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Wed, Apr 16, 1997
Human Rights Resolution Fails
also: Russian defense minister in Beijing; Taida changes school calendar; Taiwan to establish trade office in Burma; Last Post marks end of last British naval base; . . .Burma: Saturday's issue on Burma contained one inaccuracy: it was not General Tin Oo's wife; it was his daughter who died when the bomb exploded in their home.
Human rights: for the seventh year in a row a resolution to censure Beijing for its human rights problems has failed in the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. Support for the resolution dissolved over the past couple weeks, as France, Germany, Canada and Australia, among other nations, moved away from a "confrontational" approach on the issue. Many third world nations rallied behind China. Foreign Ministry spokesman Shen Guofeng said:
"The Chinese government hereby expresses its admiration and gratitude to all the countries that have upheld justice and rendered support to China
"We hope the United States, Denmark and a few other countries that have clung to a confrontational approach will . . . draw a lesson from their failure and make a clear break from their erroneous practice of tabling an anti-China draft resolution."
"By tabling an anti-China draft resolution, they have tried to put pressure on China, to interfere in its internal affairs, undermine its stability and obstruct its development and progress."
"China is heartened to note that a considerable number of Western countries have stayed away from co-sponsoring this year's anti-China draft resolution."
Xinhua said of the US lead initiative:
"What right has the United States, a country with such a bad human rights record, to play the role of 'world human rights judge?
"They resorted to double-dealing this time---on one hand, they claimed that they favored dialogue, but on the other hand, they made confrontations by insisting on a new anti-China resolution," it said.
It's interesting Xinhua characterizes the resolution as "anti-China".
Russia: the Russian defense minsiterIgor Rodionov and China's Chi Haotian hailed there country's relationship, reports Inside China (which is itself quoting Xinhua). "We are ready to usher in the 21st century together with our Russian friends... to enable our two countries to become good neighbors, good partners, and good friends forever and to push forward the strategic cooperative partnership between our two countries," Chi said.
Taiwan: starting this September Taida will be change its schedule to make room for a 2 day weekend (Chinese BIG 5). Currently, schools hold classes on Saturday for half the day.
Burma: Taiwan's China External Trade Development Council (CETRA) will establish an office in Rangoon in the near future to aid Taiwan investors in the troubled nation.
Taiwan: according to a World Bank report, Taiwan's economic miracle is showing signs of fading.
Hong Kong: "The Royal Navy Closes Its Base in Hong Kong" is a April 12 New York Times article.
"A solitary bugle sounded Last Post and the white ensign of the Royal Navy was lowered. With it, 156 years of Britain's naval presence in Asia came to an end shortly after noon on Friday as the last British naval base on the continent was closed."
Picture is here.
Cambodia: it does not directly pertain to China, but the story about Exiled Prince Norodom Sirivudh's failed attempt to return home aboard a Dragon Air flight from Hong Kong at least gives me a pretext to offer it to readers. We should watch the developments in Cambodia, where a UN brokered peace process hangs together on tenuous threads.
