BEIJING (AFP) — China's foreign minister on Wednesday hit out at critics of the country's human rights record, accusing them of double standards while vowing their complaints would not tarnish the Olympic Games.
Yang Jiechi spoke at an annual press conference on the sidelines of China's parliament a day after the US State Department released a report that accused the Chinese government of widespread human rights violations.
"We are strongly opposed to the practices of clinging to a Cold War mentality, drawing lines along ideology, creating confrontations, practising double standards and interfering in China's internal affairs in the name of human rights," Yang said.
The State Department's new list of countries that abused human rights in 2007 dropped China from the ranks of the world's worst violators but said Beijing continued to have a poor record.
The report cited tightened controls on the religious freedom of Buddhists in Tibet and of Muslims in the northwestern Xinjiang region.
"The government also continued to monitor, harass, detain, arrest and imprison activists, writers, journalists and defence lawyers and their families, many of whom were seeking to exercise their rights under the law," the report said.
China had been cited as one of the worst violators in the department's 2006 and 2005 reports.
Rights groups criticised the removal of China from the latest list, saying it would undercut efforts to pressure the Chinese government on human rights ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August.
Aside from the domestic human rights situation, groups have also sought to use the Olympics to pressure China over its controversial rule of Tibet and its support for the government in Sudan, which is accused of atrocities in Darfur.
Yang sought to discredit the critics, saying they were trying to politicise the Games but vowing they would fail.
"It is not the international community that is politicising the Olympic Games," he said. "It is a small number of individuals and forces who are anti-China and very biased against China."
Yang said China was open to criticism and welcomed suggestions on how to ensure the success of the Olympics -- as long as they were offered in the spirit of goodwill.
But he added that "those people out to tarnish China's image... will never get away with it because what they are doing is opposed by the people of China and people around the world."
Beijing vice-mayor Liu Jingmin also on Wednesday warned anyone planning to protest at the Games must get police permission and obey local laws.
"As for protests, those who come to take part in the Olympics, be they domestic or foreign persons, all must respect relevant laws," Liu said.
Demonstrators "must apply with Beijing city public security organs. These organs will approve or reject the applications based on Chinese laws," he said.
Police in China almost never grant permission for public demonstrations, especially those aimed at the Communist Party-controlled government.
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