[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 217 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 217

 Relating to the freedom of belief, expression, and association in the 
                      People's Republic of China.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 2, 1999

 Mr. Hutchinson submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Relating to the freedom of belief, expression, and association in the 
                      People's Republic of China.

Whereas the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 
        International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights affirm the freedoms 
        of thought, conscience, religion, expression, and assembly as 
        fundamental human rights belonging to all people;
Whereas the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a common 
        standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, including the 
        People's Republic of China, a member of the United Nations;
Whereas the People's Republic of China has signed the International Covenant on 
        Civil and Political Rights but has yet to ratify the treaty and thereby 
        make it legally binding;
Whereas the Constitution of the People's Republic of China provides for the 
        freedom of religious belief and the freedom not to believe;
Whereas according to the Department of State and international human rights 
        organizations, the Government of the People's Republic of China does not 
        provide these freedoms but continues to restrict unregistered religious 
        activities and persecutes persons on the basis of their religious 
        practice through measures including harassment, prolonged detention, 
        physical abuse, incarceration, and police closure of places of worship;
Whereas under the International Religious Freedom Act, the Secretary of State 
        has designated the People's Republic of China as a country of special 
        concern;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has issued a decree 
        declaring a wide range of activities illegal and subject to prosecution, 
        including distribution of Falun Gong materials, gatherings or silent 
        sit-ins, marches or demonstrations, and other activities to promote 
        Falun Gong and has begun the trials of several Falun Gong practitioners;
Whereas the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on 
        October 30, 1999, adopted a new law banning and criminalizing groups 
        labeled by the Government of the People's Republic of China as cults; 
        and
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has officially labeled 
        the Falun Gong meditation group a cult and has formally charged at least 
        four members of the Falun Gong under this new law: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate calls on the Government of the People's 
Republic of China to--
            (1) release all prisoners of conscience and put an 
        immediate end to the harassment, detention, physical abuse, and 
        imprisonment of Chinese citizens exercising their legitimate 
        rights to free belief, expression, and association; and
            (2) demonstrate its willingness to abide by internationally 
        accepted norms of freedom of belief, expression, and 
        association by repealing or amending laws and decrees that 
        restrict those freedoms and proceeding promptly to ratify and 
        implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political 
        Rights.
                                 <all>