South China Morning Post (Monday, March 20, 2000)

Greg Torode in Washington

America's leading human rights envoy is claiming growing international support for tough US-led action on China at the United Nations this month, warning of Beijing's "disturbing record".

Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights Harold Koh expressed confidence that a resolution condemning China's record could finally succeed this year.

"I think there has been worldwide concern about the deteriorating human rights conditions in China," Mr Koh said.

"The factual record is pretty unequivocal - that is China's human rights record has deteriorated markedly over the last year."

He had not spoken to a "single foreign government" that was willing to back China in its bid to quash a resolution at the UN Human Rights Commission annual sessions in Geneva starting this week.

But Mr Koh refused to detail specific support or predict the exact vote.

He acknowledged that China had been successful in the past in rounding up last-minute votes but that ability appeared to be ebbing over the past two years.

The US drive, outlined in the State Department's recent human rights report on China, warns of a deteriorating situation in five key areas - treatment of women, religious freedom, including the crackdown on the Falun Gong spiritual movement, Tibet, political dissent and prison labour.

It also warns of crackdowns on the free flow of information, particularly through the Internet, an advance American commerce is desperate to keep as open as possible.

"We decided in January that we really had no alternative but to introduce a resolution in Geneva," Mr Koh said.

"It's one we have discussed with a number of countries."

The drive also comes as the Clinton administration is wanting to look tough on China over issues such as human rights amid criticism in Washington that it is too weak with Taiwan.

Tough action on human rights in Geneva would also help silence opponents of the upcoming vote in the US Congress to normalise trade relations with Beijing ahead of its entry to the World Trade Organisation.

Mr Koh claimed China was the only nation that refused to dignify the commission by insisting on "no action" motions - a clear "double standard".

"Every other country in the world appears before the commission and allows its conduct to be evaluated," he said. "Our view is China is an important country, it's a powerful nation, but it is not entitled to this double standard."