Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Special Briefing
Karen Stewart
Acting Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Remarks to...
Washington, DC
February 25, 2009
Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Let me say a few words here at the
beginning about the production of the reports and make some brief observations about their content.
These congressionally mandated annual reports were delivered to Congress earlier today, and they
Officers at our overseas posts go to great lengths to gather factual information for these reports.
Here at the Department of State, we owe special thanks to Steven Eisenbraun, who coordinates the
production of the reports in my bureau, to dozens of dedicated officers throughout my bureau of DRL,
as well as in bureaus throughout the Department, all of whom have worked hard over many weeks to
ensure that these reports meet high standards of accuracy and objectivity.
The reports themselves are based on information that we have received from governments,
multilateral institutions, from national and international nongovernmental groups, and from
academics, jurists, religious groups and the media. They have gone through a lengthy process of
checking and cross-checking. As we present these reports, the Department of State remains mindful
of the both international and domestic scrutiny of our own human rights record.
President Obama has made it clear that we reject as false the choice between our safety and our
ideals. We do not consider views about our performance voiced by others in the international
internal affairs, nor should other governments regard expressions about their performance as such.
We and all other sovereign nations have international obligations to respect the universal human
rights and freedoms of our citizens. And it is the responsibility of others to speak out when they
Since the days of our own nation’s founding, we have endeavored to correct injustices and fully
promote respect for fundamental freedoms for all of our citizens. These efforts have been spurred
and are sustained by an accountable democratic system of government, the rule of law, a vibrant free
media, and most important of all, the civic activism of our citizenry.
The U.S. Government will continue to hear and reply forthrightly to concerns about our own practices.
We will continue to submit reports to international bodies, in accordance with our obligations under
Now, in the introduction to these reports, readers will find overviews highlighting key trends in each
geographic region. Each of the regional overviews is followed by thumbnail sketches of selected
countries, ordered alphabetically, but were chosen for notable developments – positive, negative or
For the more comprehensive, detailed information, we refer you to each of the individual country
reports. I wish to emphasize that the country-specific reports cover calendar year 2008 only.
Relevant developments that have taken place since December 31, 2008 will be covered in next year’s
reports.
Each country’s report speaks for itself. However, some broad cross-cutting observations can be
drawn. One, in 2008, pushback against demands for greater personal and political freedom continued
in many countries across the globe. A disturbing number of countries leveled burdensome, restrictive
or repressive laws and regulations against nongovernmental organizations and the media, including
the internet. Many courageous human rights defenders who peacefully pressed for their own rights
and those of their fellow countrymen and women were harassed, threatened, arrested and
Two, human rights abuses remain a symptom of deeper dysfunctions within political systems. The
most serious human rights abuses tended to occur in countries where unaccountable rulers wielded
unchecked power or there was government failure or collapse, often exacerbated or caused by
And three, healthy political systems are far more likely to respect human rights. Countries in which
human rights were most protected and respected were characterized by the following electoral,
institutional and societal elements: free and fair electoral processes that include not only a clean
casting and honest counting of ballots on election day, but also a run-up to the voting that allows real
competition and full respect for the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association;
independent judiciaries under the rule of law to ensure that leaders who win elections democratically
also govern democratically and are responsive to the will and needs of the people; and vibrant
societies, including independent nongovernmental organizations and free media. While governments
bear the ultimate responsibility for living up to their commitments under international law, the work
of individuals, civil society groups and independent media in advancing human rights is vital to the
expansion of freedom.
To be sure, even in countries where these elements are present, human rights abuses at times
occurred – democratic elections can be marred with irregularities; there can be abuses of power and
miscarriages of justice. States having weak institutions of democratic government and struggling
economies can fall far short of meeting the needs and expectations of their people for a better life.
Corruption can undermine public trust, and long-marginalized segments of populations of some
countries have yet to enjoy full participation in the life of their nations.
Insecurity due to internal and/or cross-border conflict can hinder respect for and retard progress in
human rights. But when the electoral, institutional and societal elements described above obtain, the
prospects are far greater for problems to be addressed, for correctives to be applied, and
improvements to be made.
