Eric's Beijing Diary

Oh, brother! Not this again. It's the annual response to the United States State Department Human Rights Report. I cannot comment specifically on the U.S. State Department report, because (surprise, surprise) it is blocked in China. I guess I don't blame the Chinese for smarting a bit at the criticism in the report. The problem is that the Chinese response isn't really a response. The "response" doesn't give a single example of a charge that isn't accurate. It responds by listing all the human rights abuses in America. But it is obvious from reading the response, that the writers thereof know very little about what America is really like. The Wall Street Journal puts it this way:

"Foggy Bottom draws its conclusions through consultations with diplomats on the ground, NGOs, journalists, and others. Beijing's essay draws heavily on the Washington Post and the New York Times editorial pages."

Not that there are not legitimate issues. But they are not credible, because they are picked out at random as a "get back," not itemized sincerely by a country which has a history of concern for human rights.

That having been said, it must be admitted that the Americans have created for themselves a vulnerability which makes the annual State Department Report seem more and more hypocritical every year. Most significant of the human rights abuses is the incarceration of prisoners from Afghanistan at Guantanamo. It is understandable that the Americans would want to prevent war criminals from repeating their crimes. But there are basic rights the Americans have always claimed to believe in that are being denied these folks. In America, there are very strict rules about how long someone can be held without being charged. These rules are being ignored on Guantanamo. I am hearing, now, that prisoners there are being allowed counsel, which is definitely good news. But justice delayed is justice denied, and delay of justice seems to be the standard in this instance. Mark my word, folks, Guantanamo will come back to haunt the Americans, because they are using an off-shore location to exempt themselves from their own standards of justice. The Americans are sowing the wind. We are beginning to feel the first gusts of the whirlwind.

Labels: New York Times