U.S. Senate committee condemns human rights abuses

Friday, April 14, 2000

REUTERS in Washington

Washington (Reuter) --- The powerful US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution condemning human rights violations in China and urged passage of a similar resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Commission's meeting in Geneva.

The resolution, which is not binding, said the mainland's human rights record had ''deteriorated sharply over the past year''.

It condemned Beijing for stifling dissent and criticism and detaining ''scores of citizens associated with attempts to organise legal democratic opposition, as well as religious leaders, academics and members of minority groups''.

The committee also urged the UN to adopt a resolution sponsored by the United States to censure the mainland on its human rights record.

This resolution accuses China of violating basic freedoms and urges Beijing to release political prisoners and allow religious groups to worship freely.

The Foreign Relations Committee also passed unanimously a resolution condemning Cuba's human rights record.

It called on the United States to support a resolution, sponsored by the Czech Republic and Poland, before the UN Human Rights Commission calling on Cuba to ''respect human rights and fundamental freedoms'' and guarantee the rule of law through democratic institutions and an independent judiciary.