On Jan 6 local time, violent demonstrations rocked Washington, with some protesters storming the Capitol building to prevent the Congress, which was in session, from declaring Joe Biden winner in the presidential election. Four protesters were killed and a police officer who was critically injured later died.

Some in the United States are always happy to welcome such "civilian demonstrations" in other countries and regions while turning a blind eye to how it upsets the normal social order and destroys public property there.

Some US politicians have even portrayed such atrocities as "beautiful sight".
When it comes to developing countries such as China, some international human rights officials and those attached with the Western media try to be "politically correct", justifying actions targeting the government. It seems human rights can always be used as a weapon to slam the governments of other countries. Such behavior defies logic.

Human rights are not mere slogans, but have legal connotations. Respecting and protecting human rights is essential to the pursuit of the rule of law and the inherent goal of development.

When rioting in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region endangered the unity and security of China, the US Congress, pursuing unilateralism and long-arm jurisdiction, passed a bill to impose sanctions on some Hong Kong and mainland officials, seriously interfering in the internal affairs of another country. By doing so, the US undermines other countries' sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests of their institutions, companies and citizens.

However, the violent demonstrations in Washington have elicited fierce reactions across the US, with many politicians stressing that it is intolerable. In a televised statement, a White House spokesperson condemned the violence in strong terms and said those who broke the law should be punished to the full extent of the law.

The US government has arrested a large number of protesters for disrupting the proceedings of the Congress, and is ready to prosecute them on different charges. This is in sharp contrast to its attitude toward similar events in other countries.

All countries should promote the protection and development of human rights in the spirit and framework of the rule of law, and respect the rights of people of all countries to independently choose their own development path. There is a principle of estoppel in international law, which requires a country's legal position and proposition to be consistent and to deal with the same issue with the same logic.

－LIU HUAWEN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW,CHINESE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES