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AP. 11 March 2002. China Human Rights Report: U.S. Has Own Problems and Shouldn't Criticize Others. BEIJING -- Long the subject of human rights criticism from the United States, China shot back Monday with a rebuttal, saying the U.S. government continually denounces other nations while "turning a blind eye to its own human rights-related problems." The report, issued annually in recent years by the government's State Council Information Office, features a panoply of accusations from a variety of sources. It comes a week after a U.S. State Department report accused China of serious human rights violations. Among its conclusions: American cities are plagued with violence and crime, racial discrimination remains endemic, guns are everywhere and there is no constitutional protection of equal rights for women. "Once again the United States, assuming the role of 'world judge of human rights,' has distorted human rights conditions in many countries and regions in the world, including China, and accused them of human rights violations, all the while turning a blind eye to its own human rights-related problems," the report said. "In fact," it said, "it is right in the United States where serious human rights violations exist." The report, 10,000 Chinese characters long, was released by Xinhua, China's official news agency. It includes some criticism of the U.S. domestic or military response to the Sept. 11 attacks - something China is loath to condemn, since it has a vested interest in fighting terrorism. The criticism was limited to this, a reflection of China's unease at the historical Western military presence in Asia: "Before the September 11 incident, the United States had stationed its troops in more than 140 countries. Today, the United States has expanded its so-called security interests to almost every corner of the world." � American mass media are "inundated with violent content," which in turn encourages more violence. "A culture beautifying violence has made young people believe that the gun can 'solve' all problems," the report says. � Police brutality, torture and forced confession are common, and death row is full of "misjudged or wronged" inmates. Prisons are overcrowded and inhumane. � Americans living in poverty are "the forgotten 'third world' within this superpower," and the gap between rich and poor is growing. � Violence against women and sexual abuse of children are common. It cited sexual molestations of children by American clergy, calling that "the greatest scandal in the United States following the Enron case." Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan called on the United States to "stop using the so-called human rights issue to interfere in China's internal affairs." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
