The Beijing Forum on Human Rights, the first of its kind, opened on Monday with the theme of "Development, Security and Human Rights". Participants of the forum gave a positive comment on China's human rights' achievements, and criticised western countries' double standards on the issue. Our reporter Shi Yingying has the details.

Reporter:

More than 100 officials, scholars and researchers from over 30 countries and international organizations attended the human rights forum on Monday in Beijing.

Luo Haocai, president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said at the opening ceremony that China has achieved tremendous progress in human rights over the past thirty years.

"Chinese people's civil rights and political rights are fully protected. The country values not only the protection of individual human rights, but also collective human rights, which is an important reason for China's stability, social harmony and people's overall freedom."

Several foreign participants also gave positive assessments on China's human rights progress.
Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze is the director-general of the United Nations office in Geneva.

"In the past 30 years, China has made notable achievements in the protection and promotion of people's political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights. This is obvious in the eyes of any outside human rights observers."

Nina Karpachova, the Ukrainian parliamentary commissioner for human rights, drew on her personal experience in her analysis of the Chinese government's efforts to protect human rights in Tibet.

"I have been to Tibet many times, and I was really sad when I heard about the Lhasa riot. China's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected by the international community. All those who seek to undermine the efforts of the Beijing Olympic Games are interfering with China's internal affairs."

The Beijing Forum on Human Rights was organized by the China Society for Human Rights Studies, and will last for three days. Forum President Luo Haocai said he hoped the event will be held regularly to provide a platform for human rights experts to review the history of international human rights development, consolidate and share experiences in human rights protection and discuss future development.