Obama must commit to human rights in Tibet

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China held a roundtable discussion today on China and Tibet, and from it came calls for the Obama administration to place increased focus on human rights in Tibet. Elliot Sperling, Associate Professor of Tibetan Studies at Indiana University, said that China has created stability on the Tibetan region by "imposing an effective lockdown on Tibet" through "severe restrictions on movement and communication." Sperling said that Chinese officials have blocked Internet and cell phone communication over the region and have held firm with the detention of people speaking out against the government.

Sperling highlighted that President Bill Clinton periodically threatened to revoke the Most Favored National Trade Status (or PNTR) with China if they did not reform human rights, but that revocation never happened. He felt that such empty threats were worse than if the President had said nothing. Sperling referenced Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's February 21st comment that human rights issues with China "can't interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis, and the security crisis" and said that Mrs. Clinton can "commit to a forceful human right agenda" without empty threats. Sperling said that the Obama administration must support, "in absolute terms, the right of Tibetans to voice their aspirations peacefully."

Today at TRNS

Today at Talk Radio News, the Washington Bureau will be covering Vice President Joe Biden’s announcement for funding to be given to Amtrak, a discussion on “A Year After the March 2008 Protests: Is China Promoting Stability in Tibet?,” a news conference on respiratory and immune disorders, a discussion “Iran: Internal Social and Political Dynamics,” a discussion on “Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty: A Reconciliation,” and a book discussion on “Life Equity: Realize your true Value and Pursue Your Passions at Any Stage In Life,” with author Representative Marsha Blackburn, (R-Tenn.).

Is China dropping the baton?

The summer Olympics and human rights in China were discussed at an event held by the National Endowment for Democracy. Panelists discussed a number of topics including China’s reluctance to permit an open media, response to opposition in Tibet, the Sichuan earthquake, and international pressure that calls for a more transparent Chinese government.

According to Sharon Hom, the executive director of Human Rights in China, assurances from Chinese officials that the Olympics would be a catalyst for increased democratization have largely been forgotten. Hom said that defenders of human rights continue to disappear or be jailed throughout China. She also added that the (International Olympic Committee) IOC has an obligation to oversee decisions made by an Olympic’s host country and should not buckle to the desires of the host as the IOC recently did in Athens by permitting the Olympic Torch Relay to pass through Tibet, an action she considers “provocative.” Sophie Richardson, the media director of Human Rights Watch, said that the numbers of dead from the earthquake in Sichuan province and riots in Tibet are still unknown due to the lack of a free press.

Richardson said China not only lacks democracy but also continues to support regimes that find little support worldwide. Richardson believes that governments in Zimbabwe and Myanmar still exist thanks to Chinese support. Richardson continued, saying that involving itself in foreign affairs contradicts China’s policy of noninterference.

Minky Worden, the editor of “China’s Great Leap: The Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges” said that Olympic sponsors are unwilling to address human rights violations in China and thus contradict the actions of the Chinese government. She said the Olympic torch’s presence in Tibet is bad publicity for the three sponsors of the relay: Coca Cola, Lenovo, and Samsung. Richardson also said that defenders of human rights in China look outside of their country for support and that President Bush has an obligation to speak against certain Chinese policies.