2 April, 1997

Debate Concludes on Rights of Detainees Numerous Countries Speak in Exercise of Right of Reply

(Reproduced as received.)

GENEVA, 1 April (LTN Information Service) -- The Commission on Human Rights began this afternoon its annual debate on the rights of indigenous people, with a series of speakers calling for completion of draft United Nations declaration on the subject.

[...]

Right of Reply

NIU LIHUA (China) said he wished to challenge a statement by the Transnational Radical Party made on March 27 by a woman who claimed to be the sister of Wei iinsheng. The woman had claimed that he was in prison because of his human rights activities. This was simply not true, since it was impossible for anyone in China to be committed for exercising his or her freedom of speech. Wei iinsheng had been convicted after an open trial of conspiracy, of endangering public security and of attempting to overthrow the Government. Since his imprisonment, his humanitarian rights had been protected and he was in good health. The statements of the Transnational radical Party were nothing but sheer fabrication. China also protested a statement by the Society for Threatened Peoples: their claims were nothing but lies and were not worth refuting.

[...]