China human rights motion falls through

Date: 27/03/1997

By Mark Turner

PLANS for a transatlantic attack on Beijing's human rights record have all but collapsed following Paris' refusal to support an EU resolution at the United Nation Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.

Every year since 1990, the EU - supported by the United States - has tabled a resolution at the UN Commission condemning China's suppression of political and civil rights.

But just as regularly, except in 1995, Beijing has managed to convince the rest of the world to agree a 'no action motion' on the resolution, stifling any debate on the subject.

Even in 1995, when China failed to win enough support to kick it into touch at the outset, the resolution was eventually defeated - although only by one vote - when Russia sided with Beijing at the last minute.

European human rights activists had hoped to do better at this year's meeting from 10 March to 18 April, with a concerted EU lobbying effort and firm US co-sponsoring of the resolution.

But even before France delivered its knock-out blow, they were already facing an uphill struggle after Beijing - which began fighting its corner last autumn - succeeded in winning the support of all of Africa, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and most of Asia and Latin America.

Now their hopes have dissolved into nothing in the wake of France's decision, supported by Germany and Italy, not to sign up to the motion.

“There is no chance that the resolution will be adopted this year,” said a European Commission expert on human rights.

Lotte Leicht, of the lobby group Human Rights Watch, said she was not surprised by another Union backtrack but nevertheless condemned it as hypocrisy.

“Europe and the US argue that since the resolution will never be adopted, they can gain more by privately negotiating concessions from China,” she said.

“But if you are serious about human rights, you have to put yourself in a serious negotiating position. There has been no sincere lobbying work done by either the European Union or the US.”