As usual, the US State Department published its annual report on human rights practices in world countries last Monday. 
	
	
 And as usual, the portion about China contains little truth and many absurdities, exaggerations and fabrications. 
	
	
 Its aim of the 2001 report is to tarnish China's image and exert political pressure on the Chinese Government, human rights experts said at a seminar held by the China Society for Study of Human Rights (CSSHR) on Friday. 
	
	
 "The United States was slandering China again," said Xirao-Nima, a professor of Tibetan history at the Central University for Nationalities. 
	
	
 It has no right to issue such a false human rights report, experts said. 
	
	
 "The United States has violated the UN spirit of not interfering in other countries' internal affairs," said Jin Yongjian, a former deputy secretary-general of the United Nations. 
	
	
 "The United Nations has held the high goal of protecting human rights," Jin said. "But it never requested or authorized the United States to compile or release such reports." 
	
	
 "The United States has completely violated the UN Charter and the principles of relevant international conferences and documents," he added. 
	
	
 The United States has not only made a procedural mistake, but the facts are incorrect, officials said. 
	
	
 "It somewhat softens its tone in the China human rights report. But it nevertheless uses human rights issues to slander China," CSSHR President Zhou Jue said. 
	
	
 "I have been to Tibet many times. I have seen the truth there, which is very different from what some US politicians with ulterior motives have described," said Xirao-Nima, who is a Tibetan. 
	
	
 Some Westerners who have been there have also seen the ever-improving human rights in the Tibet Autonomous Region, he added. 
	
	
 After visiting the region several times, Italian senator Renzo Gubert, praised the Chinese Government's efforts to protect the indigenous cultural and religious heritage while developing the local economy. 
	
	
 After a visit to Tibet in 2000, the Italian parliamentary delegation issued a press communique agreeing that the development of Tibet is far better than what has been reported by some Western media. 
	
	
 The central government has built and renovated a number of monasteries. From 1989 to 1994, the central government invested 53 million yuan (US$6.4 million) to repair the Potala Palace. Later spent another 4.9 million yuan (US$590,360) to update the palace's fire safety facilities. 
	
	
 Renzo Gubert once said that what impressed him most is that local Tibetans enjoy a high level of religious freedom. The Italian senator's words are in sharp contrast to what was contained in the so-called China human rights report compiled by the United States, which blindly accuses China of restricting religious freedom in Tibet. 
	
	
 The report uses many unsubstantiated stories to illustrate its unwarranted assertions. 
	
	
 "Throughout the report, there are many doubtful phrases, such as 'according to credible reports', 'various sources' and 'anecdotal evidence,' to name a few. It shows that these so-called truths are not true at all," said Xirao-Nima. 
	
	
 To back up their reckless conclusion, the report lists many incidents where it said religious freedom was violated. 
	
	
 Take the case of Li Guangqiang for example. The report said China should not have arrested Li, a Hong Kong businessman, who was charged with smuggling Bibles into the country in July. 
	
	
 "His behaviour has violated the Chinese law," said the Rev Cao Shengjie of the China Christian Council. Cao said the smuggled Bibles were editions translated by the 'Shouters' sect. It is heresy," said Cao. "The 'Shouters' claim they are bigger than Jesus." 
	
	
 The sect has been banned because of its activities in China in the 1980s. 
	
	
 Cao said to meet the demand of the 15 million Protestants in China, 28 million copies of the Bible, including those printed in ethnic languages, have been printed. 
	
	
 The US human rights report also accuses China of taking advantage of anti-terrorism campaigns to crackdown on ethnic group people living in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. 
	
	
 It said the United States fears "a spillover from the anti-terrorist campaign in Afghanistan and a perceived opportunity to legitimize measures against the Muslim Uighur activists under the anti-terrorism umbrella." 
	
	
 "Some US politicians have made a mistake. Those that want to secede from the nation and engage in terrorist activities are terrorists, not any particular ethnic group," said Ma Dazheng, director of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region's Development Research Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 
	
	
 Whoever engages in terrorism, whether he or she is of Han people or of a minority people, should be brought to the justice, Ma said. 
	
	
 "It is analogous to the US crackdown on terrorists in Afghanistan," Ma said. 
	
	
 The United States often says that although al-Qaida members and the Taliban are Muslims, US troops are bombing them because they are terrorists, not Muslims, he said.