Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry
The self-claimed "beacon of human rights" should really shed light on itself sometimes, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday in regards to the US' human rights issue discussed during the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, where multiple countries criticized its worsening human rights situation.
Spokesperson Zhao Lijian cited several examples of the human rights violations of the US, while urging it to stop neglecting its own domestic problems.
Racial discrimination and violence in law enforcement have been notably severe, said Zhao. "Muslim refugees and immigrants of ethnic minorities are constantly faced with the danger of discrimination, while the idea of 'white supremacy' still prevalent in the society."
Statistics show that, from January to November 2020, there were only 17 days without law enforcement personnel causing deaths in the country.
"The US has been using so-called democracy and human rights as a disguise to interfere in others' affairs," Zhao noted, citing data that suggests the US carrying out "anti-terrorism acts" in more than 80 countries since 2001, which led to over 800,000 deaths from direct war violence, and tens of millions losing their homes.
So far, there are still about 21 million people in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and many other countries that are still displaced or living in extremely poor conditions.
The US has also imposed unilateral sanctions on developing countries, leading to serious humanitarian crises, Zhao added.
Speaking of genocide, Zhao urged the US to reflect on its massive massacres of the native Americans, which resulted in a 95 percent drop in its population.
A number of countries including Venezuela, Syria, and Belarus criticized the human rights violations in the US at the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday.
They called on the US to first take a look at itself before jumping to conclusions about others on the issue.
Venezuela urged the US to protect people's right to health amid the ravaging pandemic, while also calling an end to state terrorism, and to hold those who conducted torture, enforced disappearance, and drone murders accountable.
Syria accused the US of claiming itself "a country ruled by law and order," when it has in fact carried out military invasions in the name of protecting national security, while looting others' resources and occupying others' ground to finance terrorists.
Global Times