DATE=3/2/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA / HUMAN RIGHTS (L)
NUMBER=2-259760
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations' top official for human rights
is in Beijing and is urging China to accept U-N help in
bringing its human rights laws up to international
standards. Roger Wilkison has details from the Chinese
capital.
TEXT: Mrs. Robinson was in Beijing to open an Asia-Pacific
human-rights workshop and meet with top Chinese officials,
including Vice-Premier Qian Qichen.
As U-N High Commissioner for Human Rights, she has been
seeking an agreement with China whereby the U-N can help
Beijing change its criminal laws and procedures to match
the standards of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights. Beijing has signed that agreement and
another U-N-sponsored treaty on Economic and Social Rights
but has not yet ratified either.
Although Mrs. Robinson says China has made progress on
economic and social rights, she decries what she calls a
slippage in civil and political rights since she last
visited China in September 1998.
/// ROBINSON ACTUALITY ///
I am concerned about three areas that I have
expressed my worries about: the areas of freedom
of expression, freedom of religion, and freedom
of association.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
Mrs. Robinson says there has been deterioration in all
three. She lists harsh sentences given to political
dissidents and what she calls a notable clampdown on
religious expression as being particularly serious.
/// ROBINSON ACTUALITY ///
It is my responsibility to air these concerns
both in discussions with relevant officials but
also publicly because it is important to
emphasize what is really meant by the values and
culture of human rights and what is the real
significance of China having signed the two
international covenants.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
Mrs. Robinson says China needs to reinvigorate its
commitment to take the necessary steps to bring its laws up
to international standards.
/// ROBINSON ACTUALITY ///
China has moved to a system based on law. China
has moved to an approach of administration based
on law. But the next move that will be
necessary is to ensure that the law is
compatible with international human rights
standards.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
Mrs. Robinson says such Chinese practices as sending
perceived opponents of the communist government to
education through labor camps without trial are
incompatible with the covenant on civil and political
rights and must be phased out.
Even though China has repeatedly said the right to
subsistence is more important than the political rights
that are emphasized in the West, Mrs. Robinson says Chinese
officials told her they accept the notion that the human
rights standards outlined in the covenants are universal.
/// ROBINSON ACTUALITY ///
At the official level, it's clear that China
accepts international obligations, responds to
them and accepts the primacy of international
human rights standards.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
But she says it is imperative to encourage China to move
faster toward committing itself to those standards so that
it can ratify the two treaties. (Signed)
NEB/RW/KL
02-Mar-2000 08:33 AM EDT (02-Mar-2000 1333 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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