Human Rights Groups Press Issue Prior To Jiang's British Visit

LONDON, Oct 16, 1999 -- (Agence France Presse) Human rights organizations pressed the British government Friday to protest human rights violations in China during President Jiang Zemin's four-day official visit which begins on Tuesday.

Amnesty International said in a statement that "there has been a marked deterioration in respect for civil and political rights in China," since Prime Minister Tony Blair's visit there a year ago.

"The UK government continues to place primary emphasis on constructive dialogue," Amnesty said.

It urged Blair to "seize the opportunity" of Jiang's visit "to make a clear, complete and public statement of UK's concerns over China's human rights record."

Human Rights Watch said: "It is essential that Prime Minister Tony Blair protest the recent deterioration in human rights conditions in China and present an agenda of concrete steps that Beijing should take."

Alison Reynolds, director of the Free Tibet campaign, said the group hoped to "stick to" the Chinese leader, staging "peaceful demonstrations to remind Jiang Zemin of the issue regarding human rights in Tibet."