Or I guess, to phrase my confusion differently, if they're hoping to exchange this for a concession, and it will be clear to all that this was just a negotiatin

Or I guess, to phrase my confusion differently, if they're hoping to exchange this for a concession, and it will be clear to all that this was just a negotiating tactic when they roll it back ... why bother pretending at the outset that it's a principled stand over human rights? What's the point of the lip-service?