[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 608 Engrossed in House (EH)]


H. Res. 608

                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                         June 12, 2006.
Whereas the Constitution and laws of the People's Republic of China purport to 
        provide for religious freedom, however, these freedoms are substantively 
        ignored;
Whereas all religious groups and spiritual movements must register with the 
        Chinese Government, which monitors religious services and judges the 
        legitimacy of religious activities;
Whereas unregistered religious groups in China continue to experience official 
        interference and members of religious groups have been subjected to 
        intimidation, harassment, and detention;
Whereas many religious leaders and adherents in China, including those in 
        official churches, have been detained, arrested, or administratively 
        sentenced to prison terms in reeducation-through-labor camps;
Whereas religious believers are denied the ability to hold public office not by 
        law, but by a logical extension of the fact that most government 
        positions go to members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and CCP 
        membership and religious belief are considered incompatible;
Whereas numerous abuses of unofficial Catholic clergy have occurred, including 
        the detentions of Bishop Zhao Zhendong, Bishop Jia Zhiguo, Bishop Yao 
        Liang, Bishop Su Zhimin, Bishop An Shuxin, Bishop Lin Xili, Bishop Han 
        Dingxiang, and Bishop Shi Enxiang, as well as other Catholic priests and 
        lay leaders who have been beaten or otherwise mistreated;
Whereas the Chinese Government-sanctioned Catholic Patriotic Association of 
        China conducted unauthorized episcopal ordinations of the priests Joseph 
        Ma Yinglin and Joseph Liu Xinhong, elevating them to the office of 
        bishop without the approval and against the wishes of the Holy Father 
        Pope Benedict XVI;
Whereas numerous abuses of Protestant House Church Leaders have occurred, 
        including the detentions of Pastor Gong Shengliang, Pastor Zhang 
        Rongliang, Luo Bingyin, Li Cuiling, Wang Chaoyi, Yang Tianlu, and Zhao 
        Xinlan, as well as other Protestant House Church Leaders who have been 
        beaten or otherwise mistreated;
Whereas the whereabouts of Gendun Choekyi Nyima, the boy identified by the Dalai 
        Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama and detained by Chinese authorities ten 
        years ago, when he was six years old, are still unknown;
Whereas according to the Department of State, Chinese authorities continue to 
        restrict Muslim religious activity, teaching, and worship in Xinjiang, 
        including reported prohibitions on the participation and religious 
        education of minors;
Whereas the Chinese Government continues its brutal campaign to eradicate the 
        Falun Gong spiritual movement and thousands of its members have been 
        subject to excessive force, abuse, detention, and torture, including Liu 
        Chengjun who died in 2003 after reportedly being abused in custody in 
        Jilin Province and Huang Wei who is currently detained in Hebei 
        Province, among others;
Whereas Cai Zhuohua, a Beijing underground church leader, was sentenced on 
        November 8, 2005, to three years in prison for distributing Bibles and 
        other Christian materials;
Whereas the Haidian Lower People's Court in Beijing also sentenced Mr. Cai's 
        wife, Xiao Yunfei, to two years in prison and her brother, Xiao Gaowen, 
        to 18 months in prison; and
Whereas on November 20, 2005, after attending services at the Gangwashi Church 
        in Beijing, President George W. Bush stated: ``A healthy society is a 
        society that welcomes all faiths and gives people a chance to express 
        themselves through worship with the Almighty'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the House of Representatives condemns the imprisonment of 
        religious leaders and people of faith in the People's Republic of China 
        and urges their release; and
            (2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that it should 
        be the policy of the Government of the United States to promote and 
        defend religious freedom and freedom of conscience in China.



            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.