January, 10 2011, 10:37am EDT
Amnesty International Urges Obama Administration to Raise Human Rights Concerns During Summit With Chinese President
President Obama should meet with former Chinese political prisoners living in the United States before the summit
WASHINGTON
T. Kumar, director
of international advocacy, Amnesty International USA (AIUSA), issued the
following statement in response to Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming
visit to the United States beginning January 18:
"It is imperative that President Obama raise human rights issues with
President Hu during this state visit. The United States has both
the responsibility and the stature to address the plight of people in China.
"The scope of human rights abuses committed
in China is vast and broad. China holds approximately 190,000 people in
labor camps without charge or trial and executes more prisoners than every
other country combined. Accordingly, an important step leading up
to his visit with President Hu would be for President Obama to meet with
former Chinese political prisoners who are living in the United States.
"Failure to emphasize that human rights
are as important to US-China relations as trade and other issues will only
serve to ensure the continued suffering of millions of Chinese people."
Amnesty International has sent a letter to
President Obama laying out in further detail the key issues that should
be addressed during President Hu's state visit to the United States. Please
contact the AIUSA media office at abarnard-luce@aiusa.org or 202-509-8194
for a copy of the letter.
Amnesty International is a global movement of millions of people demanding human rights for all people - no matter who they are or where they are. We are the world's largest grassroots human rights organization.
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