Human Rights in China

Beijing, 06 Aug 2008
Source: James Fallows' Blog

On the occasion of the Olympics, it is important to review China's human rights record:

China Human Rights Report 2007

This paper argues that ever since the Chinese communist regime was established, China’s record has shown that it is one of the most notorious countries violating human rights. China is burdened with more human rights violations and civilian deaths than any other country in history. In spite of this it has so far been able to escape international punishment. This is in large part because many countries, such as several Western powers, choose to ignore China’s human rights issue for the consideration of their own national interests.

Is China’s Human Rights agenda making progress ahead of the Olympics?

( Amnesty International , 2008)
In the run-up to the 2008 Olympics, this paper assesses progress made by the Chinese authorities to improve human rights in line with their own commitments made in 2001 when the International Olympic,,,,

Comment: As I understand the history, Avery Brundage who was the President of the U.S. Olympic Committee at the time of the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany not only refused to support a boycott of the games, but was an apologist for the Nazi regime. That should prove a warning.

The news is full now of Chinese restrictions on the freedom of the press to cover events around the Olympics and to access the Internet, restrictions on those who might protest Chinese foreign policy with respect to Sudan and Darfur, problems caused by Chinese international economic and trade policies, Chinese mistreatment of poor people who got in the way of preparations for the games, and air pollution in Beijing.

I will not watch the Olympics. If the media don't get the audience that they expect for these games, perhaps they will put pressure on the International Olympic Committee to choose better locales for future games. JAD