(VOVworld) - The US State Department on May 24th released its annual report on the state of human rights around the world. A weighty document, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011 covers in detail 199 countries, though not the US. It faces severe criticisms from many countries around the world who, in their diplomatic announcements, said no country has the right to use human rights as a tool to intervene in other countries’ internal affairs. Thu Hoa comments:
In its statement in opposition to the US Human Rights Report, Cuba said the lies and distortions included in this document reflect the White House’s desperate need to justify its cruel policy of maintaining a blockade on Cuba. China called the report a document full of discrimination that disregards the truth. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Viet Nam rejects the Report, saying it contains unjustified remarks based on untrue assessments of human rights issues in Vietnam.
In addition to strongly rejecting the report, the Beijing administration immediately announced its report on human rights issues in the US in 2011. The Chinese report covers human rights issues related to six topics: life, property and personal security; civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; racial discrimination; rights of women and children; and US violations of human rights in other countries. It said violations of civil and political rights have been "severe" in the US, and that the country was "lying to itself" when referring to itself as the "land of the free".
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| The US State Department on May 24th released its annual report on the state of human rights around the world |
Although declaring that it gives prominence to press freedom, the US imposes strict control on the media. The US Patriot Act and the Domestic Security Act include articles on monitoring the internet, allowing government agencies to control and block any content on the internet that damages national security. China quoted the British newspaper “The Guardian” as saying that the US army is developing software to enable the US to sway social networks to control and restrict freedom of speech on the internet. The US Congress has failed to pass laws protecting the rights of reporters' news sources. The number of reporters fired for their inappropriate political comments is increasing, while the ways the US administration has dealt with the Occupy Wall Street movement have shown the world the “so-called US freedom and democracy”.
In a recent report, Amnesty International pointed to US violations of human rights. The report stated that “as the most powerful country in the world, the US allows itself the authority to set up standards of conduct for other countries”. But Washington also manifests its self-interest through a series of actions challenging international laws during its “global fight against terrorism.” The organization condemned the United States for the "unlawful" commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden in his lair in Pakistan. In this year’s report, Amnesty International criticized the Bush administration for using torture measures on suspected terrorists in Guatanamo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has asked the Obama administration to open investigations of President Bush and his senior staff for violating human rights.
The US State Department’s report on human rights undermines recent improvements in Vietnam-US relations. Vietnam is always ready to cooperate and hold dialogues with countries and international organizations around the world, including the US, even on controversial issues like human rights. To improve Vietnam-US diplomatic and economic ties, their leaders should strive toward better understanding and narrower differences.