Reuters: China Excludes Rights Group from EU Dialogue

BEIJING, Sept 28, 2000 -- (Reuters) China said on Thursday it excluded an independent human rights group from a rights dialogue with the European Union this week because the group engaged in illegal activities.

"Some groups are trying to engage in illegal activities and we will not allow their participation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi told a news conference.

He did not elaborate on what constituted illegal activities.

He was asked about Beijing's decision to block the U.S.-based group Human Rights in China (HRIC) from Friday's China-EU human rights dialogue - one of a number of bilateral rights forums between China and foreign governments.

China hoped to "strengthen contact and reduce differences" on human rights with such dialogue partners, said Sun.

"The Chinese people are satisfied with the present human rights situation," he said.

Sophia Woodman, HRIC research director in Hong Kong, confirmed that Beijing had shunned her group.

"The EU had invited us and we were struck from the list of invitees by Chinese authorities," she said.

Independent rights groups say they place little stock in the rights dialogues Western countries hold with Beijing, because they have borne little fruit over the years and are used by the Communist government to escape criticism of its record.

Woodman said there was scant reason for non-governmental organizations(NGOs) to attend the dialogue sessions.

"There has not been any meaningful exchange and not one response to questions NGOs have raised," she said.

China argues that collective rights take precedence over individual rights and that providing food, clothing and shelter for 1.23 billion people is more important that granting political rights.