United Nations Radio

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour (photo), is concerned about this week's jailing of a human rights defender in China.

Mr. Hu Jia was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for writing and speaking out against the Communist Party. Rupert Colville is the spokesman for the High Commissioner:

"We remain concerned that security laws are being used to bring charges and convict human rights defenders, people who are activists, on human rights issues. So that is an on-going concern and obviously this particular case fits into that category very much so."

In addition, the High Commissioner has been in private discussions with Chinese authorities on the situation in Tibet, where lack of access, she says, makes it difficult to know exactly what is happening there.

Reporting for UN Radio, this is Geraldine Adams.

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