[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 151 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 151

Expressing the sense of Congress that China release democratic activist 
                     Liu Xiaobo from imprisonment.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 12, 2009

  Mr. Minnick (for himself and Mr. McCotter) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress that China release democratic activist 
                     Liu Xiaobo from imprisonment.

Whereas Liu Xiaobo has caused meaningful impact in China's institutions and he 
        has inspired millions of people to stare down their government and 
        demand change;
Whereas Liu Xiaobo has done all of this alone, under the isolation of house 
        arrest and with almost no contact with the outside world;
Whereas on December 10, 2008, Liu Xiaobo led 302 determined colleagues in 
        issuing a manifesto calling on the Chinese Communist Party to abandon 
        totalitarian government in favor of democracy;
Whereas Liu Xiaobo was arrested shortly before the manifesto was released, and 
        has been detained ever since;
Whereas the document which caused him to be confined in a windowless room, 
        without access to books or writing materials, is as simple as those in 
        the founding documents of this country which have inspired us all for 
        over 200 years;
Whereas Liu Xiaobo wrote that ``The most fundamental principles of democracy are 
        that the people are sovereign, and that the people select their own 
        government.'';
Whereas Liu Xiaobo signed his name to those simple but powerful words despite 
        having already spent two years in prison for his part in the 1989 
        protests in Tiananmen Square, and three years in a work camp for 
        challenging China's one-party rule; and
Whereas Liu Xiaobo's leadership has inspired millions of people in China and the 
        world: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that China's Government immediately 
release Liu Xiaobo and begin making strides toward true representative 
democracy.
                                 <all>