Human rights in China

The situation of Human rights in the People's Republic of China has been criticized by western democracies as being poor. While acknowledging major deficiencies, the PRC government has asserted that the human rights situation is improving and better than ever. In addition, the PRC argues that the notion of human rights should include economic standards of living and measures of health and economic prosperity.

The U.S. State Department's annual People's Republic of China human rights reports have noted the PRC's well-documented abuses of human rights in violation of internationally recognized norms, stemming both from the authorities' intolerance of dissent and the inadequacy of legal safeguards for basic freedoms. Abuses reported have included arbitrary and lengthy incommunicado detention, including use of laogai (prison labor) and reeducation through labor (involuntary labor without trial), forced confessions, torture, and mistreatment of prisoners as well as severe restrictions on freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, religion, privacy, and worker rights.

At the same time, mainland China's economic growth and reform since 1978 has improved dramatically the lives of hundreds of millions of Chinese, increased social mobility and expanded the scope of personal freedom. This has meant substantially greater freedom of travel, employment opportunity, educational and cultural pursuits, job and housing choices, and access to information. In recent years, the PRC has also passed new criminal and civil laws that provide additional safeguards to citizens. Village elections have been carried out in approximately 80% of China's one million villages.

Despite some positive momentum last year and greater signs that the People's Republic of China was willing to engage with the U.S. and others on this topic, the United States has asserted some serious backsliding in 2003. The PRC government has acknowledged in principle the importance of protection of human rights and has purported to take steps to bring its human rights practices into conformity with international norms. Among these steps are signature of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in October 1997 (ratified in March 2001) and signature of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in October 1998 (not yet ratified). In 2002, the PRC released a significant number of political and religious prisoners, and agreed to interact with United Nations experts on torture, arbitrary detention and religion. However, the United States and western human rights groups assert that there has been virtually no movement on these promises, and that the PRC still has a long way to go in instituting the kind of fundamental systemic change that will protect the rights and liberties of all its citizens.

China's capital, Beijing, has been chosen to host the 2008 Summer Olympics but some independent groups consider the city unfit for the honor.

See also: Media in China

External links

• Olympic Watch: Human Rights in China and Beijing 2008 - Campaign for human rights improvements in China before the 2008 Olympic Games
• Human Rights In China - International NGO based in New York and Hong Kong
• Human Rights Watch: China and Tibet
• International Freedom of Expression eXchange - monitors freedom of expression in China
• The Progess of Human Rights in China - Statement by PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Who shows more respect for human rights? - Editorial published by the People's Daily