AMNESTY [INT'L]: BEIJING MUST FACE UP TO TIANANMEN MASSACRE

AsisNews.it ^ | 3 June 2005 | Editors

[Robert Drobot]

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Amnesty International Friday called on the Chinese government to “release all people imprisoned during the 1989 Tiananmen democracy protests” and “arrest those responsible for the June 4 massacre”.

"Tiananmen clearly remains very much alive today for the Chinese public and the demands by Chinese citizens for justice continue," the international rights group said in a statement.

"We reiterate –said also - our call on the Chinese government to conduct an independent inquiry into the killing of unarmed students and demonstrators. Those found responsible should be tried and brought to justice. We also call on the government to release all those who are still imprisoned in connection with the Tiananmen crackdown and who never received fair trials."

China's communist-led government has taken the position that foreign concerns regarding the crackdown are "outdated", while maintaining that without it China would not have been able to enjoy 16 years of robust economic growth. Officials repeated that position on Thursday.

During 6 weeks troops of the national army backed by tanks, massacred defenceless protesters. The demonstrators had been calling for democracy and an end to corruption for Chinese society in the streets of the Chinese capital. The death toll of the massacre was never released by the government, but independent international organisations say thousands of people were killed around the square, in side streets and in the days following 4 June.

"The on-going passion that surrounds the issue in China is clear from the continuous string of detentions of citizens who seek to post information on the internet regarding the dead or missing from 1989," Amnesty said.

[NJ_gent]

"Does China deserve a 'most favored nation' status?"

China deserves 'axis of evil' status along with Russia and Saudia Arabia.

[Robert Drobot]

Read the other day the car bombings in Iraq are being done by nuts from Saudia Arabia. They are getting a pass. Bush needs to answer for this. They also got a pass on 9/11. Fifteen of the nineteen nuts were also Saudi citizens. Saudi oil money is financing terrorist actions everywhere. But Bush isn't going after them. Why, Mr. Bush!!!

[daviscupper]

You hit the nail on the head. They are a pure and simple pro-Demorat group with nothing but seething hatred for America and its freedom loving principles. They are a totally discredited organization. Comparing our actions at Gitmo to the millions that died in forced labor camps in the Siberian Soviet Gulag is sick, sick, sick. They make me vomit.

[NJ_gent]

"Read the other day the car bombings in Iraq are being done by nuts from Saudia Arabia. They are getting a pass. Bush needs to answer for this. They also got a pass on 9/11. Fifteen of the nineteen nuts were also Saudi citizens. Saudi oil money is financing terrorist actions everywhere. But Bush isn't going after them. Why, Mr. Bush!!!"

Despite his many shortcomings, he's still our President. It always bothers me whenever someone uses 'Mr' to refer to a President, especially a sitting President (yes, even Clinton). I do agree with you, however, that this utter failure to deal with the Saudis is a major problem which will haunt us for years to come. North Korea is another problem President Bush appears to be trying to buy time with until he can be done with his second term. After all, if all Hell doesn't break loose until after you're out of office, less people blame you for the failures leading up to the situation. I had little faith in this President after his support of the PATIOT ACT, and my opinion of him has gone steadily since that time. Between the failure with spending, to the failure to reduce the over-reaching Federal government control of education, to the continuation of welfare programs like Socialist Security and the expansion of Medicare, to the utter failure to control the southern border, to the outright pandering to illegal aliens, to the pandering to our enemies in China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, to the failure to help protect American jobs, to the over-extension of the US military, to the failure to reign in the abuse of the US military with respect to hopeless NATO commitments, to the abuse of NASA for political purposes, to the expansion of Federal power at the expense of States' Constitutional rights, and on and on and on. All the while, he's had in his favor that he's been great in the WoT. Well, he seemed to be doing well, but the continued failure to address the underlying problems (Saudi Arabia, for one) has left us with little to look forward to. While we've been kicking around sand in Iraq, Russia, China, and North Korea have been conspiring to arm Iran with nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. This, while the US hands out aid to Russia and gives 'Most favored' status to China for economic trade.

In other words, we're handing cash to people who are arming our enemies with nuclear weapons. Fantastic approach to foreign policy. I tend to wonder what happened with that whole 'you're either with us or you're against us' thing. Apparently, you can continue getting cash from the wallet of the American people while continuously stabbing them in the back. That appears to be ok, so long as you're big.