Rights body flays China for year of violations

WASHINGTON, January 13

China had an “appalling year” for human rights in 2020, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday, with a crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong, repression of Muslim Uighurs and the silencing of people reporting on Covid outbreak.

A Chinese court recently handed down a 4-year jail term to a citizen-journalist who reported from Wuhan on virus.

"It helps highlight to the rest of the world what the consequences of violations inside China can be," Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch, said. — Reuters

Will defend self over UK measures: China

Beijing: China said on Wednesday that it would defend itself against a British Government demand that companies ensure their supply chains are free from forced labour linked to the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang or face punishing fines. The comment came after British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said officials have issued guidance to British firms with ties to Xinjiang on how to carry out due diligence checks. AP

Worst repression since Tiananmen crackdown

Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth said China remained the biggest threat to global human rights and that President Xi Jinping had “embarked on the most intense repression” in the country since the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989.