Taken together, the three trends we noted – the growing worldwide demand for greater personal and
political freedom, governmental efforts to push back on those freedoms and further confirmation that
human rights flourish best in participatory democracies with vibrant civil societies confirm the
continuing need for vigorous United States diplomacy to speak out and act against human rights
abuses, at the same time that our country carefully reviews its own performance. These trends
further confirm the need to combine diplomacy with creative strategies that can help to develop
December 10th of 2008 marked the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly. In the decades since the declaration’s
adoption, there have been remarkable gains on every continent for the rights it enumerates. Still, 60
years later, hundreds of millions of people are denied fundamental freedoms by their governments.
The United States is a country founded on human rights and the rule of law. In publishing these
reports, we seek to be a source of information, hope, and help to people everywhere who are
oppressed, silenced, and marginalized. We are committed to working at all levels – national, regional,
and global – to ensure the human rights enshrined in the universal declaration are protected and
respected.
And now, I’ll be happy to take your questions. Please state your name, and the news organization you
represent.
Matt.
really probably a question better directed to her. But since you are the one who is up here, I’m
wondering if you can square some things, especially about China. This report is highly critical of China,
or at least it notes that there were some – there were severe and substantial human rights abuses in
There are 44 pages of pretty damning accounts of these abuses, and I’m wondering how you can
square – how you square this with Secretary Clinton’s comments last week that the human rights
dialogue with China cannot be allowed to interfere with cooperation in other areas, broader areas like
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: Well, with China, the report certainly concludes that
China’s human rights reports remain – human rights record remains poor in 2008, and it worsened in
some areas. I think, though, you should look at all the remarks that the Secretary made and what she
did when she was out in China. As she says, human rights area is a fundamental aspect of our foreign
policy. We – and in all bilateral relations, we work to achieve all of our goals and national interests.
Human rights problems were raised, have been raised in the past, were raised by the Secretary in
China, will continue to be raised, and we will continue to express our concern for specific cases and
for the overall issues that we would like to see improvements in.
QUESTION: So you’re not worried about a disconnect or that this report, in singling out – well, in
raising these abuses that were committed by the Chinese authorities will in any way hurt the dialogue
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: I don’t think there is a disconnect. We put out in
these reports as factual and as objective a report as we can of what we saw happening in 2008.
QUESTION: And you’re not concerned about any negative reaction or any unwillingness, based on
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: I think we’ll have a full dialogue with the Chinese on
all areas.
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: It was – I did choose this woman first, so --
QUESTION: Yeah, thank you. There was a lack of clarity during that trip. The impression, whether it
was right or wrong, that was given was that the U.S. was going to downplay, or was downplaying,
human rights. Now, what we’re hearing from the Secretary today says, “I want results. I’m looking
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: Well, I think we’ve always wanted results, and she
is underlining that this is still our policy to see results in human rights, but also that we are looking
-- as a new Administration, we are looking at most – at all of our policies, and at creative ways to
She mentioned going – it’s not just what you say government-to-government; it’s building networks
with NGOs, it’s reaching out to the media, it’s reaching out to people and trying to approach human
rights issues in all the different ways -- aspects that you can.
There’s also the fact that we work with other partners, with other countries. We work in multilateral
organizations. To my way of thinking, it’s just making clear that we are going to try this from all
different approaches.
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: I don’t think it’s downplaying; I think it’s adding to
it.
QUESTION: Talking about government-to-government, what about cases like Iran, which the report
states that the human rights situation got worse throughout the last -- you know, 2008? Is there
going to be any – are you going to reach out to Iranian officials regarding this situation?
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: Well, our policy towards Iran remains under review.
And as long – until that review is completed, I’m not able to get into the detail of that. I would just
repeat that in general, as we’ve said, promoting human rights is going to be a – is and remains a
central tenant of our foreign policy. We will continue to encourage Iran to abide by its international
commitments, to respect human rights, and in this report, we call attention to where we see the
problem areas.
Yes, ma’am.
QUESTION: (Inaudible), Radio Marti. Concerning Cuba, in this year, have you seen any
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: There were some very minor improvements in
Raoul allowing, I think, some cell phones and such, but nothing that really significantly affected the
lives of the people, still very concerned, there were – I guess the number of political prisoners also
reduced by a few, but we’re still very concerned, and called for the release of the 200-plus political
prisoners still there, and for generally allowing the Cuban people the freedom to – all the basic
freedoms of press and association and expression, which they still do not have.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) with the Voice of America. Is North Korea again one of the worst violators of
human rights in 2008? And how does the State Department plan to address the human rights issue?
