The Los Angeles Times reports on reactions to the Chinese government’s “human rights action plan“:
In an article published in state-run news media, the State Council Information Office said this week that the plan would involve “expanding democracy, strengthening the rule of law, improving people’s livelihood, protecting rights of women, children and ethnic minorities, and boosting public awareness of human rights.”
Critics called the move a public relations ploy.
“Most international observers who follow human rights in China consider this mostly eyewash,” said Jerome Cohen, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. “It would be wonderful if the Chinese government would open up and discuss concrete cases. Human rights watchers want to talk about reality, not principle.”
Others were more optimistic.
