNITED STATES TENDS TO VIEW
ALL POLITICAL CHANGE IN CHINA AS EMANATING FROM THE TIANANMEN
SQUARE PROTESTS AND CRACKDOWN.
// OPT DALPINO ACT //
I WOULD POINT OUT, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THE VILLAGE
ELECTIONS IN CHINA, WHICH HAVE SORT OF BECOME THE
DARLINGS OF THE AMERICAN MEDIA AND OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
PROMOTION ORGANIZATIONS, WERE ACTUALLY AUTHORIZED BY THE
1987 VILLAGERS COMMITTEES ORGANIC LAW AND DID CONTINUE
PRETTY MUCH APACE THROUGH THIS DECADE, WITH OF COURSE A
PAUSE AFTER THE TIANANMEN SQUARE CRACKDOWN.
// END ACT // END OPT //
MS. DALPINO SAYS THERE IS A CONTINUUM OF SLOW POLITICAL CHANGE IN
CHINA. SHE BELIEVES MOST CHINESE SEE THAT PROCESS AS BEGINNING
IN 1978, ALONG WITH THE ECONOMIC REFORMS, WELL BEFORE THE 1989
TIANANMEN INCIDENT.
PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT AT HAMILTON COLLEGE IN NEW YORK, LI
CHENG, SAYS THE UNITED STATES IS RIGHT TO PRESS CHINA ON HUMAN
RIGHTS. BUT HE, TOO, SAYS THE ISSUE IS BROADER THAN JUST
POLITICAL RIGHTS.
// LI ACT //
I THINK THAT ECONOMIC RIGHTS -- THE RIGHT TO OWN
PROPERTY AND TO BE WELL FED ARE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. I
THINK IF THAT IS THE CASE, CERTAINLY WE NEED TO TALK
ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS. BUT EVEN (TO) TALK ABOUT POLITICAL
RIGHTS, WE STILL NEED TO MAKE PRESSURE (ON) THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT. BUT I DO NOT THINK IT SHOULD BE THE ONLY
ISSUE. PROBABLY IT SHOULD NOT BE THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE.
I THINK THERE ARE MANY OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES -- NUCLEAR
NON PROLIFERATION, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, AND TRADE,
ETCETERA.
// END ACT //
// OPT // PROFESSOR LI WAS BORN IN SHANGHAI AND GREW UP DURING
THE TURBULENT YEARS OF CHINA'S CULTURAL REVOLUTION, WHEN HIS
FATHER WAS PERSECUTED AND HIS BROTHER KILLED. HE CAME TO THE
UNITED STATES IN 1985. // END OPT //
A LEADING CHINESE DISSIDENT, NOW LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES, WEI
JINGSHENG, ACKNOWLEDGES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS INVOLVES MANY
QUESTIONS. BUT, SPEAKING THROUGH A TRANSLATOR, HE SAYS A RESPECT
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY MUST BE THE FOUNDATION BEFORE
ISSUES LIKE WEAPONS PROLIFERATION CAN BE RESOLVED.
// WEI / TRANSLATOR ACT //
IF WE DO NOT HAVE A DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM THAT CAN BEGIN TO
REGULATE INTO WHOSE HANDS WEAPONS FALL, THEN WE HAVE A
VERY DANGEROUS POLITICAL SITUATION. AND IF THERE ARE
NOT BASIC PROTECTIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS, THEN IT IS VERY
DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH DEMOCRACY. SO, I HAVE BEEN
SAYING FOR THE LAST 20-YEARS, IF WE DO NOT HAVE
DEMOCRACY, ALL OF THESE OTHER PROBLEMS ARE GOING TO BE
VERY DIFFICULT TO SOLVE.
// END ACT //
WEI JINGSHENG SAYS THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD SHOULD PUT MORE
EMPHASIS ON HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS. // REST OPT // MR. WEI CAME
TO THE UNITED STATES IN 1997 ON A MEDICAL PAROLE, AFTER SERVING
TWO PRISON SENTENCES IN CHINA FOR HIS OPPOSITION TO THE
GOVERNMENT. (SIGNED)
NEB/SMN/RAE
02-Jun-99 12:14 PM EDT (1614 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
