AFP
Beijing: China has defended its human rights record as it hit back at Amnesty International over charges that authorities were stepping up repression of dissidents ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
“Anybody who knows about China will not agree on this report on the deterioration of the Chinese human rights situation,” foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters.
“We hope Amnesty can take off the coloured glasses it has worn for many years to see China in an objective way.”
Amnesty released a report on Monday saying that Chinese authorities had stepped up repression of rights activists and lawyers to silence dissent and present a picture of social harmony at the Games, which start on 8August.