Will you be prioritizing the denuclearization process over human rights dialogue?
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: Well, we don’t – I’m not -- you know, I don’t
compare one country to the other, so I’m not doing rankings, or worst in that sense. But North Korea
certainly falls in that category that I discussed in the general trends of a country where you have a
very authoritarian leadership, and human rights, I have to say, are really, when you look at the whole
situation and read the report for North Korea, abysmal, in that case.
Human rights, we have always said and we – will be a part of our overall normalization dialogue when,
you know, we’re at negotiations, relations with North Korea, not – so again, I’m not prioritizing it. It’s
a part – you have a broad relationship you have to work on when we get to the point of being able to
have something like, move towards more talks with North Korea, and it’s a part of that.
QUESTION: May I follow up to that? Are you going to actually follow through and appoint a full-time
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: You know, the – what’s – we will certainly – I – let’s
start over. Yes, congressionally mandated and following the law, we will in time, at the appropriate
QUESTION: Yeah, in Burma and Vietnam, the report seems to point to downward trends or to
indications of things getting worse. Could you say something about those two countries? And what is
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: Well, Burma, I think certainly hasn’t gotten any
better. It continues – they – in fact, indeed, in 2008, the reports notes the continued, -- again,
political prisoners. Numerous democracy activists were given quite draconian prison sentences in
2008. And so, yes, quite a significant increase in the number of prisoners there, and generally,
We’ve – we are – we will be conducting a review of our U.S.-Burma policy, and again, with the notion
of looking for are there any other ways that we haven’t tried, are there more creative ways that we
might try to add to our approach to push for greater respect for human rights in Burma. And we
continue to urge the regime to heal – to heed the calls of the UN Security Council, which is to release
all the political prisoners and to begin a genuine dialogue with the democratic opposition and the
On Vietnam – remind me what it said in Vietnam – again, a case of – one of continuing restrictions so
that, you know, we saw some cracking down on dissent greater than before. We saw some tightening
control on press, speech, assembly, association. We’re still concerned about the level of trafficking in
persons. So – although I think if you read the report, you’ll get more details of where some steps
were positive and others were not. Overall, we find the situation is still unsatisfactory.
MR. DUGUID: Ambassador, you have time for one more question.
QUESTION: Madame --
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: Let me get a couple – let me get a couple of these
quickly. One, Tibetans are crying for human rights. And when Secretary Rice was in China, this issue
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: Well, I know some things are happening in Tibet or,
you know, events even today. But yes, we continue to press the need – our concern that they’re –
that that’s one of the areas in which the – China’s human rights record worsened this year was in the
errant treatment and the social, cultural, and religious restrictions on Tibet and on the Xinjiang
Autonomous Regions.
QUESTION: And second, Amnesty International – just recalling that when this Pakistani delegation
was here in the State Department, and what Amnesty is saying, that hundreds of thousands of
Baluchs are then – disappeared, and they want to know that – if the Secretary can press this issue as
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: Well, generally, I – again, I’m not aware myself of
the details of the Baluch, but we have seen some improvements in human right – in human rights
records in Pakistan, but we have – also find that there’s a lot of it that’s still poor, and we – the
government has said it’s committed to more reforms, and we’re going to continue to press them and
QUESTION: With the new emphasis of President Obama on the human rights now, I wonder how
much – how you’re going to try to reconcile your principles when it comes to human rights, with your
alliances, with, you know, close alliances with some countries like Israel. Now the Israelis’
government – the Israeli government is trying to inform the – or inform the Palestinians of Jerusalem,
1,500 families, that they have to leave their land, their homes in the city. And this goes against the
Geneva Convention. Now, how forthcoming are you going to be when it comes to human rights of
these Palestinians beside the children of Gaza and the civilians in there that have been bombed?
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY STEWART: Well, I think you should look, as I say, in our reports
to see exact – see our take on what happened in 2008, and to be assured that we continue to press
the government and the authorities and to respect on all sides – on both – on – throughout the region
to respect the human rights, to protect civilians, and to fulfill their international commitments.
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PRN: 2009/159
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