Rights lawyer accuses Clinton of being inconsistent

JAKARTA (JP): President Bill Clinton's decision to renew most favored nation (MFN) trade status for China shows that the United States is inconsistent with its own commitment to defending human rights, human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis says.

"We all know that there is very much criticism against the violation of human rights in China," Mulya, the president of the Center for Human Rights Studies, said yesterday.

But a waffling Clinton decided to put the U.S. economic interests before its political interests, he said during a panel discussion to review the Indonesian version of David P. Forsythe's book Human Rights and World Politics at the American Cultural Center Library.

"We should be honest to ourselves. Human rights issues are often used as an instrument of foreign policy," Mulya said.

Washington has also brought human rights pressure against Indonesia in the past. It is currently reviewing whether or not to withdraw the generalized system of preferences (GSP) facility from Indonesia unless Jakarta improves its labor record.

A decision is expected in August, but Indonesian officials are anticipating favorable ruling given the increasing economic interests in the region on the part of the U.S.

American human rights policy is dictated by political interests, and this was what had happened when the Washington renewed China's MFN status, Mulya said.

Mulya said since the time of President Richard Nixon, U.S. administrations have been inconsistent when it comes to human rights and foreign policy, with political situations dictating decisions.

He pointed out that Forsythe' book mentioned that it was highly impossible for any U.S. administration to be fully consistent with its human rights principles.

Any U.S. president will always face difficult choices and living with double-standards is an inseparable part of high government positions, he said.

It was also for this reason that Amnesty International, a London-based human rights organization, is suggesting that Clinton should now explain to the public that he made the decision to protect American's economic interests, Mulya added. (arf)