'Human Rights Backward Countries' China, Russia, Cuba Elected to UN Human Rights Council... Strong US Opposition

Russia and Cuba Enter Without Bloodshed
Jung Overtakes Saudi Arabia for Last Spot
US: "No Change in Human Rights Council Since 2018 Withdrawal"
Human Rights Groups: "Like Assigning Arsonists to Firefighters"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] China, Russia, and Cuba, countries identified by the United States as human rights violators, have been elected as members of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The United States and human rights organizations immediately issued strong criticisms.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press, on the 13th (local time), the UN General Assembly elected 15 countries, including China, Russia, and Cuba, as new members of the UN Human Rights Council, which is composed of a total of 47 countries.

Russia and Cuba entered the council unopposed as there were no competing countries from the same continent. China narrowly secured membership in the Asia-Pacific region, where five countries competed for four vacant seats, joining Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Nepal. Saudi Arabia, which also competed, was eliminated.

The United States immediately opposed the election results. The US had withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council in 2018 and was unable to participate in this vote.

In a statement issued by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the US strongly condemned the outcome. Secretary Pompeo stated, "We urged immediate action for reform before the UN Human Rights Council became irreparable, but today the UN General Assembly once again elected countries with abhorrent human rights records, including China, Russia, and Cuba." Last year, Venezuela, also considered a 'thorn in the side,' was elected as a council member, which further fueled US anger.

The decision came amid the US's strong pressure on China over human rights abuses against Muslim residents in the Xinjiang region, which is understood to have influenced the US response.

Secretary Pompeo also emphasized, "Today's election reaffirms the reason why the United States withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council, forfeiting the opportunity to protect and promote universal human rights."

International human rights organizations also protested. Hillel Neuer, head of UN Watch, a human rights organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, said, "Today is a dark day for human rights," and harshly criticized, "Electing these dictatorships as the UN's human rights judges is like appointing a group of arsonists to the fire brigade."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.