From DEBRA@OLN.comlink.apc.orgTue Sep 12 08:21:01 1995 Date: Sat, 09 Sep 1995 08:29:00 +0100 From: Debra Guzman Reply to: beijing-conf@tristram.edc.org To: beijing95-l@netcom.com, beijing-conf@tristram.edc.org Subject: CLINTON_-_WOMENS_CONFERE 5.9 [The following text is in the "ISO-8859-1" character set] [Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set] [Some characters may be displayed incorrectly] ## Original in: /HRNET/WOMEN ## date : 08.09.95 DATE=9/5/95 TITLE=CLINTON / WOMEN'S CONFERENCE (L) BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO DATELINE=BEIJING INTRO: U-S FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON HAS URGED MORE PROTECTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AT A SPEECH TO THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN. AS V-O-A'S STEPHANIE HO REPORTS FROM BEIJING, MRS. CLINTON ALSO ATTACKED HOST COUNTRY CHINA FOR BARRING SOME GRASSROOTS GROUPS FROM ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE AND THE PARALLEL FORUM FOR NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS. TEXT: MRS. CLINTON'S DECISION TO ATTEND THE WOMEN'S CONFERENCE CAME AFTER WEEKS OF INTENSE SPECULATION, AND WAS ANNOUNCED SHORTLY AFTER CHINA FREED AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST HARRY WU. SO, IT WAS NO SURPRISE THAT THE ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS WAS THE FOCUS OF HER SPEECH TUESDAY TO THE U-N CONFERENCE. MRS. CLINTON URGED DELEGATES AND GOVERNMENTS TO CONSIDER WOMEN'S RIGHTS THE SAME AS HUMAN RIGHTS, SAYING WOMEN MUST HAVE THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIVES OF THEIR COUNTRIES. ON THIS NOTE, SHE WENT ON TO CRITICIZE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT FOR NOT GRANTING VISAS TO GROUPS WHOSE VIEWS BEIJING DOES NOT AGREE WITH. // CLINTON ACT // IT IS INDEFENSIBLE THAT MANY WOMEN IN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO WISHED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONFERENCE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND -- OR HAVE BEEN PROHIBITED FROM FULLY TAKING PART. // END ACT // SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO DID NOT GET VISAS TO CHINA INCLUDE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS, TIBETANS-IN-EXILE, OR TAIWANESE ACTIVISTS. ALTHOUGH SHE DID NOT NAME CHINA DIRECTLY, MRS. CLINTON ALSO SHARPLY CRITICIZED LIMITS TO FREE SPEECH AND EXPRESSION. // CLINTON ACT // FREEDOM MEANS THE RIGHT OF PEOPLE TO ASSEMBLE, ORGANIZE, AND DEBATE OPENLY. IT MEANS RESPECTING THE VIEWS OF THOSE WHO MAY DISAGREE WITH THE VIEWS OF THEIR GOVERNMENTS. IT MEANS NOT TAKING CITIZENS AWAY FROM THEIR LOVED ONES AND JAILING THEM, MISTREATING THEM, OR DENYING THEM THEIR FREEDOM OR DIGNITY BECAUSE OF THE PEACEFUL EXPRESSION OF THEIR IDEAS AND OPINIONS. // END ACT // MRS. CLINTON URGED THE CONFERENCE TO OVERLOOK DIFFERENCES AND WORK TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD, SAYING THERE ARE MANY OBSTACLES THAT REMAIN. // CLINTON ACT // AS LONG AS DISCRIMINATION AND INEQUITIES REMAIN SO COMMONPLACE AROUND THE WORLD, AS LONG AS GIRLS AND WOMEN ARE VALUED LESS, FED LESS, FED LAST, OVERWORKED, UNDERPAID, NOT SCHOOLED AND SUBJECTED TO VIOLENCE IN AND OUT OF THEIR HOMES, THE POTENTIAL OF THE HUMAN FAMILY TO CREATE A PEACEFUL, PROSPEROUS WORLD WILL NOT BE REALIZED. // END ACT // ON WEDNESDAY, THE FIRST LADY WILL ADDRESS GRASSROOTS GROUPS AT THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION FORUM THAT IS TAKING PLACE IN THE BEIJING SUBURB OF HUAIROU. (SIGNED) NEB/HO/KK/BG 05-Sep-95 7:07 AM EDT (1107 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America