[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 378 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 378

  Deploring recent actions by the government of Serbia that restrict 
 freedom of the press and freedom of expression and prevent the Soros 
  Foundation from continuing its democracy-building and humanitarian 
 activities on its territory and calling upon the government of Serbia 
to remove immediately restrictions against freedom of the press and the 
                   operation of the Soros Foundation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 12, 1996

  Mr. Lantos (for himself and Mr. Bereuter, Mr. Barr of Georgia, Mr. 
    Bass, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. Ballenger, and Mr. Watts of 
Oklahoma) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Deploring recent actions by the government of Serbia that restrict 
 freedom of the press and freedom of expression and prevent the Soros 
  Foundation from continuing its democracy-building and humanitarian 
 activities on its territory and calling upon the government of Serbia 
to remove immediately restrictions against freedom of the press and the 
                   operation of the Soros Foundation.

Whereas free and independent news media and freedom of expression are 
        fundamental tenets of democracy and are vital to assuring democratic 
        government;
Whereas democracy can exist only in an environment that is free of any form of 
        state control or censorship or official coercion of any kind and where 
        freedom of the press is protected by the rule of law;
Whereas independent radio and television stations and independent newspapers in 
        Serbia have recently been subjected to restrictions, harassment, 
        intimidation, and closure;
Whereas the internationally respected humanitarian and philanthropic 
        organization, the Soros Foundation, has been denied the legal 
        authorization to function in Serbia, and one of the principal activities 
        of the Soros Foundation in Serbia has been to provide assistance for 
        regular publication and distribution of independent daily, weekly, and 
        local newspapers and to provide equipment and technical assistance to 
        independent radio and television outlets; and
Whereas parliamentary elections will take place in Serbia in the near future and 
        the existence of free and independent news media is essential to the 
        proper functioning of democratic elections: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) deplores the recent actions of the government of Serbia 
        that restrict freedom of the press and freedom of expression 
        and hamper civic organizations and democratic opposition 
        groups;
            (2) deplores the actions of the government of Serbia in 
        revoking the legal registration of the Soros Foundation, which 
        therefore prevents the Foundation from further activity in 
        Serbia, and commends the Soros Foundation for its past 
        activities in Serbia and elsewhere in support of freedom of the 
        press, freedom of expression, and the development of democratic 
        institutions;
            (3) calls upon the government of Serbia to remove 
        immediately those restrictions against the independent press 
        and against independent radio and television stations, to 
        remove immediately restrictions that have hampered free 
        activity by civic organizations and democratic opposition 
        groups, and to restore immediately the right of the Soros 
        Foundation to operate fully in Serbia;
            (4) declares that United States economic and other 
        assistance for Serbia and United States support for full 
        participation of Serbia in international financial institutions 
        should be conditioned on the full functioning of independent 
        news media, civic organizations, and democratic opposition 
        groups; and
            (5) requests that the President and the Secretary of State 
        convey to appropriate officials of the governments of Serbia, 
        including President Slobodan Milosevic, the Prime Minister, and 
        the Minister of Foreign Affairs, this expression of the views 
        of the Congress.
                                 <all>