Watch group: war on terror endangers rights

Echoing concerns by some U.S. religious organizations, a prominent New York-based human fights group has criticized the U.S. government for its war against terrorism, saying the Bush administration "has refused to be bound by human rights standards."

In its annual report on international human fights globally, Human Rights Watch said that while the U.S. is not among the worst human fights offenders, its "willingness to compromise human fights to fight terrorism sets a dangerous precedent," particularly because of its unique leadership role.

The report, released in mid-January, took the United States to task for refusing to raise issues of repression in countries such as China, which Human Rights Watch said were using the fight against terrorism "to cloak or intensify repression" against dissident and nationalist movements, and sometimes against religious groups.

Regarding China, Human Rights Watch paid particular attention to religious persecution in that country, noting that President Jiang Zemin had, at the end of 2001, said that "current international and domestic conditions" prompted the strengthening of the national government's "control over religion."

Among the problems cited by the Watch group were continued crackdowns on Mentuhui, a Christian group also known by the name Society of Disciples, and on the Falun Gong organization, which combines Buddhist and Taoist beliefs. Roman Catholics also faced persecution, with 53 Roman Catholic bishops and priests either in police custody or under surveillance early in the year and three priests receiving prison terms on charges of "disturbing the social order."

Muslims in the northwest province of Xinjiang also faced persecution, which Chinese authorities justified under the aegis of antiterrorism measures. Human Rights Watch said the Bush administration had downplayed the Chinese government's actions--a pattern it said was dangerous.

"An antiterrorism policy that ignores human fights is a gift to the terrorists," Human Rights Watch said about overall U.S. policy and the way it has been affecting the actions of governments elsewhere. "It reaffirms the violent instrumentalism that breeds terrorism as it undermines the public support needed to defeat terrorism."--ENI

COPYRIGHT 2003 The Christian Century Foundation
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