[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1347 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1347

  Praising relief efforts by Chinese individuals and nongovernmental 
    organizations to assist victims of the recent earthquake in the 
  People's Republic of China, recognizing the Chinese Government for 
 allowing such efforts to proceed and for allowing open media coverage 
 of the earthquake, and encouraging the Chinese Government to continue 
                       this new era of openness.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 15, 2008

  Mr. Moran of Virginia (for himself, Mr. Faleomavaega, and Ms. Lee) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Praising relief efforts by Chinese individuals and nongovernmental 
    organizations to assist victims of the recent earthquake in the 
  People's Republic of China, recognizing the Chinese Government for 
 allowing such efforts to proceed and for allowing open media coverage 
 of the earthquake, and encouraging the Chinese Government to continue 
                       this new era of openness.

Whereas on May 20, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously adopted 
        H. Res. 1195, which expressed condolences and sympathy to the People's 
        Republic of China for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused 
        by the catastrophic earthquake centered in Sichuan Province on May 12, 
        2008;
Whereas the confirmed death toll from the earthquake has risen from 22,000 as of 
        May 20 to 69,181 as of June 23, 2008;
Whereas 18,498 people are missing and 374,171 are injured, and the death toll is 
        still expected to rise;
Whereas Chinese nongovernmental organizations, grassroots volunteers, and 
        private businesses have joined in--and often led--a massive relief 
        effort to provide medical supplies, food, tents, and clothing to the 
        towns and remote villages in the disaster zone despite blocked or 
        damaged roads and bridges;
Whereas Chinese nongovernmental organizations are using information independent 
        from the Chinese Government and are receiving tips from television news, 
        Internet Weblogs (or ``blogs''), and other sources;
Whereas teams of volunteers from smaller unregistered nongovernmental 
        organizations arrived rapidly in the disaster zone, within hours after 
        the earthquake;
Whereas nongovernmental organizations in China have historically been required 
        to register with the Government and larger nongovernmental organizations 
        are more rigidly controlled;
Whereas, in response to the earthquake, the Chinese Government has accepted the 
        formation and participation of both registered and unregistered Chinese 
        nongovernmental organizations--which has never happened before--and has 
        acknowledged that these organizations can contribute to the 
        reconstruction of the damaged region;
Whereas Chinese nongovernmental organizations, such as the Chengdu Urban Rivers 
        Association, have fielded hundreds of calls and e-mails to assist and 
        coordinate relief efforts using associates and volunteers who were 
        already in the affected area before the earthquake struck;
Whereas online citizen groups mobilized rapidly to provide assistance to 
        earthquake victims;
Whereas such groups include Tianya.cn, a leading Chinese online community that 
        raised 24 million Yuan ($3.5 million) for disaster relief, mostly from 
        online donations by individuals;
Whereas Ngocn.org, a major information hub for Chinese nongovernmental 
        organizations, set up a special bulletin board for the nongovernmental 
        organization relief office in Chengdu to post announcements and stories 
        for timely, extensive, and in-depth coverage of the earthquake;
Whereas the circulation of these stories of profound sadness and compassion 
        generated a sense of national solidarity that has energized civic action 
        by Chinese individuals in voluntary relief efforts;
Whereas since the earthquake occurred, the Red Cross Society of China has been 
        carrying out the largest fundraising and relief activities and, as of 
        June 12, 2008, is planning to allocate 2.5 billion yuan ($362.32 
        million) for rehabilitation projects in areas hit by the earthquake;
Whereas the new registered and unregistered Chinese nongovernmental 
        organizations, as well as online and offline citizen groups, acted 
        rapidly to help manage the crisis;
Whereas the Chinese Government has begun to restrict media access to areas 
        affected by the earthquake and to censor news stories of the earthquake 
        and its aftermath, as evidenced by several reported incidences of 
        detention of foreign journalists in the town of Dujiangyan;
Whereas an open press remains an effective tool to expose corruption and improve 
        public accountability; and
Whereas this massive, quick, and efficient relief effort and an open press are 
        important in developing and enhancing Chinese civil society: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) praises the Chinese individuals who have formed 
        voluntary relief efforts for their selfless, altruistic 
        commitment to provide aid and support for the victims of the 
        catastrophic earthquake that occurred on May 12, 2008;
            (2) recognizes the Chinese Government for allowing Chinese 
        individuals and nongovernmental organizations unprecedented 
        latitude in assisting earthquake victims and for allowing 
        unprecedented open media coverage of the earthquake; and
            (3) encourages the Chinese Government to continue this new 
        era of openness.
                                 <all>