AFP, London :
Amnesty International on Wednesday urged US president-elect Donald Trump to commit to upholding human rights, criticising his “poisonous rhetoric” following the Republican candidate’s election victory.
Trump has “raised serious concerns about the strength of commitment we can expect to see from the United States towards human rights in the future,” said Salil Shetty, secretary general of the London-based group.
“He must now put this behind him and both reaffirm and abide by the United States’ obligations on human rights, at home and abroad,” Shetty said.
Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA, criticised “disturbing and, at times, poisonous rhetoric” from Trump in the campaign.
“This rhetoric cannot and must not become government policy. The xenophobic, sexist and other hateful remarks made by Trump have no place in government.
“From internment camps to the use of torture, we have seen disastrous results when those we elect to represent us flout the United States’ obligations to uphold human rights,” she said.
Trump “must publicly commit to upholding the human rights of all without discrimination”.
During a bitter two-year campaign that tugged at America’s democratic fabric, the 70-year-old tycoon pledged to deport illegal immigrants and ban Muslims from entering the United States.
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump was expected to huddle with advisers at his Manhattan residence Sunday, plotting next moves after thousands of protesters besieged Trump Tower and marched in other US cities for a fourth day.
The demonstrations have become daily affairs following Trump’s upset defeat of rival Hillary Clinton, who blamed FBI director James Comey for her loss during a conference call to campaign donors.
Comey, who in late October re-opened a probe into her emails, had “stopped our momentum,” she told supporters, according to US media.
The move, she said, cleared the way for a victory for Trump, who appears to be making some headway in forming a new administration.
Campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told reporters his appointment of a White House chief of staff was “imminent” and that Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus was among the candidates for the key post.
Trump has sought to strike a conciliatory tone since his election sent a shockwave around the world, announcing Friday he no longer intended to completely scrap Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law, Obamacare.
“This will prove to be a great time in the lives of ALL Americans. We will unite and we will win, win, win!” he tweeted Saturday.
The news came as a crowd of more than 10,000 people marched toward Trump Tower in Manhattan amid cries of “Trump is NOT my president.”
In Los Angeles, as many as 10,000 people turned out for a march in the city’s downtown after a night of protests that ended in several hundred arrests.
And thousands more marched peacefully in Chicago, walking past Trump’s skyscraper which is emblazoned with his name in giant letters.
Amnesty International on Wednesday urged US president-elect Donald Trump to commit to upholding human rights, criticising his “poisonous rhetoric” following the Republican candidate’s election victory.
Trump has “raised serious concerns about the strength of commitment we can expect to see from the United States towards human rights in the future,” said Salil Shetty, secretary general of the London-based group.
“He must now put this behind him and both reaffirm and abide by the United States’ obligations on human rights, at home and abroad,” Shetty said.
Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA, criticised “disturbing and, at times, poisonous rhetoric” from Trump in the campaign.
“This rhetoric cannot and must not become government policy. The xenophobic, sexist and other hateful remarks made by Trump have no place in government.
“From internment camps to the use of torture, we have seen disastrous results when those we elect to represent us flout the United States’ obligations to uphold human rights,” she said.
Trump “must publicly commit to upholding the human rights of all without discrimination”.
During a bitter two-year campaign that tugged at America’s democratic fabric, the 70-year-old tycoon pledged to deport illegal immigrants and ban Muslims from entering the United States.
Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump was expected to huddle with advisers at his Manhattan residence Sunday, plotting next moves after thousands of protesters besieged Trump Tower and marched in other US cities for a fourth day.
The demonstrations have become daily affairs following Trump’s upset defeat of rival Hillary Clinton, who blamed FBI director James Comey for her loss during a conference call to campaign donors.
Comey, who in late October re-opened a probe into her emails, had “stopped our momentum,” she told supporters, according to US media.
The move, she said, cleared the way for a victory for Trump, who appears to be making some headway in forming a new administration.
Campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told reporters his appointment of a White House chief of staff was “imminent” and that Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus was among the candidates for the key post.
Trump has sought to strike a conciliatory tone since his election sent a shockwave around the world, announcing Friday he no longer intended to completely scrap Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law, Obamacare.
“This will prove to be a great time in the lives of ALL Americans. We will unite and we will win, win, win!” he tweeted Saturday.
The news came as a crowd of more than 10,000 people marched toward Trump Tower in Manhattan amid cries of “Trump is NOT my president.”
In Los Angeles, as many as 10,000 people turned out for a march in the city’s downtown after a night of protests that ended in several hundred arrests.
And thousands more marched peacefully in Chicago, walking past Trump’s skyscraper which is emblazoned with his name in giant letters.
