China slams US human rights record

China today hit out at the US over its human rights record, denouncing its surveillance programmes targeting sovereign nations, drone strikes in Pakistan and prisoner torture around the globe.
Authorities in China released a report to counter US criticism of its rights record.
The US State Department yesterday published a report on human rights practises for 2013 that contained accusations about the communist nation's political and judicial systems, ethnic issues and other matters.
The Chinese report said a large number of overseas surveillance projects conducted by the US violated the sovereignty of other countries and the civil rights of their citizens.

The US National Security Agency monitored phone conversations of 35 leaders of other countries and collected five billion pieces of information every day through tracking cell phone around the world, it said, citing classified documents exposed by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The report slammed the US for frequent drone strikes which caused a large number of civilian casualties.

The US carried out 376 drone strikes in Pakistan since 2004, and up to 926 civilians were reported dead, it said.
It also said the US allegedly tortures prisoners in other countries and regions, and the rights of Guantanamo Bay detainees were affected as many were held indefinitely without trial.

A total of 92 Guantanamo prisoners joined a hunger strike that began in February 2013 to protest indefinite incarceration and bad treatment, the report said.
"Force feedings were carried out. Inmates were chained to chairs by army guards, tubes were inserted through their noses by navy medical workers," it added.