China's university students focus on human rights
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-03-16 09:48

Family planning policy, death penalty, freedom of speech and other issues were fiercely debated at a human rights course that began last Wednesday at Guangzhou University.

Li buyun, the 72-year-old professor, answered all the questions fired by more than 100 enrolled students, their majors ranging from journalism to mathematics.

"This is the reason why I am here," said Li, one of China's best-known law experts on human rights and director of the Research Center for Human rights, Guangzhou University.

"I want them to learn how to protect their rights and those around them, and I wish they can tell what is right and what is not."

His students didn't disappoint him. Regarding the frequent attacks by Western nations on China's human rights record, Wu Sujuan, a student majoring in English, said, "Every country has its own problems of human rights based on its own history and background. It is pointless simply to attack or counterattack. What we should do is to know more about the problem and try to solve it."

Li yan, a mathematics student, said he loved all the debates and discussions.

"In this way, we have all our long-standing questions answered." he said.

Yuan weiguo, a university official, said despite all the disputes over human rights, education on human rights will be a common concern across China very soon.

"What Professor Li did is just to kick-start it." he said.

Before the 2004 constitution amendment, Li, as an adviser, had called for the inclusion of human rights protection in the country's constitution.

"Socialists should be advocates of humanitarianism and human rights protection," said the professor, who has actively participated in China's human rights dialogues with Western countries.

Obviously, he wants more people, especially students, to know about his ideas.

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