DATE=5/25/2000
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=U-S - CHINA / HUMAN RIGHTS
NUMBER=5-46377
BYLINE=STEPHANIE MANN
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The legislation, approved Wednesday by the
House of Representatives, giving normal trade status
to China includes a provision that would create a
special commission to monitor China's human-rights
problems. As Correspondent Stephanie Mann reports,
independent human-rights monitoring groups hope the
commission will have enough strength to put real
pressure on China.
TEXT: In recent weeks, members of congress heard from
many people representing labor and human-rights groups
- all opposed to the legislation granting permanent
normal trade relations to China.
They raised strong concerns about China's arrest or
suppression of political dissidents, workers who try
to organize independent labor unions, and members of
religious groups not authorized by the government.
They are worried that, by making the trade privileges
permanent and taking away the annual review of China's
trade status, Washington would lose its leverage to
influence China on human rights.
Most members of Congress who voted for permanent
normal trade relations - called P-N-T-R - share
concerns about China's human-rights situation. But
many decided to vote for the trade status because the
legislation also calls for establishing a new U-S
commission to keep track of human-rights abuses in
China.
The commission, as described in the legislation, would
include members from Congress and the executive branch
of government. It would prepare an annual report
evaluating China's human-rights situation.
Although Beijing has welcomed the House approval for
China's trade status, it says the provision to set up
a human-rights commission is not acceptable and
interferes in China's internal affairs.
The director of the Asia Division of Human Rights
Watch in Washington, Mike Jendrzejczyk (jen DREE zik)
says the idea of a special commission is good. But
Mr. Jendrzejczyk is concerned its members will have
trouble gaining access to China and also says the
legislation does not give the panel enough power.
// JENDRZEJCZYK ACT //
I think the only way now to effectively address
human-rights concerns from the U-S perspective
is for this commission to be significantly
beefed up and strengthened, so, in fact, it does
have some clout (and) will be taken seriously
both by the next administration coming into
office here in Washington as well as by China.
// END ACT //
Mr. Jendrzejczyk says the commission, for example,
should post some of its staff members in Beijing or
Lhasa, Tibet, to gather more accurate information. He
suggests the commission should do more than prepare an
annual report on China's human-rights conditions, but
should also make policy recommendations to the U-S
Congress, which would then debate and vote on those
policy proposals.
Mr. Jendrzejczyk says that would greatly enhance the
effectiveness and credibility of the human-rights
commission.
The executive director of another organization, Xiao
Qiang of the New York-based group Human Rights in
China, says he is cautiously optimistic the commission
can be effective. He says the panel could serve as a
new mechanism for an annual debate on China's
situation, but he says it needs to be given a stronger
mandate.
Mr. Xiao Qiang notes that other countries, including
Australia and the European Union, have their own
committees that monitor human rights. He says such
bilateral efforts need to work together in order to
have a positive impact in China.
// XIAO QIANG ACT //
No matter (whether) it is Australia, the United
States, European Union, Canada - it should be a
well-coordinated effort to establish those
bilateral human-rights monitoring and scrutiny
of China's human-rights situation. When the
Chinese government hears those criticisms and
concerns from different countries - but based on
the same value, based on universality of human
rights, not just one particular country's
political interest or trade interest ... - that
will help the Chinese government to get the
message and to engage in this kind of dialogue
and make some substantial changes.
// END ACT //
Susan Burke is a private attorney (with the Washington
law firm Covington and Burling) who works with human-
rights organizations on behalf of Chinese dissidents.
She says setting up a special commission to watch
China's human-rights situation is a new method worth
trying, because the previous annual review of China's
trade status was not having enough impact on the human
rights situation.
// BURKE ACT //
I am somewhat in a posture of saying that we
need to try something different, that we have
not been that effective even using that
leverage. And so perhaps we can move into a
different model that may be an engagement on the
trade issues and having the human rights
commission working in parallel. And perhaps the
combination of those two things will lead to
improvement.
// END ACT //
But Ms. Burke says in order for the commission's work
to be effective, its reports should be open to the
public and become the subject of serious discussion.
She is also skeptical the Chinese government will
cooperate with requests from a U-S human rights panel.
The Senate is expected to begin its debate on the
measure granting permanent trade relations to China in
early June and vote on it by the middle of the month.
(SIGNED)
NEB/SMN/ENE/RAE
25-May-2000 12:00 PM EDT (25-May-2000 1600 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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