Human rights report takes on U.S., China

LONDON, May 28 (UPI) -- Human rights remain in danger 60 years after the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, said London's Amnesty International.

"The human rights flash points in Darfur, Zimbabwe, Gaza, Iraq and Myanmar demand immediate action," said Irene Khan, the organization's secretary-general, when unveiling Amnesty International's "State of the World's Human Rights" 2008 report. "Injustice, inequality and impunity are the hallmarks of our world today. Governments must act now to close the yawning gap between promise and performance."

The biggest threat to human rights is the absence of a shared vision and collective leadership, Amnesty International said in a news release.

The report singled out several countries and remedies, including:

-- China must allow free speech and press freedoms and end "re-education through labor."

-- The United States must close its Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility and other secret detention centers, prosecute detainees fairly or release them and reject use of torture and ill-treatment.

-- Russia must show greater tolerance for political dissent.

-- The European Union must hold its members to the same human rights standards it does other countries.

The report said people faced torture, mistreatment, unfair trials and censorship around the world.