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China says human rights need a boost
WHITE PAPER: Beijing pats itself on the back for boosting healthcare and
housing standards and pushing Internet freedoms, despite international criticism
of its censorship
AFP, BEIJING
Monday, Sep 27, 2010, Page 4
China said yesterday it had much work to do to improve its
human rights record, but a government report gave Beijing passing marks for
advancing civil liberties, living standards and Internet freedoms.
¡§China is a developing country with a population of 1.3 billion,¡¨ said the
official report entitled, Progress in China¡¦s Human Rights in 2009. ¡§Due to its
inadequate and unbalanced development, there is still much room for improvement
in its human rights conditions.¡¨
The report laid out government efforts to raise living standards, boost health
care and education, ensure equal rights for ethnic minorities and the
handicapped, increase employment and respect civil liberties.
¡§With their right to freedom of speech on the Internet protected by the law,
Chinese citizens can voice their opinions in a wide variety of ways,¡¨ the report
said.
Efforts to use the Internet has opened channels for the public to criticize
government work while increasing transparency, it said.
International human rights groups have long criticized China for curbing
political rights and the basic freedoms of speech, press and religion, while
Beijing¡¦s efforts to censor the Internet have been widely lambasted by the
global online community.
However, the report praised international efforts to advance human rights,
especially the UN promotion of civil, political and economic rights.
¡§The full realization of human rights is an important goal for China,¡¨ the paper
said.
¡§Working closely with other countries, China will, as always, spare no efforts
and contribute its due share to ensure the continuous progress of China¡¦s human
rights, as well as the healthy development of human rights in the rest of the
world,¡¨ it said.
The document was China¡¦s ninth ¡§white paper¡¨ on human rights since 1991, it
said, but the first since the government issued its ¡§National Human Rights
Action Plan of China¡¨ last year.
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