Wednesday March 17, 10:36 AM

Human Rights Watch challenged the United States to sponsor a resolution condemning China for alleged rights abuses at an ongoing UN meeting in Geneva.

"China's implicit threat of deteriorating bilateral relations should not keep the United States from condemning human rights abuses when and where they occur," Brad Adams, executive director of the New York-based organization, said in a statement.

Officials in Washington had strongly hinted last week that the United States would sponsor the resolution at the UN Commission on Human Rights, a 53-member UN body which on Monday began its six-week annual session in Geneva.

But over the past few days, Chinese officials reportedly spoke several times with their US counterparts, including Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, to discourage Washington from tabling the resolution, Human Rights Watch said.

To stave off the resolution, the Chinese government had also released a few well-known political prisoners but "without changing its ongoing abusive practices."

In recent weeks, China released, among others, Tibetan nun Phuntsog Nyidron a year before her 17-year sentence was to run out.

Wang Youcai, serving 11 years for organizing and registering the first opposition political party since 1949, had five years taken off his sentence.

"The United States should be wary of trading a human rights resolution for mere empty promises," Adams said.

China's National People's Congress approved on Sunday long-awaited amendments to the state constitution on protecting human rights and private property, including a landmark provision that "the state respects and protects human rights."

It is widely seen as an admission that existing constitutional protections on human rights are far from adequate.

But the United States and European Union said Beijing should immediately implement the amendments to proof its sincerity in respecting human rights.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/040317/1/3itks.html