[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 277 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 277

           Concerning the New Tribes Mission hostage crisis.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 1998

Mr. Blunt (for himself, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Gallegly, Mr. Mica, Mr. Burton 
     of Indiana, Mr. Pitts, and Mr. Brady) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
           Concerning the New Tribes Mission hostage crisis.

Whereas Mark Rich, David Mankins, and Rick Tenenoff of the Sanford, Florida, 
        based New Tribes Mission were abducted on January 31, 1993, from the 
        Kuna Indian village of Pucuro in the Darien Province of Panama;
Whereas the wives and children of these American citizens, Tania Rich 
        (daughters--Tamra and Jessica), Nancy Mankins (son--Chad, daughter--
        Sarah), and Patti Tenenoff (son--Richard Lee III, daughters--Dora and 
        Connie), have lived the past 5 years without knowledge of the safety of 
        these 3 men;
Whereas Mark Rich, David Mankins, and Rick Tenenoff presently are believed to be 
        the longest held United States hostages;
Whereas this kidnapping represents a gross violation of the 3 missionaries' 
        human rights and is not an isolated incident in Colombia where, since 
        1980, 83 innocent Americans have been held hostage by the Revolutionary 
        Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN);
Whereas the FARC and the ELN guerrilla groups in Colombia have both been 
        designated terrorist organizations by the Department of State;
Whereas Colombia is engaged in a high-level conflict with these guerrilla 
        insurgency groups, a number of whom are protectorates of the deadly drug 
        trade;
Whereas the FARC has recently threatened officials of the United States 
        Government and kidnapped additional United States citizens in Colombia;
Whereas the region of Colombia where the 3 American missionaries are believed to 
        be held is controlled not by the Colombian Government, but rather by the 
        FARC;
Whereas on December 9, 1997, the President of Colombia stated on an 
        internationally televised episode of Larry King Live that the FARC ``in 
        some ways have admitted indirectly that they have the missionaries'';
Whereas Human Rights Watch has stated that ``The FARC has an obligation to 
        unconditionally free the 3 missionaries, with all necessary guarantees'' 
        and Amnesty International has declared their ``request that the FARC 
        respect international humanitarian norms, guarantee the life and 
        physical safety of the missionaries and unconditionally free them and 
        all other hostages'';
Whereas congressional inquiries regarding the 3 missionaries have been made to 
        United States Government entities, including, the White House, the 
        Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Department of 
        Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
Whereas congressional inquiries regarding the 3 missionaries have been made to 
        Amnesty International, Pax Christi, His Holiness the Pope John Paul II, 
        and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has provided 
        assurances that their Colombian delegation ``is still actively working 
        in favor of the missing members of the New Tribes Mission'';
Whereas 58 Members of Congress and Senators signed letters to 8 different heads 
        of state, including Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Spain, Venezuela, 
        Guatemala, Colombia, and Portugal, in attendance at the Iberian-American 
        Conference in Venezuela in November of 1997, requesting any and all 
        assistance in order to bring about a favorable outcome to this 
        unfortunate event;
Whereas no official confirmation of life or death has been made by any United 
        States Government entity, nongovernmental organization, foreign 
        government, or religious institution;
Whereas the distinction between a ``terrorist activity'' and a ``criminal 
        activity'' perpetrated on an American citizen traveling abroad should 
        not be a limiting factor in terms of United States governmental 
        investigation; and
Whereas every consideration to safety and prudence regarding action by the 
        United States Government, foreign governments, nongovernmental 
        organizations, international institutions, and other groups in this 
        matter should be of the highest priority: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That--
            (1) the President of the United States and his emissaries 
        should raise the kidnapping of Mark Rich, David Mankins, and 
        Rick Tenenoff of the New Tribes Mission and other American 
        victims in Colombia to all relevant foreign governments, 
        nongovernmental organizations, and religious institutions at 
        every opportunity until a favorable outcome is achieved;
            (2) the international community should encourage any and 
        all groups believed to have information on this case to come 
        forward to help the families of the kidnapped missionaries;
            (3) all appropriate information obtained by the United 
        States Government, foreign governments, international 
        institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and religious 
        institutions should be turned over in a timely basis to the New 
        Tribes Mission crisis response team;
            (4) a copy of this resolution shall be transmitted to the 
        President, the Secretary of State, the National Security 
        Advisor, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of the Federal 
        Bureau of Investigation, the Director of Central Intelligence, 
        the President of the Republic of Costa Rica, the President of 
        the United Mexican States, the President of the Republic of 
        Panama, the King of Spain, the President of the Republic of 
        Venezuela, the President of the Republic of Guatemala, the 
        President of the Republic of Colombia, the President of the 
        Republic of Portugal, and His Holiness Pope John Paul II; and
            (5) a copy of this resolution shall be transmitted to the 
        New Tribes Mission, Amnesty International, Pax Christi, and the 
        International Committee of the Red Cross.
                                 <all>