WASHINGTON, Mar 19 (LSN) Last Friday the Clinton administration announced it would not support a resolution criticizing China’s human rights record at a United Nations human rights conference which began Monday in Geneva. Officials cited China’s agreement to sign a United Nations human rights covenant as the reason for not wishing to criticize China. In a recent press release, the Family Research Council (FRC) noted that the US Senate voted overwhelmingly, 95-5, to urge President Clinton to press China about “serious human rights abuses,” despite China’s signing of the UN document. To demonstrate the great need for speaking out against China’s policies, the FRC quoted from the US State Department’s most recent report on China, which outlines “widespread and well-documented human rights abuses” including torture, extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrest and detention, forced abortion and sterilization, crackdowns on independent Catholic and Protestant bishops and believers, brutal oppression of ethnic minorities and religions in Tibet and Xinjiang, and absolute intolerance of free political speech and a free press. For its part, Canada is content to ignore the controversy over China and maintain its billions of dollars of trade negotiated last year by “Team Canada,” led by Prime Minister Jean Chr,tien. Another Canada-China venture was reported last Friday, when the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) announced funding support for the “twinning” of the University of Alberta and Xi’an Jiaotong University in China. CIDA will contribute $926,000 over five years to this initiative. Parliamentary Secretary Claudette Bradshaw made the announcement on behalf of Diane Marleau, Minister for International Cooperation. “This innovative program will help China improve public sector efficiency, promote the role of women and protect the environment,” said Mrs. Bradshaw. Demonstrating a lack of appreciation of the true state of human rights in China, Bradshaw continued, “These are priorities for China’s people and for Canada’s aid program.” Those wishing to voice concerns to Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) may do so at: Toll Free Tel.: 1-800-230-6349 E-mail: [email protected]
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U.S. AND CANADA REFUSE TO CRITICIZE CHINA
WASHINGTON, Mar 19 (LSN) Last Friday the Clinton administration announced it would not support a resolution criticizing China’s human rights record at a United Nations human rights conference which began Monday in Geneva. Officials cited China’s agreement to sign a United Nations human rights covenant as the reason for not wishing to criticize China. In a recent press release, the Family Research Council (FRC) noted that the US Senate voted overwhelmingly, 95-5, to urge President Clinton to press China about “serious human rights abuses,” despite China’s signing of the UN document. To demonstrate the great need for speaking out against […]
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