Amnesty report: U.S., Chinese human rights records worsening

May 30, 2001
Web posted at: 5:49 PM EDT (2149 GMT)

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In its 40th annual report, Amnesty International on Wednesday said the U.S. and Chinese records on human rights are worsening.

Along with criticizing the U.S. death penalty, William Schulz of Amnesty International USA said Washington's overall human rights record has been worsening for the past several years.

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He alleged various abuses in prisons, police and military training, and in world leadership.

Concerns over China

Schulz also cited deteriorating human rights conditions in China -- the world leader in state-sanctioned executions -- despite increased trade with the West.

"There are about 230,000 people in prison without trial in China, and there are hundreds of people being tortured in (Chinese-ruled) Tibet," Schulz said. "What is certainly true is that there's no evidence that the trade ties have resulted in a significant improvement in China."

Read the 2001 report

The report, which documents the group's activities during 2000, says Amnesty launched a concerted new effort to eradicate torture around the world.

"AI's global survey into patterns of torture revealed that the most common victims of torture and ill-treatment are convicted criminals and criminal suspects," the report said. "In some countries, beatings of criminal suspects are so routine that they are not recognized as torture, even by the victims themselves. Criminal suspects often come from the poorest or most marginalized sectors of society. Discrimination against such groups often contributes to the lack of action against their torture or ill-treatment."

The London-based group said governments must not back away from protecting rights even as globalization puts more power in the hands of others, such as international corporations and financial institutions.

"States have to confront their cowardice, their cover-ups and their efforts to shirk responsibilities," the group said in a statement. "They have the power, despite external constraints, to deliver human rights if they have the political will."

Amnesty also continued its campaign against use of the death penalty in judicial systems around the globe.

Amnesty said most of the world's executions last year were carried out in just a few nations. "In 2000, 88 percent of all known executions took place in China, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the U.S.A."

The report cited 149 nations for various human rights violations, and it said so-called prisoners of conscience were detained in 63 countries. But the report also said incidents of unexplained disappearances documented in 30 nations declined by 20 percent.

Amnesty International On-line: human rights website

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