Washington Post: Bush Urged to Champion Human Rights (excerpt)

According to Washington Post (1/26/01), "Two dozen leading conservatives yesterday sent a letter calling on President Bush to make human rights, religious freedom and democracy priorities for American foreign policy and urging him not to adopt a narrow view of U.S. national interests." The paper continues: "'American leadership must never remain indifferent to tyranny, must never be agnostic about the virtues of political and economic freedom, must always be concerned with the fortunes of fragile democracies,' the letter said."

The paper says: "The group singled out a few places the administration should apply this approach, saying it should act to stop sex trafficking of women and children, 'genocide' in the Sudan and 'mass religious persecution' in China against Uighur Muslims, Christians, Tibetan Buddhists and Falun Gong adherents. "

The paper concludes:" it recommended support for groups promoting democracy and said U.S. nonhumanitarian aid, including assistance given through international lending institutions, should be used to "promote freedom and stop tyranny.' When given to governments, the aid should be tied to countries' performance on human rights, the group said.'"