Observer: US human rights situation exposes its hypocrisy
By Liu Huawen
People's Daily app
1605090575000

2020 marked a year of turbulence as the self-centered US refused to take its due responsibility as a major power and acted as a troublemaker in sabotaging the international order. The US has been capricious by first refusing to join the UN Human Rights Council, and then joining the body and later announcing its withdrawal in 2018. It’s hard to find respect of the country for the UN human rights system, and obedience to the international human rights system as well.

Ever since the late 1970s and early 1980s, the US has been practicing its human rights diplomacy with double standards, blaming other countries groundlessly. Inherently it’s politicizing the human rights issue and using it as an instrument for political confrontation. Much of the human rights reports it issues on other countries aren’t based on facts.

It’s the world’s dream and an important goal of the UN to promote human rights for sustainable development. But in the eyes of the US, the human rights issue is just a card that it played to pass bills that interfere with the sovereignty of other countries and sanction other countries as well as their companies, organizations and citizens. By giving itself privilege, the US is conducting hegemony regardless of international laws.

It should be noted that different civilizations as well as countries in different development phases are all the promoters of the international human rights cause. Regrettably, developing countries haven’t received enough respect as many developing countries like China were often times reproached by the US using the excuse of human rights, which is neither objective nor fair, and will lose the support of the people.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major crisis confronting the human race and stands as a test to the governance of different countries. It’s visible that the increasing confirmed cases and death toll in the US are due to the ignorance of science, and inability to respond to the pandemic. The US has never made itself clear as to how it can protect people’s right to life, health, education, employment, subsistence and other fundamental human rights amid the COVID-19.

Racial discrimination in the US has exposed exacerbating social problems within the country. With the pandemic still looming, some US politicians turned a blind eye to the official name and basic fact of the novel coronavirus by the WHO, and intentionally made discriminatory remarks to confuse right from wrong, which left a negative impact on China and Asian Americans. Facts prove that the US politicians failed to suit their actions to their words.

Amid the pandemic, the world and its people need unity and collaboration more than ever. But the US is sparing no effort to preach its human rights diplomacy and practice political confrontation, which goes against the trend of the times. The world is demanding the US answer as to why it refused global collaboration in such a public health crisis, exited the WHO, owed the UN a huge debt and still gave nonsensical remarks on the human rights issue.

This year marks the UN’s 75th anniversary. The UN has always been a coordinator of multilateral ties in the international community and will keep such a role when the human rights governance enters a new stage. It should be emphasized that the US should take the human rights issue seriously, abide by international laws and conduct international human rights cooperation based on equality and mutual respect.

The author is Assistant Director of the Institute of International Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

(Compiled by Han Xiaomeng)