I Wish Tom Lantos was my Representative
Filed Under Human Rights, China, Commentary | Posted on May 25, 2007
I like Representative Tom Lantos (D-California). Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and member of the Congressional Caucus on Human Rights, 
Lantos has always been a courageous and outspoken advocate of civil liberties and human rights both in the U.S. and abroad. He’s one of the few U.S. congressmen to speak loudly and consistently about human rights in China and Tibet.
In remarks at the Foreign Affairs committee hearing on The Future of Political, Economic and Security Relations with China, he expresses concern over continuing human rights abuses in China and Tibet, China’s support of “rogue” regimes, and the Chinese military buildup:
Responsible governments do not send missiles to destroy space satellites, littering the atmosphere with dangerous debris. If China wishes to be a partner with the United States, it must be more judicious and transparent as it builds its military capabilities.
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Why is China furthering its ties with Iran, a country with nuclear ambitions and an unstable president who denies the Holocaust? Why does China continue to support the brutal military rulers of Burma, which prove daily they have no interest in the welfare of their people? And why has China become the largest weapons supplier to the government of Sudan, the perpetrator of an unspeakable genocide in Darfur? The answer, of course, is economic growth, or more precisely, China’s need for oil to feed its ravenous energy appetite. This pursuit cannot be blind to all other factors.
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China has charted a route for the Olympic torch that brings it to the top of Mount Everest, on Tibet’s horizon, as well as to Taipei. It is outrageous that China is using the very symbol of international unity and brotherhood to further grind down the Tibetans and the Taiwanese, who simply want to live their lives without interference from Beijing.
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Beyond the waving flags and the parading athletes at the opening ceremony, journalists and protestors will be looking to see if China is on the right track with the treatment of its own people. Initial signs are discouraging. A report released by Amnesty International this week says that Beijing is using the upcoming games to expand the repressive practice of detaining people without a trial, to place activists on house arrest and to limit severely the topics domestic media are permitted to address.
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If ever there was a time for China to get its own house in order, this is it. The Olympics are a golden opportunity for China to take a new turn, a turn to true leadership that entails responsible behavior at home and abroad.
Svāhā Rep. Lantos!
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[…] in May, 2007, I expressed my admiration for California Representative Tom Lantos. Sadly, Representative Lantos died yesterday of esophageal cancer at Bethesda Naval Medical […]