Human Rights Record of the United States
Encyclopedia
.
The Human Rights Record of the United States (informally referred to as the "China Human Rights Report") is a publication on the annual human rights record in the United States of America, published by the Information Office of the State Council
of the People's Republic of China
. The report was first issued in 1998 as a response to the United States
' practice of criticizing China in its own annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which each of the Chinese reports cites in the first paragraph.
The Report criticizes U.S. domestic social and economic issues, such as poverty
, crime
and racism
. Some of the data cited in the report is derived from official or authoritative sources; other sections are composed from a variety of material found online, some of which may be anecdotal.
Regarding the 2010 report, Fareed Zakaria
wrote: "The report loses itself and takes away from the more serious charges it does make about Guantanamo Bay and CIA detention facilities. The Chinese government should get the report done by serious Chinese scholars, of whom there are many, rather than the propaganda department of its Communist Party, which seems to have written this one."
, saying it has "encroached upon rights and freedom of citizens, especially the people of ethnic minorities." It also argues that the freedom of press has been neglected, citing examples such as the firing of Peter Arnett
and limited access to al Jazeera
television broadcasts. The report emphasized U.S. military actions abroad, including the invasion of Iraq
in March 2003, conducted without the approval of the United Nations
.
The report concludes that the United States should "reflect on its erroneous position and behavior on human rights, and stop its unpopular interference with other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of promoting human rights".
posted the text of the 2010 report on its website. It stated in part, "The violation of [US] citizens' civil and political rights by the government is severe … the United States applies double standards … by requesting unrestricted 'internet
freedom' in other countries, which becomes an important diplomatic tool for the United States to impose pressure and seek hegemony, and imposing strict restriction within its territory.
is that it does not report on human rights within the United States due to the possibility that any such reporting might be viewed as governmental propaganda, and would lack credibility. The State Department says that it does not mean to imply that the US has no human rights issues.
The government and the State Department take no position on the Chinese report, other than to note that it is fully proper and consistent with the principles of reciprocity
that govern diplomatic relations between sovereign
states. It may note problems which the US needs to work on, as do the reports of Amnesty International
, Human Rights Watch
, and numerous other international and United States
NGOs.
The Human Rights Record of the United States (informally referred to as the "China Human Rights Report") is a publication on the annual human rights record in the United States of America, published by the Information Office of the State Council
Information Office of the State Council
The State Council Information Office is an administrative office under the State Council, the chief administrative body of the People's Republic of China...
of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The report was first issued in 1998 as a response to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' practice of criticizing China in its own annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which each of the Chinese reports cites in the first paragraph.
The report
The Human Rights Record of the United States is published as a retort to U.S. criticism of China's human rights policies in the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, published by the State Department of the United States. The Chinese report states that the State Department reports are "full of distortions and accusations of the human rights situation in more than 190 countries and regions including China. However, the United States turned a blind eye to its own terrible human rights situation and seldom mentioned it." It says that the United States uses the human rights issues as "a political instrument to defame other nations' image and seek its own strategic interests." The report asserts ""[The U.S. State department] released the 'Country Reports on Human Rights Practices' year after year to accuse and blame other countries for their human rights practices. These moves fully expose the United States' hypocrisy by exercising double standards on human rights and its malicious design to pursue hegemony under the pretext of human rights."The Report criticizes U.S. domestic social and economic issues, such as poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
, crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
and racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
. Some of the data cited in the report is derived from official or authoritative sources; other sections are composed from a variety of material found online, some of which may be anecdotal.
Regarding the 2010 report, Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Rafiq Zakaria is an Indian-American journalist and author. From 2000 to 2010, he was a columnist for Newsweek and editor of Newsweek International. In 2010 he became Editor-At-Large of Time magazine...
wrote: "The report loses itself and takes away from the more serious charges it does make about Guantanamo Bay and CIA detention facilities. The Chinese government should get the report done by serious Chinese scholars, of whom there are many, rather than the propaganda department of its Communist Party, which seems to have written this one."
2003 Report
The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2003, published on March 1, 2004, criticizes the USA PATRIOT ActUSA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
, saying it has "encroached upon rights and freedom of citizens, especially the people of ethnic minorities." It also argues that the freedom of press has been neglected, citing examples such as the firing of Peter Arnett
Peter Arnett
Peter Gregg Arnett, ONZM is a New Zealand-American journalist.Arnett worked for National Geographic magazine, and later for various television networks, most notably CNN. He is well known for his coverage of war, including the Vietnam War and the Gulf War...
and limited access to al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
television broadcasts. The report emphasized U.S. military actions abroad, including the invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
in March 2003, conducted without the approval of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
The report concludes that the United States should "reflect on its erroneous position and behavior on human rights, and stop its unpopular interference with other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of promoting human rights".
2004 Report
The 2004 report stated:In 2004 the atrocity of U.S. troops abusing Iraqi POWs exposed the dark side of human rights performance of the United States. The scandal shocked the public and was condemned by the international community. It is quite ironic that on Feb. 28 of this year, the State Department of the United States once again posed as 'the world human rights police' and released its 'Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2004'. As in previous years, the reports pointed fingers at human rights situation in more than 190 countries and regions (including China) but kept silent on the U.S. misdeeds in this field. Therefore, the world people have to probe the human rights record behind the Statue of Liberty in the United States.
2010 Report
Xinhua News AgencyXinhua News Agency
The Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the government of the People's Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and press conferences in the PRC. It is the largest news agency in the PRC, ahead of the China News Service...
posted the text of the 2010 report on its website. It stated in part, "The violation of [US] citizens' civil and political rights by the government is severe … the United States applies double standards … by requesting unrestricted 'internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
freedom' in other countries, which becomes an important diplomatic tool for the United States to impose pressure and seek hegemony, and imposing strict restriction within its territory.
Position of the U.S. Government and Department of State
In response, the official position of the United States Government and the United States Department of StateUnited States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
is that it does not report on human rights within the United States due to the possibility that any such reporting might be viewed as governmental propaganda, and would lack credibility. The State Department says that it does not mean to imply that the US has no human rights issues.
The government and the State Department take no position on the Chinese report, other than to note that it is fully proper and consistent with the principles of reciprocity
Reciprocity (international relations)
In international relations and treaties, the principle of reciprocity states that favours, benefits, or penalties that are granted by one state to the citizens or legal entities of another, should be returned in kind....
that govern diplomatic relations between sovereign
Sovereign
A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.Sovereign may also refer to:*Monarch, the sovereign of a monarchy*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign...
states. It may note problems which the US needs to work on, as do the reports of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, and numerous other international and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
NGOs.
See also
- History of human rightsHistory of human rightsThe idea of human rights, that is the notion that anyone has a set of inviolable rights simply on grounds of being human regardless of legal status, origin or conviction for crimes, emerges as an idea of Humanism in the Early Modern period and becomes a position in the 18th century Age of...
- Human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
- Human rights in the People's Republic of ChinaHuman rights in the People's Republic of ChinaHuman rights in the People's Republic of China are a matter of dispute between the Chinese government, other countries, international NGOs, and dissidents inside the country. Organizations such as the U.S. State Department, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have accused the Chinese...
- Human rights in the United StatesHuman rights in the United StatesHuman rights in the United States are legally protected by the Constitution of the United States and amendments, conferred by treaty, and enacted legislatively through Congress, state legislatures, and plebiscites...
- National Human Rights Action Plan
- And you are lynching NegroesAnd you are lynching Negroes"And you are lynching Negroes" is an anecdotal counter-argument phrase often used by the Soviet propaganda in response to allegations that Soviet Union had violated human rights...
External links
- "China Releases Annual Human Rights Report", Political Affairs
- Reuters, "China hits back on human rights", CNN
- Human Rights Records in the United States (in 1998)
- U.S. Human Rights Record in 1999
- US Human Rights Record in 2000
- Full text of Human Rights Record of the United States in 2001
- Summary of The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2002
- Full text of Human Rights Record of the United States in 2003
- Full text of Human Rights Record of the United States in 2004
- Full text of Human Rights Record of the US in 2005
- Human Rights Record of the U.S. in 2006
- Human Rights Record of the U.S. in 2007
- Human Rights Record of the U.S. in 2008
- Human Rights Record of the U.S. in 2009
- Human Rights Record of the U.S. in 2010