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“HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S3802-S3803 on April 22, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA
Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, the U.N. Human Rights Commission is preparing to consider a resolution that expresses the concern of the international community over human rights abuses in the People's Republic of China. As has been well-documented over the last year by the State Department, U.N. officials, and numerous human rights organizations, the Government of China has been responsible for an alarming number of human rights violations. In particular, there have been reports of arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, persecution of religious and ethnic minorities--particularly in Tibet, and censorship of expression. The evidence clearly demonstrates a deterioration in the human rights situation in China.
Despite this overwhelming evidence, apparently some of the members of the Human Rights Commission are reluctant to support a resolution that criticizes China. Unfortunately, this seems to be a response to intensive diplomatic pressure from Beijing. In fact, the Chinese diplomatic pressure began even before a resolution was introduced at the U.N. Commission.
At the end of March, I learned from the State Department that some members of the European Union [EU] were reconsidering their commitment to introduce a resolution on China at the Commission meeting this spring. I strongly believe that multilateral efforts, in institutions such as the Human Rights Commission, are potentially the most effective tool for pressuring China to improve its human rights record. Therefore, I authored a letter, signed by 10 of my colleagues from the Foreign Relations Committee, urging the Europeans to maintain their commitment to introduce a resolution on China at the Human Rights Commission. I am pleased that the EU members ultimately decided to introduce this resolution, and I hope that our letter encouraged this decision.
The European initiative, however, will be in vain if the Commission does not act upon the resolution. This is an important and opportune moment for the members of the Commission to join together in a multilateral effort to persuade China to improve its human rights record. I urge all member states to support the resolution. Even more importantly, we must reaffirm the prerogative of the Commission to consider any country's human rights record and to hold a vote on any resolution that is offered. That prerogative is being challenged by China, which is attempting to prevent the Commission from even considering the European resolution.
On December 10, 1948, the U.N. General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For the first time in history, the countries of the world made a commitment to recognizing international human rights. Motivated by a conviction to prevent future atrocities, such as those committed during World War II, this declaration defined the human rights basic to every human being and pledged an international effort to protect these rights. Since the adoption of that declaration, many other international conventions have been signed and ratified by the international community. These conventions address a variety of internationally recognized human rights, including political and civil rights, the right to be free from torture or religious or ethnic persecution, the rights of refugees, and the rights of the child.
Why has the international community taken these steps to codify international human rights law? Because all societies around the world have recognized these principles as standards that should govern every state's behavior toward its own and other citizens. When a country violates the human rights of its citizens, it should be censured by the entire international community. We cannot allow any country--no matter how powerful or wealthy--to ignore the international legal norms of human rights. The United States has always supported the right of the international community to raise concerns over human rights violations in any country. In fact, last year the Government of Cuba introduced a resolution in the U.N. Commission on Human Rights condemning the United States for human rights violations. While this resolution was obviously ridiculous, the United States did not block a vote and the members of the Commission voted against Cuba's proposal. The important message here is that the United States recognizes the right of the international community to review every country's human rights record.
It is therefore all the more outrageous that China seeks to prevent international consideration of its own dismal human rights record. Whether or not countries support the resolution, which I fervently hope they do, all members should reject China's effort to prevent the Commission from carrying out its mission of calling attention to and censuring human rights violations wherever they occur around the world.
Mr. President, I urge all member states of the Human Rights Commission to vote against China's motion to prevent a vote and to support the resolution criticizing China's human rights record. It is only if the international community continues to work together multilaterally that we will be able to compel all countries--
particularly China--to uphold internationally recognized human rights standards.
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