WASHINGTON (Reuters) - de Democratische presidentiële kandidaat Hillary Clinton spoorde President George W. aan Bush op Maandag om Olympics die van Peking te boycotten ceremonies openen deze zomer tenzij China rechten van de mens verbetert.

Clinton, in een verklaring, haalde hevige conflicten in Tibet en het gebrek aan druk door China op de Soedan aan om de „volkerenmoord in Darfur tegen te houden.“

„Op dit ogenblik, en gezien recente gebeurtenissen, geloof ik President Bush niet bij het bijwonen van de openingsceremonies in Peking, afwezige belangrijke veranderingen door de Chinese overheid zou moeten plannen,“ de bovengenoemde senator van New York.

Bush plans to attend the Summer Olympics ceremonies in Beijing in August and so far has resisted pressure to change his plans in response to a violent crackdown against protesters in Tibet by Chinese authorities.

China has also been accused of refusing to use its influence on the Sudanese government to get it to stop what the United States calls a genocide in the Darfur region.

Clinton joined U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California in calling on Bush to boycott the ceremonies.

“I encourage the Chinese to take advantage of this moment as an opportunity to live up to universal human aspirations of respect for human rights and unity, ideals that the Olympic games have come to represent,” Clinton said.

Speaking before Clinton’s statement was released, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said that, “We have a great deal of concern about human rights in China.”

“We have never been afraid to express those views,” he said.

He said the Bush administration expects American athletes to participate in the Olympics.

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Toby Zakaria, editing by Lori Santos)

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