[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 178 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                          May 25, 1999.
Whereas the United States was founded on the democratic principle that all men 
        and women are created equal and entitled to the exercise of their basic 
        human rights;
Whereas freedom of expression and assembly are fundamental human rights that 
        belong to all people and are recognized as such under the United Nations 
        Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and 
        Political Rights;
Whereas the death of the former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the 
        People's Republic of China, Hu Yaobang, on April 15, 1989, gave rise to 
        peaceful protests throughout China calling for the establishment of a 
        dialogue with government and party leaders on democratic reforms, 
        including freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and the 
        elimination of corruption by government officials;
Whereas after that date thousands of prodemocracy demonstrators continued to 
        protest peacefully in and around Tiananmen Square in Beijing until June 
        3 and 4, 1989, until Chinese authorities ordered the People's Liberation 
        Army and other security forces to use lethal force to disperse 
        demonstrators in Beijing, especially around Tiananmen Square;
Whereas nonofficial sources, a Chinese Red Cross report from June 7, 1989, and 
        the State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1989, 
        gave various estimates of the numbers of people killed and wounded in 
        1989 by the People's Liberation Army soldiers and other security forces, 
        but agreed that hundreds, if not thousands, of people were killed and 
        thousands more were wounded;
Whereas 20,000 people nationwide suspected of taking part in the democracy 
        movement were arrested and sentenced without trial to prison or 
        reeducation through labor, and many were reportedly tortured;
Whereas human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch, Human Rights in China, 
        and Amnesty International have documented that hundreds of those 
        arrested remain in prison;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China continues to suppress 
        dissent by imprisoning prodemocracy activists, journalists, labor union 
        leaders, religious believers, and other individuals in China and Tibet 
        who seek to express their political or religious views in a peaceful 
        manner; and
Whereas June 4, 1999, is the tenth anniversary of the date of the Tiananmen 
        Square massacre: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses sympathy to the families of those killed as a result 
        of their participation in the democracy protests of 1989, as well as to 
        the families of those who have been killed and to those who have 
        suffered for their efforts to keep that struggle alive during the past 
        decade;
            (2) commends all citizens of the People's Republic of China who are 
        peacefully advocating for democracy and human rights; and
            (3) condemns the ongoing and egregious human rights abuses by the 
        Government of the People's Republic of China and calls on that 
        government to--
                    (A) reevaluate the official verdict on the June 4, 1989, 
                Tiananmen prodemocracy activities and order relevant 
                procuratorial organs to open formal investigations on the June 
                fourth event with the goal of bringing those responsible to 
                justice;
                    (B) establish a June Fourth Investigation Committee, the 
                proceedings and findings of which should be accessible to the 
                public, to make a just and independent inquiry into all matters 
                related to June 4, 1989;
                    (C) release all prisoners of conscience, including those 
                still in prison as a result of their participation in the 
                peaceful prodemocracy protests of May and June 1989, provide 
                just compensation to the families of those killed in those 
                protests, and allow those exiled on account of their activities 
                in 1989 to return and live in freedom in the People's Republic 
                of China;
                    (D) put an immediate end to harassment, detention, and 
                imprisonment of Chinese citizens exercising their legitimate 
                rights to the freedom of expression, freedom of association, and 
                freedom of religion; and
                    (E) demonstrate its willingness to respect the rights of all 
                Chinese citizens by proceeding quickly to ratify and implement 
                the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which 
                it signed on October 5, 1998.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.