DATE=5/25/2000
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=U-S - CHINA / HUMAN RIGHTS
NUMBER=5-46377
BYLINE=STEPHANIE MANN
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:


INTRO:  The legislation, approved Wednesday by the 
House of Representatives, giving normal trade status 
to China includes a provision that would create a 
special commission to monitor China's human-rights 
problems.  As Correspondent Stephanie Mann reports, 
independent human-rights monitoring groups hope the 
commission will have enough strength to put real 
pressure on China.

TEXT:  In recent weeks, members of congress heard from 
many people representing labor and human-rights groups 
- all opposed to the legislation granting permanent 
normal trade relations to China.

They raised strong concerns about China's arrest or 
suppression of political dissidents, workers who try 
to organize independent labor unions, and members of 
religious groups not authorized by the government.  
They are worried that, by making the trade privileges 
permanent and taking away the annual review of China's 
trade status, Washington would lose its leverage to 
influence China on human rights. 

Most members of Congress who voted for permanent 
normal trade relations - called P-N-T-R - share 
concerns about China's human-rights situation.  But 
many decided to vote for the trade status because the 
legislation also calls for establishing a new U-S 
commission to keep track of human-rights abuses in 
China.  

The commission, as described in the legislation, would 
include members from Congress and the executive branch 
of government.  It would prepare an annual report 
evaluating China's human-rights situation. 

Although Beijing has welcomed the House approval for 
China's trade status, it says the provision to set up 
a human-rights commission is not acceptable and 
interferes in China's internal affairs.

The director of the Asia Division of Human Rights 
Watch in Washington, Mike Jendrzejczyk (jen DREE zik) 
says the idea of a special commission is good.  But 
Mr. Jendrzejczyk is concerned its members will have 
trouble gaining access to China and also says the 
legislation does not give the panel enough power.

            // JENDRZEJCZYK ACT //

      I think the only way now to effectively address 
      human-rights concerns from the U-S perspective 
      is for this commission to be significantly 
      beefed up and strengthened, so, in fact, it does 
      have some clout (and) will be taken seriously 
      both by the next administration coming into 
      office here in Washington as well as by China.

            // END ACT //

Mr. Jendrzejczyk says the commission, for example, 
should post some of its staff members in Beijing or 
Lhasa, Tibet, to gather more accurate information.  He 
suggests the commission should do more than prepare an 
annual report on China's human-rights conditions, but 
should also make policy recommendations to the U-S 
Congress, which would then debate and vote on those 
policy proposals.

Mr. Jendrzejczyk says that would greatly enhance the 
effectiveness and credibility of the human-rights 
commission. 

The executive director of another organization, Xiao 
Qiang of the New York-based group Human Rights in 
China, says he is cautiously optimistic the commission 
can be effective.  He says the panel could serve as a 
new mechanism for an annual debate on China's 
situation, but he says it needs to be given a stronger 
mandate. 

Mr. Xiao Qiang notes that other countries, including 
Australia and the European Union, have their own 
committees that monitor human rights.  He says such 
bilateral efforts need to work together in order to 
have a positive impact in China. 

            // XIAO QIANG ACT // 

      No matter (whether) it is Australia, the United 
      States, European Union, Canada - it should be a 
      well-coordinated effort to establish those 
      bilateral human-rights monitoring and scrutiny 
      of China's human-rights situation.  When the 
      Chinese government hears those criticisms and 
      concerns from different countries - but based on 
      the same value, based on universality of human 
      rights, not just one particular country's 
      political interest or trade interest ... - that 
      will help the Chinese government to get the 
      message and to engage in this kind of dialogue 
      and make some substantial changes.

            // END ACT //

Susan Burke is a private attorney (with the Washington 
law firm Covington and Burling) who works with human-
rights organizations on behalf of Chinese dissidents.  
She says setting up a special commission to watch 
China's human-rights situation is a new method worth 
trying, because the previous annual review of China's 
trade status was not having enough impact on the human 
rights situation.

            // BURKE ACT //

      I am somewhat in a posture of saying that we 
      need to try something different, that we have 
      not been that effective even using that 
      leverage.  And so perhaps we can move into a 
      different model that may be an engagement on the 
      trade issues and having the human rights 
      commission working in parallel.  And perhaps the 
      combination of those two things will lead to 
      improvement. 

            // END ACT //

But Ms. Burke says in order for the commission's work 
to be effective, its reports should be open to the 
public and become the subject of serious discussion.  
She is also skeptical the Chinese government will 
cooperate with requests from a U-S human rights panel.  

The Senate is expected to begin its debate on the 
measure granting permanent trade relations to China in 
early June and vote on it by the middle of the month.   
(SIGNED)

NEB/SMN/ENE/RAE 



25-May-2000 12:00 PM EDT (25-May-2000 1600 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.