China Issues 2009 Human Rights Report of the United States

Seriously. You know this was going to happen sometimes.

The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices are submitted annually by the U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Congress in compliance with sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), as amended, and section 504 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended. On March 11, the State Department published its latest Human Rights Report.

Secretary Clinton says that “[f]or the last 34 years, the United States has produced the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, providing the most comprehensive record available of the condition of human rights around the world."

The online documents here only dates back to 1999.  Prior reports should be available from the U.S. GPO; some are available in PDF format here.

Well, at least one foreign office must have been waiting for the official US report to be released.  On March 12, China's Information Office of the State Council published a report titled "The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2009." Its full text is published by english.xinhuanet.com here.

Here is part of its introduction: "As in previous years, the reports are full of accusations of the human rights situation in more than 190 countries and regions including China, but turn a blind eye to, or dodge and even cover up rampant human rights abuses on its own territory. The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2009 is prepared to help people around the world understand the real situation of human rights in the United States."

On Life, Property and Personal Security section is declares: “Widespread violent crimes in the United States posed threats to the lives, properties and personal security of its people.”

On Civil and Political Rights section it claims that “In the United States, civil and political rights of citizens are severely restricted and violated by the government.”

On Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, it claims that “Poverty, unemployment and the homeless are serious problems in the United States, where workers' economic, social and cultural rights cannot be guaranteed.”

The report also states that “immigrants live in misery.”

I don't understand.  Since the United States is a country of immigrants, does that mean all 305 million of us, except Native Americans -- live in misery?