Community | November 17, 2009 | 32 comments

Obama pushes human rights in meetings with Chinese

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091117/ap_on_re_as/as_obama_human_rights

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BleachCore_912
BEIJING – President Barack Obama is pushing China on human rights, telling President Hu Jintao the U.S. believes all men and woman have "certain fundamental rights."

Obama met with his counterpart during two meetings Tuesday and pushed for improved treatment of Chinese ethnic and religious minorities. Obama said they agreed to continue the discussion in a session scheduled for early next year.

Obama's adviser for Asia, Jeff Bader, told reporters later that the United States had a fresh perspective on human rights, given Obama's global popularity and his efforts to close the detention facility for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Bader also says the U.S. case is helped when the "salesman" is as persuasive as Obama.
  1. groups:
    Community,   US Politics,   World Politics
  2. tags:
    Obama,  Human Rights,  Chinese government
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32 comments // Obama pushes human rights in meetings with Chinese

  • bombastinator
    • 0
      bombastinator  

    • @shanklinmike
      that's because your definition of human rights is designed for self serving political convenience, and has little to do with the definition everyone else uses.

    • 2 years ago
  • sugarlilly
  • BleachCore_912
  • UrbanGypsy
  • sespian
    • 0
      sespian  

    • To Fun_size: Is he? Are human rights a priority for Obama? Why not push to repeal the Patriot Act? Why not put a stop to spying on US citizens; occupations of other countries, or even better, this whole war machine "might makes right" policy whenever our government doesn't agree with another government. No different than a schoolyard bully. I'd say hypocritical and insincere, some may even say dishonest!

      BEIJING -- President Obama directly acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay will not close by the January deadline he set...Obama refused, however, to set a new deadline...Obama said he was "not disappointed" that the Guantanamo deadline had slipped...Obama came to office pledging to shut a detainee facility that had become a symbol for prisoner abuse at the hands of American officials.

      http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/18/AR2009111800571....

    • 2 years ago
  • alexandrek
  • Wharf_Rat
    • 0
      Wharf_Rat  
    • Image
    • alexandrek:

      Alex I completely agree w/ you, that we need to start in the U.S. Our prison system is a sham! But I also believe that human rights for all needs to be addressed too. Thanx for the link. Great stuff.

      That is 1 thing that really bothered me about the 2008 Presidential Election, neither major party candidate addressed the issue. I almost had the chance to ask Obama about prison reform, while he was on the campaign here in Indiana, but his town hall was cut short. (The mic was in my hand.) I also want Gitmo closed. It sickens me to hear about our government privatizing prisons. So I think we can agree on those facts.

      iPedro, I see where you are coming from also. I just believe Obama needs to hear all sides of the issue. I think he will have talks w/ the Dalai Lama at some point to, I'd just like to see it rather than later.
      peace,
      JGY

      P.S.
      I included 1 of my many pix that I took, while Obama was campaigning in Indiana. Off the top of my head I can't remember if this was his 1st stop during the primary, or 2nd during the general campaign. I got pix of Clinton, McCain & Obama. None of Palin, though I should have. I might have gotten paid a little better for those.
      ;-)

    • 2 years ago
  • Wharf_Rat
  • iPedro
    • 0
      iPedro  
    • Wharf_Rat:

      That would bother me as well but it depends on the context: if he meets with the Dalai Lama at a later date, then I don't see a problem, I see a difficult but potentially positive decision.

      Giving in to a compromise with the Chinese government to advance an important relationship with the emerging power might be necessary. If that means not meeting the Dalai Lama during Obama's Asian tour, so be it.

      If Obama refused to ever meet with the Dalai Lama, then I'd be very concerned. I doubt that's the case though.

      In fact, Obama is raising the issue of the treatment of minorities in China -- which by definition include the Tibetan people.

      In the end, if the US improves ties with China and manages to nudge it away from human rights abuses, forceful acts against China's minorities, threats against Tawain and so on... that will indeed benefit the cause that the Dalai Lama is dedicating his life to.

    • 2 years ago
  • iPedro
    • 0
      iPedro  

    • UrbanGypsy: "I applaud him for addressing the 800-pound Gorilla in the room; that China still has a totalitarian government"

      ^ My exact thoughts. It takes balls to go to China, stand there and criticize its government's human rights record while on a first visit with a goal of -- and succeeding in -- improving relations. It seems like the obvious thing to do but most heads of state visit China and elect to simply not mention it.

