Report: Human rights violations on the rise in China

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- China's rulers continue to oppress personal freedoms using harsh tactics that include obstructing activism and shutting down public protest even as they declare their commitment to human rights, an independent watchdog group said.

Freedom House, a Washington D.C.-based watchdog group, said the country's Communist regime is using "repressive tactics rather than experimenting with more liberal policies." The organization said the problems have only gotten worse since Communist Party leader Xi Jinping came into power in November 2012.

"The result is that the Chinese Communist Party is trapped in a vicious cycle, whereby the actions taken to maintain power risk alienating the population and some of its own members, undermining the regime's long-term legitimacy and security," Sarah Cook, a Freedom House senior research analyst wrote.

In recent years, Chinese leaders have come under growing scrutiny for what some see as increased repression and retaliation. The Hong Kong-based Chinese Human Rights Defender said nearly 1,000 people were placed in detention in 2014 for "exercising and defending human rights."