Chinese President Ji's Visit to the U.S. and Human Rights: Will President Obama Act?

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Sep 18, 2015, 10:51 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Amnesty International (AI) is pushing the Obama Administration to use the President's meeting with Chinese President Ji September 24-25 is of great importance to advance 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, September 22.

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.

This NPC Newsmakers news conference is scheduled for Tuesday, September 22 at 3 p.m. in the club's Zenger Room, on the 13^th floor of the National Press Building at 529 14^th Street NW, Washington DC, 20045.

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

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Contact:

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

SOURCE National Press Club