Chinese President Xi’s U.S. visit: Will President Obama press on human rights?

Amnesty International (AI) is pushing the Obama administration to use President Barack Obama’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping September 24-25 to advance the cause of human rights in China.

M.T. Kumar, international advocacy director of Amnesty International, will discuss the potential for that meeting – and what Kumar sees as the deteriorating state of human rights in China – at a National Press Club Newsmakers news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m. in the Zenger Room.

Kumar points to the recent arrests of hundreds of lawyers, some of whom have disappeared, as evidence of flagrant human rights abuses. Among the continuing abuses are a half million people arbitrarily obtained with neither charge nor trial. AI also says China executes more people than the rest of the world combined, and that freedom of the press, religion, speech and other fundamental freedoms are “completely suppressed.” It sees the plight of Tibetan and Uighur Muslims as particularly disturbing.

AI believes the U.S., as the world’s sole superpower, is the only country that can exert meaningful pressure on the Chinese government to improve human rights, and wants to highlight the opportunities for President Obama to do this in his meeting with his Chinese counterpart.

Like all Newsmakers events, this news conference is open to credentialed media and NPC members free of charge. No advance registration is necessary.

Contact:
Peter Hickman, Newsmaker Event Host
301/367-7711, [email protected]