22 July 2005
China Continues To Persecute Religious Groups, State's Birkle Says
United States urges systemic reform and human rights improvement in China
Washington -- The repression of citizens seeking to exercise fundamental freedoms recognized by the international community continues to be a systemic problem in China, says Gretchen Birkle, acting principal deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
“Hopes that the pace of political reform would quicken and opportunities for public discourse would expand when the fourth generation of leaders came into power to date have not been realized,” Birkle said in testimony before the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations July 21.
There has been some positive movement in China, Birkle said, noting the release of Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer from prison in March. China has also agreed to take the following steps in advancing human rights:
• Give prisoners convicted of political crimes the same right to sentence reductions and paroles that are available to other prisoners;
• Host a visit by the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Torture;
• Host a visit by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom;
• Issue an invitation to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance;
• Release a public statement that clarifies how religious education of minors is consistent with Chinese law and policy; and
• Open an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office by the end of July.
Nonetheless, Birkle said, the Chinese government continues to commit numerous and serious human rights abuses -- including torture, mistreatment of prisoners, incommunicado detention and denial of due process -- and maintains close watch over activities that it perceives to be vehicles for political dissent.
“Chinese authorities remained quick to suppress religious, political and social groups that they perceived as threatening to government authority or national stability,” she said.
Birkle criticized the Chinese government's use of the global War on Terror "as a pretext for cracking down on Uighur Muslims, who peacefully expressed dissent or sought to practice their faith, and on independent Muslim religious leaders."
"Where there are genuine terrorist activities, the U.S. certainly supports measures to address them, but where the evidence is lacking, the U.S. calls on China not to equate disagreement with terror. China must draw a bright line between legitimate non-violent dissent and terrorism," she said.
Birkle also noted that the Chinese government labeled Falun Gong an “evil cult” in July 1999 and has engaged in a harsh crackdown of its members.
According to the State Department official, whether or not a group is classified as a cult depends on the Chinese authorities and is "based on no discernible criteria other than the Government’s desire to maintain control."
Birkle also expressed concern at "overly broad and arbitrarily enforced" laws and regulations that make it "difficult for citizens seeking to express their political or religious views peacefully to ascertain the line between the permissible and the illegal."
In light of these problems, the Department of State has taken various steps to promote increased respect in China for international human rights standards and democratic principles, according to Birkle.
“The State Department’s approach is based on two basic principles: that international pressure can over time encourage China to take steps to bring its human rights practices into compliance with international standards and that there are opportunities to support those within China who see structural reform in China’s best interests,” she said.
According to Birkle, her bureau spent $13.5 million in 2004 to support activities in China that targeted systemic problems related to the judicial system, the level of public participation and the strength of civil society. In the coming year, the bureau looks to program an additional $19 million for projects that encourage public participation in governance, labor rights protection and democratic values in China.
Prior to Birkle’s statement, Representative Christopher Smith -- the chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations -- also voiced concerns about China’s ongoing campaign against people of different faiths and its treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in particular.
“The suffering of peaceful Falun Gong practitioners has been especially intense,” Smith said. “Whatever one may say about the merits of their beliefs, the evidence is very clear that Falun Gong practitioners are peaceful individuals who want to be left alone to practice their beliefs as they see fit.”
Smith criticized China's "continuing refusal to adhere to the standards of the civilized world" and urged the international community to take a stand against China's repression of basic rights.
"What is at stake here is not only the rights and dignity of Falun Gong practitioners and the Chinese people, but our own deeply cherished freedoms," he said.
The full text of Birkle's testimony (PDF, 11 pages) is available on the Web site of the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
