Washington
24 July 2008
A resolution calling on China's government to end human rights abuses,cut links with brutal governments, and end media restrictions has movedahead in the U.S. Congress. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, action by theHouse of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee is designed to putpressure on China ahead of the 2008 Olympics.
The resolutioncalls on China to immediately end abuses of the human rights of itscitizens, including what it calls repression of Tibetan and Uighurpeople in China.
Although it is non-binding and will not carrythe force of law when it passes the full House next week as expected,it also takes Beijing to task for its support of two widely-criticizedgovernments in Burma and Sudan.
Lawmakers expressed discomfort with President Bush's decision to attend the Olympics, including the opening ceremony.
"Thesituation in Tibet and the support for the PRC for those regimes inMyanmar [Burma] and of course its horrendous policy in Sudan, that itis a shame that our president has decided to attend the openingceremonies of the Olympics. I think it was an opportunity, by sayingyou can get by without boycotting the Olympics but just don't attendthe opening ceremonies. President Bush felt that it was important,said he didn't want to anger the Chinese, so he is going," said NewJersey Democrat Donald Payne.
President Bush, the resolutionsays, should make a strong public statement on China's human rightssituation before leaving for Beijing, and similar statement while inChina, and should meet families of jailed prisoners of conscience.
DemocratBrad Sherman asserted that U.S. business interests in China are a mainreason behind the president's decision to attend. "Why is the presidentmaking this statement? Because he finds it important to kow-tow to theChinese regime. He finds it important to ignore their currencymanipulation, and trade practices, their human rights abuses. Why? Because there is big money in imports, and big power in big money," hesaid.
Two provisions call on China to abandon its coercivepopulation control policy, including forced abortion, and urge therelease of political prisoners.
Republican Chris Smith spokeduring a separate House hearing this week focusing on conditions inChina on the eve of the Olympics. "Anyone who watches the Olympicsshould keep in mind that every Chinese young person dancing and wavingflags in the opening ceremonies pageantry, and virtually every athletewe will watch from China, is a survivor of the brutal one child percouple policy which has made brothers and sisters illegal throughharsh, coercive methods including forced abortion to achieve its quotasand goals. That is the nature of the government," he said.
Themeasure calls on China to end what is called detention, harassment, andintimidation of foreign and domestic reporters, and to guaranteefreedom of movement for journalists, participants and visitorsincluding permission to visit Tibet, Xinjiang and other areas.
Italso urges China to guarantee access to information, including domesticand foreign broadcasts, print media and websites that have been blockedor censored in the past.
Lawmakers demand that China endpolitical, economic and military support for Burma's militarygovernment until it restores democracy, ends human rights abuses andfrees democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners.
Asimilar provision calls for China to end support for the Khartoumgovernment, until violent attacks in Darfur end and the Khartoumgovernment allows for full deployment of the United Nations-AfricanUnion Mission peacekeeping force in Darfur.