U.S. Issues Annual Report on Rights

The State Department released its annual human rights report Monday, criticizing Israeli and Palestinian authorities for widespread abuses and denouncing China for what it said was a long list of violations.

The dossier faulted Chinese authorities for summary executions, torture, forced confessions, suppressing political dissent and denying religious freedom.

Although authorities in Beijing took steps to address international concerns by releasing some dissidents, inviting U.N. monitors to visit, allowing representatives of the Dalai Lama to enter China and expanding permitted religious activity in Tibet, U.S. officials said Washington remains uncertain about the direction of human rights in China.

“As we have said to the Chinese, we have seen some slippage over the past year and it is of concern to us and we have raised it with them on a number of occasions,” Secretary of State Colin L. Powell told reporters.

The report, covering almost 200 countries, said respect for human rights was generally good in Latin America but it listed six countries where rights conditions were designated as “poor”: Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador and Venezuela.

On Israel, the report said the country’s overall human rights record in the West Bank and Gaza Strip remained poor and worsened in several areas as it continued to commit “numerous, serious human rights abuses.”

“Security forces killed at least 990 Palestinians and two foreign nationals and injured 4,382 Palestinians and other persons during the year, including innocent bystanders,” the report said.

It said Israeli security forces targeted and killed at least 37 Palestinian terrorism suspects.

“Israeli forces undertook some of these targeted killings in crowded areas when civilian casualties were likely, killing 25 bystanders, including 13 children,” the report said.

The report also criticized the Palestinian Authority’s rights record.

It said many members of Palestinian security services and the Fatah faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization participated with civilians and terrorist groups in violent attacks against Israeli settlers, other civilians and soldiers.

“The PLO and [Palestinian Authority] have not complied with most of their commitments, notably those relating to the renunciation of violence and terrorism, taking responsibility for all PLO elements and disciplining violators,” it said.

Although there was no conclusive evidence that the most senior PLO or Palestinian Authority leaders gave prior approval for these acts, the report said some leaders endorsed such acts in principle in speeches and interviews.

In Pakistan, the report said the government’s rights record remained poor. “In general police continued to commit serious abuses with impunity,” it said.

Uzbekistan earned a “very poor” rating, although the study acknowledged some notable improvements. In Eritrea, the report said, “the government’s poor human rights record worsened, and it continued to commit serious abuses.”