China lashes out at U.S., U.N. for human rights slur

Liu Jing calls Falun Gong a 'spiritual drug'

BEIJING, China -- China is rejecting criticism of its human rights record from both the United States and the United Nations.

Beijing officials dismissed U.N. human rights chief Mary Robinson's call for it to disband labor camps, where alleged prostitutes, drug users, dissidents and members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement can be sent without trial.

VIDEO CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon reports on the alleged human rights abuses in China Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

It also criticized the U.S. State Department's annual human rights report, which said China's human rights record had worsened. State Department officials also said China continues "to commit numerous serious abuses."

It condemned Beijing's crackdown on underground Christians, Tibetan Buddhists and the Falun Gong, as well as harsh treatment of political dissent.

MESSAGE BOARD China

But China believes its human rights situation is "the best of any time in history."

"The unwarranted accusations by the U.S. against China under the pretext of so-called human rights questions are completely without reason and driven by ulterior motives," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhang Qiyue said.

China decries U.N. criticism

Chinese officials were equally dismissive of comments by U.N. Human Rights Cmmissioner Mary Robinson to do something about its labor camps.

"The concept of using forced labor as a punishment is against the accepted international human rights principles embodied in many international instruments," Robinson said on Monday.

But China said its use of labor camps represented a "compassionate means of dealing with social problems."

"The authorities treat these people receiving re-education like teachers treat students, like doctors treat patients and like parents treat children," Liu Jing, head of the State Council Office for Prevention and Handling of Cults.

"I think her [Robinson's] problem is that she has too little of the Falun Gong cult," Liu said.

"The Falun Gong cult is the same as a spiritual drug. It does as much harm to its practitioners, especially the devout ones, as drugs," he said.

Woman arrested in Tiananmen Square

But Robinson said she had managed to secure a concession from Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan that he would look into case of jailed political dissident Xu Wenli.

She had urged compassion for the political prisoner, who is serving a 13-year jail term for subversion, despite his suffering from ill health.

Tang also said China is likely to ratify the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on Wednesday.

The United States has said it will again sponsor a motion at the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva, which faults China for its record.

China has managed to dodge a vote on its record for the last few years, by marshalling the support of third world countries.

CNN'S Beijing Bureau Chief Rebecca MacKinnon and Reuters contributed to this report

China blasts back at U.S. on rights

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