      Obama not only brought up the problem, but he did so in a non-confrontational and tactful way.

      It's actions like these that demonstrate that the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the right person.

    • 2 years ago
  • samthesixth
    • 0
      samthesixth  
    • iPedro:

      "but most heads of state visit China and elect to simply not mention it."

      Clinton called them out on Tianamen. Bush called them out on detaining political dissidents without trial.

    • 2 years ago
  • FallenMorgan
  • samthesixth
  • EmperorThan
    • 0
      EmperorThan  

    • "Obama's meeting with who?"

      -"Yes, he's meeting with Hu."

      "Who?"

      -"Yes, Hu!"

      "Who is he meeting?"

      -"Yes!!!!!"

      God I fucking love that joke.

    • 2 years ago
  • AtomUniverse1
  • UrbanGypsy
    • 0
      UrbanGypsy  

    • I'm glad he is actually calling the Chinese out on their human rights abuses. I have no illusions about China, criticizing the government there still gets you thrown in jail. I am Cuban and I feel insulted when people ignore the human rights abuses of Castro. I applaud him for addressing the 800-pound Gorilla in the room; that China still has a totalitarian government.

    • 2 years ago
  • pandaman2105
    • 0
      pandaman2105  

    • i think it's excellent that he wants to bring human rights to light as an important issue with other countries.

      even if it's not the U.S.'s biggest problem, it takes someone to make the first step in changing things with other nations as a whole, especially those that we have relations with. perhaps it will eventually change the whole world if other leaders come to realize the benefits of being a prosperous, human leader, rather than a political one, with Obama being the trendsetter.

    • 2 years ago
  • Ares
  • shanklinmike
    • 0
      shanklinmike  

    • Everytime I hear of human rights, it turns out that the government will in some form or fashion actually be against human rights and more about centralization of power, not liberty for all. The reason Gitmo was bad wasn't because it was in Cuba, it was because of the torture, transferring these prisoners to Kansas is not going to end torture.....so closing Gitmo is not the main goal, it is ending torture!

      Obama got the Peace Prize for his first 12 days in office as he was sending in drones to drop bombs on women and children in Afghanistan.

      This whole world is screwed up....and the neocons and Keynesians are to blame!

    • 2 years ago
  • Sexirobot
  • fun_size
  • QV
    • 0
      QV  

    • obama is a liar and bad joke. He and his left-wing Congressional allies want:
      -Death panels in nobamacare
      -strip free speech
      -strip 2nd Amendment rights
      -strip religious freedom

      and control every aspect of our lives in a dictatorial fashion. Human rights my eye.

    • 2 years ago
  • lifestudentno83
  • QV
    • 0
      QV  
    • QV:

      I hope he fails FOR the sake of our nation. If BHO succeeds it WILL be the end of our nation and the Fall of the Republic.

    • 2 years ago
  • fun_size
    • 0
      fun_size  
    • QV:

      Quick QV you better get of the internet or Obamas hackers are gonna find you and lock you up in those FEMA camps!

      Better tune into Fox News to keep that propaganda flowing or you might actually start thinking for yourself.

    • 2 years ago
  • pandaman2105
  • UrbanGypsy
  • lu7cky
    • 0
      lu7cky  
    • QV:

      freakin retards...death panels?!?!really?
      don't even know what to say....it's just stupid....stop being stupid
      where do you get any of this from?!?!?do you even know what you're talking about?2nd amendment rights?religious freedom?Dictatorship?
      I'ts just so fucking dumb I can't stand it anymore.
      stupid.

    • 2 years ago
  • samthesixth
    • 0
      samthesixth  

    • What efforts to close Gitmo? It is still open! I am glad he is pressing the communists on their abysmal human rights record, but Bader is engaging in wishful thinking.

    • 2 years ago
  • fun_size
  • samthesixth
    • 0
      samthesixth  
    • samthesixth:

      I think Obama is getting a raw deal from Congress. Congress is so eaten up with special interests and corporate money that they block, or put out inferior product on, everything he wants.

    • 2 years ago
  • CalgarC
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