[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 347 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 347

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the 
 human rights situation in China and Tibet and encouraging the United 
     States to sponsor and press for the enactment of a resolution 
condemning the human rights situation in China and Tibet at the annual 
       meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 25, 1996

   Mr. Porter (for himself, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. 
 Engel, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Wolf, and Mr. Berman) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the 
 human rights situation in China and Tibet and encouraging the United 
     States to sponsor and press for the enactment of a resolution 
condemning the human rights situation in China and Tibet at the annual 
       meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Whereas the already intolerable human rights situation in China and Tibet has 
        deteriorated over the past year;
Whereas thousands of political prisoners are in detention in China and Tibet;
Whereas many leading Chinese and Tibetan intellectuals, academics and religious 
        figures have been intimidated, imprisoned and denied due process;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China prosecuted Wei 
        Jinsheng, known as the father of democracy in China, for acts arising 
        out of his peaceful exercise of internationally recognized and 
        guaranteed human rights, and convicted and sentenced him on December 13, 
        1995, to 14 years' imprisonment;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has interfered in the 
        selection of the Panchen Lama, politicizing a purely religious matter, 
        further alienating the Tibetan people, and violating the universal right 
        to freedom of religion;
Whereas for three consecutive years, the United States has been a primary 
        sponsor at the annual meetings of the United Nations Commission on Human 
        Rights of resolutions criticizing the human rights practices of the 
        Government of the People's Republic of China in China and Tibet;
Whereas these resolutions have called upon the Government of the People's 
        Republic of China to ensure the observance of human rights and to 
        cooperate with United Nations special rapporteurs and working groups, 
        and these resolutions have requested the Secretary General of the United 
        Nations to prepare a report for the United Nations Commission on Human 
        Rights on the human rights situation in China and Tibet;
Whereas at the March 1995 meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human 
        Rights in Geneva, the United States-sponsored resolution on human rights 
        in the People's Republic of China failed to be enacted by a margin of 
        only one vote;
Whereas in May 1994 the President of the United States pledged strong support 
        for efforts through international forums to call attention to and 
        criticize the human rights practices of the Government of the People's 
        Republic of China and to press for changes in these practices;
Whereas active and aggressive efforts by the United States at the March 1996 
        session of the United Nations in support of a resolution concerning the 
        human rights situation in China and Tibet could lead to the successful 
        adoption of such a resolution; and
Whereas the adoption of such a resolution by the United Nations Commission on 
        Human Rights would send a strong message to the Government of the 
        People's Republic of China that the international community will not 
        tolerate its continued violations of internationally recognized human 
        rights in China and Tibet: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the United States should sponsor and vigorously press for passage of a 
resolution at the 1996 meeting of the United Nations Commission on 
Human Rights that calls attention to and criticizes human rights 
violations in China and Tibet and that calls on the Government of the 
People's Republic of China to ensure the observance of human rights.
                                 <all>