Clinton Campaign Ducks a Simple Question About Tibet

Saturday, the Clinton campaign took advantage of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday to hold a press call discussing Hillary Clinton's disputed role in the nearly decade-old Northern Ireland peace talks and her intention to work to "bring peace to different parts of the world."

During the subsequent Q&A, however, Clinton's National Security Advisor, Lee Feinstein, ducked my question about the Bush Administration's decision last week to remove China from its list of human rights violators - a decision made right in the middle of escalating tensions in Tibet that have culminated in riots in Lhasa, a military crackdown on protests and media nationwide, and according to some reports, upwards of 100 deaths.

I asked Feinstein a simple, direct question: whether, in light of events in Tibet, Mrs. Clinton would call on the Bush Administration to re-list China as a human rights violator. In response, he referred to a statement he said Clinton had issued on the events in Tibet and saying that she has a long history of concern about Tibet and has talked with the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials in the past.

That's great as far as it goes -- but it ducked my question. So I asked again, directly, whether in addition to whatever she said in that statement (which, as it turns out, wasn't issued until 2-1/2 hours after the press call, and does not mention the delisting of China as a human rights violator), Clinton would call to restore China's name to the Administration's list of human rights violators. Feinstein answered that he had nothing to add to Clinton's prepared statement -- i.e., no, Clinton isn't calling for the Bush Administration to label China what it is -- a consistent violator of human rights that has been listed annually in the past and deserves to be again.

Three facts may factor into Clinton's waffling:

1. Clinton formerly served on the Board of Directors of Wal-Mart, the largest U.S. importer of goods from China.

2. This summer, China will host the Olympics in Beijing.

3. The Chinese government is a significant creditor of the U.S., effectively financing our ongoing deficit spending (including the war in Iraq) by purchasing U.S. government securities - and it could destabilize our economy simply by ceasing to purchase those securities.

So it's a complicated issue, calling for nuance - but also for honesty and courage; and it isn't like putting China back on a list it's already accustomed to being on would fatally destabilize our relationship. So even if Senator Clinton is right to boast about disputable, and decade-old, foreign policy accomplishments during her husband's administration, why does her campaign lack the courage to take a direct and meaningful stand for human rights when they are being abused today, right now, as you read this? Is her "3 a.m." foreign policy "expertise" limited to words about events in the past (a questionable role in Northern Ireland, and a speech she gave in China a decade ago) - or is she willing to back up her words with a principled, effective stand on a religious and human rights conflict, similar in many ways to that in Ireland, that's actually happening today?

Put more simply: is Hillary Clinton only committed to talking about human rights in the past tense, or does she possess a present commitment to human rights that extends to the present -- and the future?

More on events on Tibet -- and contact information for China's embassy, consulates and Olympic organizers, so you can voice your concerns -- can be found here at VichyDems.

Follow M.S. Bellows, Jr. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/msbellows

Comments

[Nommo]

China? We gave it all back!!!

[ArchAngel]

China has quietly gone from being communist to being fully fascist with the help of many powerful persons from around the world.

[erfavc]

They won't and neither will obama. They are realistic and know that by 2050 china's economy will surpass ours if we do not stay in good terms with them. You can not please everyone when it comes to being president. Idealism is what got us neo-conservatives.

[LAJonathan]

Yeah well, this won't get her elected so she doesn't care. The speech (that she didn't write) was enough China for Mrs. Clinton.

[DoAsISay]

One of Hillary's major achievements, according to her campaign, was the speech she gave in China. She probably wants to give another one in the future, and she won't be allowed to if she pisses off the Chinese by making an inappropriate statement about Tibet. Tibets rights are not human rights, at least not if you are friends with the board of Wal-Mart.

[PauCK]

I suppose it would be a tough question to respond to, especially now that the House failed to pull together enough votes to ban torture here in the US. It would put us in the position of the pot calling the kettle black.

Are we really that much better than China now?

Can we even claim we care given our own current president who says torture and locking people in cages forever is just a fine and dandy way to be. A look inside our own prisons will make one wonder how civilized we really are.

Until we clean up our own yard we have less right to complain about others.

[mrJJ]

One of Clinton's liabilities is Norman Hsu... The question is why hasn't the MSM taken a real hard look at Norman Hsu's backround? A con man and thief that had a "meteroric rise on the Democratic political scene". ROFLMAO really? Actually idiot Norman's picture as a youngster appears on an FBI B&W surveillance telephoto picture tagged (unidentified associates) of a NYC street gang tied to Chinese Organized crime based in the US...reference U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Asian Organized Crime (1984,1989, 1993). . Btw Norman did also funnel funds to Sen Barrak Obama's campaign..­.Interesti­ng tidbit.. who directed Norman too the then freshman Sen Obama? .... ding ding ding... The Clinton's. No one has the history to a certain err element of ready, willing & able philantropists of an asian persuasion then the Clinton's. A walk through recent history may be in order for you youngsters.

Charle Trie
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/stories/op080397.htm

Norman Hsu's Boss Chan Tse-Chiu aka Eddie Chan
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2D6173AF931A3575AC0A966958260

Norman
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=5643329

Rendell had said last week he planned to keep nearly $40,000 of Hsu's money even though he was wanted for failing to appear for sentencing after pleading no contest to a felony charge of bilking investors out of $1 million.

"Though Norman is my friend, and remains so, his failure to appear casts a new light on his assertions regarding the original case," Rendell said in a statement before Hsu's arrest Thursday. "As a result, I will follow other elected officials and donate the money he contributed to me to charity."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/07/politics/main3240773.shtml

Reports are that former NY Chinatown Tong leader turned federal Informant Wing Yeung Chan has recently been escorted in and out of his facility by the US Marshall Service... I wonder if Chan Wing is being used to verify anything that Norman has reportedly told the told the US Attorney?
http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1995/10/27/1995-10-27_judge_slaps_ban_on_leader_in.html

Rethugs are close but no Cigar... PRC link is total bull...I'm sure it was added to spice their article.
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=12220