Bravo to President Obama and to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the use of rather forceful language which calls for China to open itself up to honor human rights! As the 20th anniversary of China's crimes at Tiananmen Square approaches, all I can say is, it's about time!
VOA News has this report.
The United States Wednesday called on China to openly examine the 1989 military crackdown on protestors in Tiananmen Square and provide a public accounting of those killed, missing or detained. In a statement on Thursday's 20th anniversary of the events in Beijing, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said China should give human rights the same priority that it does economic reform.
The U.S. statement contained sharper language than those made on previous anniversaries of the Tiananmen events, and it was issued in the name of Secretary of State Clinton, who drew criticism earlier year this for seeming to downplay human rights on the eve of a visit to China.
Also,
The statement called on China to cease harassment of participants in the protests and begin dialogue with family members of the victims. It said China should honor the memory of that day by moving to give the rule of law, protection of human rights and democratic development the same priority it has given to economic reform.
While Hillary must walk a rather fine line here, this represents a qualitatively different, and from a human rights perspective, improved type of diplomatic language from what was uttered earlier in the year.
Clinton came under criticism from human rights groups and others in February, when on the eve of her first visit to China as Secretary, she said U.S. advocacy of human rights with China cannot "interfere" with U.S.-China dialogue on crucial issues including the global economic crisis, climate change and regional security.
Under questioning here, Assistant Secretary Crowley said there was no inconsistency between Wednesday's statement and Clinton's earlier remarks and said human rights is a "fundamental element" in a crowded U.S. agenda with China.
Meanwhile, authoritarianism from the great one party state continues.
The anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown, in which army troops killed hundreds of student demonstrators, workers and ordinary citizens, is one of a series of politically sensitive dates this year that have provoked sweeping security measures by Chinese officials.
In recent days, the government has detained a number of political dissidents seen as threats to public order during the anniversary period, including one who had released an open letter complaining about economic hardship visited on former Tiananmen demonstrators who were jailed after the crackdown.
The dissident, Wu Gaoxing, was seized Saturday at his home in Taizhou, a coastal city south of Shanghai, according to the New York advocacy group Human Rights in China. Mr. Wu was among five men, all once jailed for their roles in the Tiananmen movement, who released a letter last weekend charging that former prisoners have been singled out for economic hardship long after their prison terms ended.
Of course, it appears, though, that given China's direct involvement in the U.S. economy as a major creditor, not to mention a population 3X ours, along with a tendency by them to resist outside criticism, all severely limit our ability to directly bring about a change in China's policies. But, eventually, authoritarian regimes tend to collapse from a loss of legitimacy, which emerges whan the oppressed and controlled people get tired of the corrupt thugs in charge - and surely, corrupt thugs are in charge of China. And, given the Obama administration's desire to be more creative at the use of diplomacy, not to mention its desire to win back respect for the U.S. around the world, the act of constructively criticizing China is a necessary one. I commend President Obama and the Secretary of State for taking this stance.
UPDATE: Very lively discussion here. I just thought I'd add this link from Epoch Times, the English language online news source on China, which is marking the anniversary with a number of articles, such as this one.
Tiananmen Mothers Demand June Fourth Massacre Be Re-Evaluated
On the 20th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, the Tiananmen Mothers, a group of relatives of victims of the Chinese army’s assault, published an open statement, urging Chinese authorities to investigate the massacre, release an official figure of all killed, compensate the victims’ families, and punish those responsible for the killings.
The Tiananmen Mothers’ statement, issued on May 27, was published through Human Rights in China (HRIC), a New York-based human rights organization, carrying 128 names of people who claimed their children or family members were victims of the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen Square Massacre.
In the statement, the mothers demanded an independent and fair investigation into the massacre and also that the results of the investigation should be made public, including a list of all the dead; demanded appropriate compensation to the victims and their families and the prosecution of those they believe are responsible for the entire incident.