AFP: US legislators demand action on China human rights

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (AFP) - Thirty members of the US House of Representatives have appealed to China's President Jiang Zemin in a personal letter for immediate action to improve his country's human rights record.

The thirty representatives, all of whom supported President Bill Clinton's historic trade pact with China passed last year, highlighted China's restrictions on religion and imprisonment of political dissidents.

"We remain deeply concerned about serious violations of internationally recognised human rights in China," said the letter, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

The appeal focused on the plight of members of the outlawed China Democracy Party currently being held on charges of subversion.

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The Congressional letter also bemoaned the crackdown on unauthorised religions in China and particularly condemned the recent campaign against 450 unsanctioned places of worship in Zhejiang province.

It argued that Beijing's crackdown on the Falungong spiritual movement contradicted pledges of freedom of association given under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which China has yet to ratify.

Human rights campaigners mounted a long campaign against the Clinton China trade bill, arguing that by liberalising trade with Beijing it would remove US leverage on human rights questions in China.

A Congressional panel was set up under the legislation to investigate China's human rights performance, and the US legislators called on the government to cooperate with the commission.

The letter forms part of increasing pressure on China over its human rights record, ahead of the annual UN Commission on Human Rights meeting in Geneva which begins in March.

Resolutions condemning China have been routinely introduced in Geneva but have never succeeded. Beijing has lobbied vehemently against them.