U.N.: Torture in China Still Widespread
By ALEXA OLESEN, Associated Press Writer
The first U.N. torture investigator to visit China said Friday that abuse was still widespread and authorities subjected detainees to electric shocks, beatings and sleep deprivation. He also accused the government of obstructing his work.
Manfred Nowak, the U.N. Human Rights Commission's special investigator on torture, told reporters at the end of his trip that certain groups have been particular targets of torture: political dissidents, human rights activists, practitioners of Falun Gong, unofficial church groups and Tibetan and Uighur minorities.
Nowak's visit, which began Nov. 21, capped a decade-long effort by the U.N. to send an investigator to look into claims of torture and mistreatment by Chinese authorities. Beijing has repeatedly agreed to allow the visits and then postponed them.
When asked about the prevalence of torture, which was outlawed in 1996, Nowak replied: "I consider it on the decline but still widespread."
Nowak visited detention centers in Beijing, Tibet and the Muslim-majority region of Xinjiang, and held talks with top Chinese prosecutors and justice officials.
A United Nations statement said the organization has received reports that Chinese authorities, over the years, have used various methods of torture including electric shock batons, cigarettes, hoods or blindfolds, submerging prisoners in water or sewage or exposing them to extreme heat or cold.
Based on the information Nowak gathered, he was able to confirm that "many of these methods of torture have been used in China," the statement said.
"Very often an individual police officer is not instructed to torture but is under pressure to extract a confession," he told reporters.
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What about the Chinese government's widespread disregard of the environmental damage and destruction it willingly pursues to make money.
Also, you've totally forgotten to bring to light the incredible abuse and torture of millions of domestic (pet) dogs and cats, literally being skinned alive for their cheap fur for export to Europe and the United States! View link for the truth! http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=china_dog_cat_fur_boards2&Player=wm&speed=_med
Oh please, why don't we take care of our own animal torture? Joel do you know America's factory farm and intense farming practice, while no less cruel (chickens mechanically separated alive, cows disembowled alive, horse hung and blood drained alive...), yet the sheer volumn of our industrialized torture far exceeds China.
Also, China's population is about 25-30% vegetarian. Compare that with our less than 5% vegetarianism. By this fact alone they have done more for animal rights than the entire population of United States.
As far as the "companimal animal" emotional appeal made by PETA, it only goes to demonize the Chinese and Asian Americans at home. And it does nothing for the animal.
We have animal that is both pet and food in our own culture (like rabbit), why can't the Chinese? Advocating humane treatment and end-of-life for these farmed food dogs and cats will help them. Banning trade only drives it underground and make the suffering worse.
bobbyfletcher is absolutely fucking disgusting for making a comparison the suffering of non-sentient animals and human beings. People like him are misanthropes who should be ignored