The newly released annual Human Rights Report by the State Department has taken note of the Chinese government’s suppressive activities:
Three disturbing global trends – growing crackdowns on civil-society activists, countries restricting Internet access, and a rising repression of vulnerable minorities – are the focus of the State Department’s annual human rights report issued Friday.
China in particular is cited as a country where officials are spearheading global trends such as cracking down on activists, limiting Internet access, and repressing minorities.
Excerpts from the report note continued violation of human rights by the Chinese government:
A negative trend in key areas of the country’s human rights record continued, as the
government took additional steps to rein in civil society, particularly organizations
and individuals involved in rights advocacy and public interest issues, and
increased attempts to limit freedom of speech and to control the press, the Internet,
and Internet access. Efforts to silence political activists and public interest lawyers
were stepped up, and increasingly the government resorted to extralegal measures
including enforced disappearance, “soft detention,” and strict house arrest,
including house arrest of family members, to prevent the public voicing of
independent opinions. Public interest law firms that took on sensitive cases also
continued to face harassment, disbarment of legal staff, and closure.
Read more from the China section of the Human Rights Report.
