GENEVA, Mar 23, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) Britain denounced human rights abuses in China and Zimbabwe, and expressed concern at the plight of Chechen civilians in Russia, at the UN's annual human rights hearings in Geneva on Thursday.

Junior foreign minister John Battle said Britain was "concerned about the use of the death penalty and administrative detention, and incidents of torture and degrading treatment of detainees."

He mentioned in particular the plight of democracy activists and followers of the Falun Gong [group] during his address to the session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

[...]

On Monday, European Union ministers said the EU would express its concern about "serious human rights violations" in China during the Commission's annual six-week session, which began here on Monday.

While the EU said it would not co-sign a United States-sponsored resolution against China, it said it would vote for it. The U.S. resolution is due to be presented in the second week of April. ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse)