white house defends trump invitation to duterte despite human rights criticism
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

White House defends Trump invitation to Duterte despite human rights criticism

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice White House defends Trump invitation to Duterte despite human rights criticism

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte returns the salute of a Chinese Navy officer as he tours a Chinese
Washington - Emirates Voice

The White House on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's decision to invite Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to Washington, saying his cooperation was needed to counter North Korea, even as the administration faced human rights criticism for its overture to Manila.

Trump issued the invitation on Saturday night in what the White House said was a "very friendly" phone conversation with Duterte, who is accused by international human rights groups of supporting a campaign of extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in the Philippines. 

"There is nothing right now facing this country and facing the region that is a bigger threat than what’s happening in North Korea,” White House chief of staff Reince Priebus told ABC’s "This Week” during a weekend in which Trump sought to firm up support in Southeast Asia to help rein in North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes.

North Korea suggested on Monday it would continue its nuclear weapons tests, saying it will bolster its force "to the maximum" in a "consecutive and successive way at any moment" in the face of what it calls U.S. aggression and hysteria.

Priebus insisted the outreach to Duterte "doesn't mean that human rights don't matter, but what it does mean is that the issues facing us developing out of North Korea are so serious that we need cooperation at some level with as many partners in the area as we can get to make sure we have our ducks in a row.”

Since he came to power last year, Duterte has often sniped at Washington, his country's longtime ally, has sought to mend relations with China and spoken of improving ties with Russia.

Asked on Monday about his invitation from Trump, he was non-committal, telling reporters: "I'm tied up.

"I cannot make any definite promise. I am supposed to go to Russia and go to Israel," he said, referring to already scheduled visits.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Robespierre Bolivar said that once a formal letter of invitation came it would be accepted.

The invitation for Duterte to the visit White House at an unspecified date appeared to be the latest example of the affinity Trump has shown for some foreign leaders with shaky human rights or autocratic reputations.

For instance, he expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 2016 presidential campaign, hosted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi at the White House and has had warm words for Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom Trump is pressing to do more to rein in its ally and neighbor, North Korea.

On Sunday, Trump also extended a White House invitation to Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former general who heads a military government that took power in a 2014 coup. Prayuth’s administration had strained relations with Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama.

"Celebrating a man who boasts of killing his own citizens and inviting him to the White House, while remaining silent on his disgusting human rights record, sends a terrifying message,” said John Sifton, the Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

"By effectively endorsing Duterte's murderous ‘war on drugs’, Trump has made himself morally complicit in future killings,” he said.

A Trump administration official insisted, however, that the invitation was not a reward to Duterte or an endorsement of his policies but a decision that engagement with the Philippines was better than withdrawal which could "intensify bad behavior” by Duterte.

"It’s not a ‘thank you’,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It’s a meeting.”

The official denied a New York Times report citing administration officials saying the State Department and the National Security Council were caught off-guard by the invitation to Duterte and were expected to object internally. "We were not surprised. The guys who prepared for the call were unified on this," the official said.

Priebus made clear that North Korea was the top priority.

"If we don’t have all of our folks together - whether they’re good folks, bad folks, people we wish would do better in their country, doesn’t matter, we’ve got to be on the same page” on North Korea, Priebus said.

But taking a swipe at Trump for his invitation to Duterte, Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Murphy tweeted: "We are watching in real time as the American human rights bully pulpit disintegrates into ash."

Thousands of Filipinos have been killed since Duterte unleashed his fierce anti-drugs campaign nearly 10 months ago. Police say they have killed only in self-defense, and the deaths of other drug dealers and users was down to vigilantes or narcotics gangs silencing potential witnesses.

Human rights groups say official accounts are implausible and accuse Duterte of backing campaign of systematic extrajudicial killings by police. The government denies that.

Duterte was infuriated by the Obama administration's expressions of concern about extrajudicial killings after he took office last year and threatened to sever the long-standing U.S. defence alliance.

Duterte spoke positively about Trump, a fellow populist, after the U.S. presidential election in November, and the new administration has sought ways to mend the alliance.

In a summary of Saturday’s phone call between the two leaders, the White House said the two discussed "the fact that the Philippine government is fighting very hard to rid its country of drugs, a scourge that affects many countries throughout the world.” The White House statement included no criticism of Duterte’s methods.

Source: Timesofoman

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

white house defends trump invitation to duterte despite human rights criticism white house defends trump invitation to duterte despite human rights criticism

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

white house defends trump invitation to duterte despite human rights criticism white house defends trump invitation to duterte despite human rights criticism

 



GMT 10:31 2014 Tuesday ,23 December

Mirages of failure: Lebanon cannot wait

GMT 05:14 2024 Wednesday ,07 February

Sophisticated Classic Dining Room Design Ideas

GMT 18:06 2017 Wednesday ,05 July

Palm-sized baby born in UAE

GMT 06:16 2017 Thursday ,14 September

Saudi aggression wages 15 air strikes on Haradh, Medi

GMT 00:51 2016 Thursday ,01 December

Net Asset of South Korea's Overseas Funds Rise

GMT 16:18 2016 Saturday ,12 November

Indian bank shares slump as new notes prove elusive

GMT 07:16 2017 Monday ,11 September

Saudi warplanes hit Taiz

GMT 00:05 2017 Wednesday ,26 July

Leadership congratulates Tunisian presiden

GMT 06:57 2012 Thursday ,31 May

The Jump Off

GMT 06:16 2012 Thursday ,25 October

Sudan accuses Israel of air raid, threatens action

GMT 01:11 2017 Thursday ,06 July

Decree for restructuring Ajman realty offices

GMT 12:04 2012 Sunday ,06 May

Poetry For Dummies

GMT 15:12 2012 Sunday ,26 February

Sex-guide according to your age

GMT 07:45 2012 Thursday ,08 March

Zafran: Michelin-star food in a mall

GMT 18:38 2017 Saturday ,09 September

Why Indian cities must go for low-carbon energy

GMT 20:36 2017 Saturday ,28 January

Serena Williams Wins Record 23rd Grand Slam Title

GMT 04:07 2017 Friday ,01 September

5.2 magnitude quake hits southern Iran
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
 
 Emirates Voice Facebook,emirates voice facebook  Emirates Voice Twitter,emirates voice twitter Emirates Voice Rss,emirates voice rss  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

emiratesvoieen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen
emiratesvoice emiratesvoice emiratesvoice
emiratesvoice
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice