ia while keeping a harsh spotlight on the region's laggards Thursday, sharply criticizing oppression and human rights abuses in China, Myanmar and North Korea. Bush's speech, outlining America's achievements and challenges in Asia as he wraps up eight years in office, came just hours before his flight to Beijing to attend the Olympics. China has rounded up opponents and slapped restrictions on journalists, betraying promises made when it landed the hosting rights.
Chinese officials earlier bristled at Bush's criticism and his meeting with Chinese activists at the White House last week. But Bush also has come under pressure to use his visit to press Beijing even harder for greater religious tolerance and other freedoms.
The White House's handling of the speech demonstrated the president's delicate balancing act. In what appeared to be an effort to ease embarrassment for China as it prepared for its splashy appearance on the world stage, the text of Bush's address was released to media about 18 hours before he delivered it in Thailand.
Then the president and first lady Laura Bush had a string of events Thursday clearly aimed at shifting the focus to the repressive military regime in neighboring Myanmar, which marks the 20th anniversary of a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy activists Friday.
Mrs. Bush, an outspoken advocate for Myanmar, also known as Burma, visited a border refugee camp in Mae La, home to 38,000 Karen, an ethnic minority that human rights organizations say is the target of an ongoing Myanmar military campaign marked by murders of civilians, rapes and razing of villages. She also went to a health clinic run by a woman known as the "Mother Teresa of Burma."
Meanwhile, the president was briefed at the U.S. ambassador's residence on the recovery from the cyclone that devastated Myanmar's heartland and killed more than 80,000 people in May, had lunch with nine Burmese activists and did an interview with local radio journalists in hopes of influencing events across the border.
