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Better protecting human rights will be one of the priorities of
China in the 21st Century, a senior government official
said?Monday.
The ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) had showed greater
concern for human rights and so had the government, said State
Councilor Tang Jiaxuan Monday.
The draft amendment to the Constitution, scheduled to be
discussed at the annual session of the Chinese legislature this
month, includes the CPC-proposed item "to respect and guarantee
human rights".
The new Chinese leadership also promoted a human-centered
scientific concept of development featuring humanistic governance
and comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development of the
economy and society.
"The series of policies put forward by the new Chinese
leadership since last year are of significant to improve human
rights protection in China," said Zhou Jue, president of the China
Society for Human Rights (CSHR) at the second session of its second
national council held?in Beijing?Monday.
It was noticeable that the Party and the government pledged to
promote citizens' participation in political life and better
implement the Constitution, Zhou said.
China had adopted the open elections for village committees in
rural areas and promoted the votes for community committees in
cities. Voting for heads of townships and counties was on trial in
a few areas.
The government had carried out helpful measures to protect the
rights of minorities such as the floating population, migrant
workers, AIDS/HIV-positive and needy people, he added.
Premier Wen Jiabao visited and shook hands with AIDS patients in
Beijing on Dec. 1 last year, the first such action from the
government. The administration also promised to offer free medicine
to needy AIDS/HIV-positive people.
"China's perspective on human rights is different from the West
since the two have different cultures and face different economic
and social problems," said Zhu Muzhi, a senior expert and honorary
president of the CSHR. "It is not confrontation, but dialogue that
will narrow the differences."
The Chinese enjoyed better human rights than ever before, but
there were problems, said Prof. Chen Zhishang, of?Peking
University and a member of CSHR.
The gap between the rich and the poor and between cities and the
countryside was expanding and the country should seek new ways to
protect the rights of the poor and the rural population, Chen
said.
The CSHR, founded in 1993, is the only national academic society
for human rights in China with a total membership of 163.
(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2004)
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