Credit: Dawn.Com
People professing different faiths — Illustration by Faraz Aamer Khan

People professing different faiths — Illustration by Faraz Aamer Khan

BEIJING: China criticized the US for its annual report on global religious freedom Tuesday, calling it a political tool based on groundless accusations that displayed Washington’s arrogance and ignorance.

The US State Department report released Monday highlighted what it said was a lack of religious freedom in China as well as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea.

It said there had been ”a marked deterioration during 2011 in the government’s respect for and protection of religious freedom” in China, and that there was ”severe” repression of religious freedom in Tibetan areas and the far western region of Xinjiang, home to a significant number of Muslims.

Tibetan areas of China have seen a surge in self-immolations since 2011, and the report said that tightened restrictions on Buddhist worship contributed to at least 12 of them last year.
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