[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 225 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 225

 Designating the third week of July 1993 as ``Captive Nations Week'', 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 1, 1993

    Mr. Gilman introduced the following joint resolution; which was 
       referred to the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
 Designating the third week of July 1993 as ``Captive Nations Week'', 
                        and for other purposes.

Whereas the greatness of the United States is in a large part attributable to 
        its having been able, through the democratic process, to achieve a 
        harmonious national unity of its people, even though they stem from the 
        most diverse of racial, religious, and ethnic backgrounds;
Whereas this harmonious unification of the diverse elements of our free society 
        has led the people of the United States to possess a warm understanding 
        and sympathy for the aspirations of peoples everywhere for democracy and 
        to recognize the interdependency of the nations of the world;
Whereas the continuing oppression of a substantial part of the world's 
        population under Communism constitutes a detriment to the natural bonds 
        of understanding between the people of the United States and other 
        peoples;
Whereas Communist oppression and imperialism led to the subjugation of the 
        national independence of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, 
        Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhastan, 
        Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Hungary, 
        Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, and other states, and 
        continues to oppress the peoples of China, Tibet, Cuba, North Korea, 
        Vietnam, and Laos;
Whereas nations oppressed by Communism look to the United States as a citadel of 
        democracy and freedom for leadership in bringing about their liberation 
        and restoring to them the enjoyment of their religious freedoms and of 
        their individual liberties; and
Whereas it is fitting that we clearly manifest to such peoples through an 
        appropriate and official means the fact that the people of the United 
        States share with them their aspirations for the recovery of their 
        freedom and independence: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL POLICY STATEMENTS.

    The Congress--
            (1) praises and commends the peoples of those nations of 
        Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia, formerly held captive 
        by the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact alliance, who have 
        liberated themselves from their captivity;
            (2) encourages those newly liberated nations in their 
        efforts to build democracy and market-based economies; and
            (3) calls upon the peoples of those newly liberated nations 
        to refrain from following the leadership of those who would 
        seek to follow an aggressive or authoritarian relationship with 
        either the citizens of those countries or with their 
        neighboring states.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF CAPTIVE NATIONS WEEK.

    The third week of July 1993 is designated as ``Captive Nations 
Week'', and the President is authorized and requested to issue a 
proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe 
such week with appropriate ceremonies and activities. The President is 
further authorized and requested to issue a similar proclamation each 
year until such time as freedom and independence shall have been 
achieved for all the captive nations of the world.

SEC. 3. REPEAL.

    Public Law 86-90 is repealed.

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