Kelsey McGalliard
2/13/2009
10:15 am
China claimed victory Thursday after a U.N. panel examined its human rights record and found it to be on track, despite the complaints over abuses including Beijing's use of labor camps and widespread allegations of police torture. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said that most countries had endorsed China's rights record and those that did not were politicizing the process. "A majority of countries spoke highly of China's human rights policies and achievements, and support China continuing the followed path in line with its national conditions," said Jiang. "A few countries attempted to politicize the review and made some accusations. They were rebuked by most countries," Jiang said. Rejected proposals which were not included in the report were those to end torture and the sentencing of people to labor camps without trial, to abolish the death penalty, to guarantee freedom of religion and to respect ethnic minorities. China said it did support proposals to improve social and economic rights such as creating jobs in rural areas and doing more to integrate people with disabilities. Rights groups, however, expressed disappointment over the result, saying China had succeeded in avoiding confronting troubling issues. Chinese Human Rights Defenders, a network of activists within China and overseas, said in a statement e-mailed to news organizations that it was "distressed by China's dismissive attitude toward critical comments by some U.N. member states and the general unwillingness of most member states to confront the human rights records of the Chinese government."
I have no idea how they find that China is on track and that the conditions there are seen as ok. After watching the video on sweatshops I don’t understand how it’s ok and that China is on the right track. I feel that since China and its surrounding countries are the source for the products or the parts for countries around the world. Companies rely on China for low cost labor so that they can make more money on the products. I believe that UN panel was thinking about how their country relies on China and if they were to say that China was not making any progress than they would lose profit and connections with China. Hopefully my assumptions are wrong and China really is trying but from what I’ve seen and heard I don’t think that’s the case.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gyIE3ffLm5T2s7VqogD3UHoMJc0QD969VRG00
2 comments:
I think its terrible that they claim as a "victory" the fact that the U.N. recognized it as nation that followed human rights. I dont think its something they should be excited to win because its something that shouldn't have been questioned in the first place. After watching so many documentaries, it is obvious that this is not true. the Chinese govt. allows many human rights crimes to be committed and the fact that many countries defend China is because, at this time many countries depend on China or know that at some point in the near future will.
What a load of bull. I think the best way to take car of this problem is to from unions that span nations and somehow form a regulating committee with the power to control whats going on. Checks and balances would be nice too since the reason some companies moved over seas is because the unions pushed and pushed until they left. But the fact that the UN does this is costing the lively hood of too many to be ignored.
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