[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2766 Engrossed in House (EH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 2766

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To support the human rights of Uyghurs and members of other minority 
groups residing primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and 
       safeguard their distinct identity, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Uyghur Policy Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The People's Republic of China (PRC) continues to 
        repress the distinct Islamic, Turkic identity of Uyghurs and 
        members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in the 
        Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwestern China 
        and other areas of their habitual residence.
            (2) Uyghurs, and other predominantly Muslim ethnic 
        minorities historically making up the majority of the XUAR 
        population, have maintained throughout their history a distinct 
        religious and cultural identity.
            (3) Human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, 
        and respect for the Uyghurs' unique Muslim identity are 
        legitimate interests of the international community.
            (4) The People's Republic of China has ratified the 
        International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights 
        and has also signed the International Covenant on Civil and 
        Political Rights.
            (5) An official campaign to encourage Han Chinese migration 
        into the XUAR has placed immense pressure on those who seek to 
        preserve the ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic 
        traditions of the Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious 
        minority groups.
            (6) PRC authorities have supported an influx of Han Chinese 
        economic immigrants into the XUAR, implemented discrimination 
        against Uyghurs and other minorities in hiring practices, and 
        provided unequal access to healthcare services.
            (7) The authorities of the People's Republic of China have 
        manipulated the strategic objectives of the international war 
        on terror to mask their increasing cultural and religious 
        oppression of the Muslim population residing in the XUAR.
            (8) Following unrest in the region, in 2014, Chinese 
        authorities launched their ``Strike Hard against Violent 
        Extremism'' campaign, in which dubious allegations of 
        widespread extremist activity were used as justification for 
        gross human rights violations committed against Uyghurs and 
        members of other minority communities in the XUAR.
            (9) PRC authorities have made use of the legal system as a 
        tool of repression, including for the imposition of arbitrary 
        detentions and for torture against members of the Uyghur 
        community and other minority populations.
            (10) Uyghurs and Kazakhs who have secured citizenship or 
        permanent residency outside of the PRC have attested to 
        repeated threats, harassment, and surveillance by PRC 
        officials.
            (11) Reporting from international news organizations has 
        found that over the past decade, family members of Uyghurs and 
        other minority groups living outside of the PRC have gone 
        missing or been detained to force Uyghur expatriates to return 
        to the PRC or silence their dissent.
            (12) Credible evidence from human rights organizations, 
        think tanks, and journalists confirms that more than 1,000,000 
        Uyghurs and members of other Muslim ethnic minority groups have 
        been imprisoned in ``political reeducation'' centers.
            (13) Independent accounts from former detainees of 
        ``political reeducation'' centers describe inhumane conditions 
        and treatment including forced political indoctrination, 
        torture, beatings, rape, forced sterilization, and food 
        deprivation.
            (14) Former detainees of PRC so-called ``political 
        reeducation'' centers also confirmed that they were told by 
        guards the only way to secure release was to demonstrate 
        sufficient political loyalty to the PRC Government and the 
        Chinese Communist Party.
            (15) Popular discourse surrounding the ongoing atrocities 
        in the XUAR and advocacy efforts to assist Uyghurs remains 
        muted in much of the world, including in most Muslim majority 
        nations.
            (16) Both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Former 
        Secretary of State Michael Pompeo have stated that the PRC 
        government has committed genocide and crimes against humanity 
        against Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in 
        the XUAR.
            (17) Government bodies of multiple nations have also 
        declared that PRC government atrocities against such 
        populations in the XUAR constitute genocide, including the 
        parliaments of the United Kingdom, Belgium, Czechia, Lithuania, 
        the Netherlands, and Canada.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
        immediately open the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) 
        to regular, transparent, and unmanipulated visits by members of 
        the press, international organizations including the Office of 
        the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, academic 
        and human rights research institutions, as well as foreign 
        delegations including from the United States Congress;
            (2) Government of the People's Republic of China should 
        recognize, and take tangible steps to protect and preserve, the 
        distinct ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identity 
        of Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority 
        groups in the XUAR;
            (3) the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
        cease all government-sponsored crackdowns, imprisonments, and 
        detentions of people throughout the XUAR aimed at repressing 
        their ethnic, cultural, political, or religious identities;
            (4) it is commendable for countries to provide shelter and 
        hospitality to Uyghurs and other minority group members in 
        exile, as Turkey, Albania, and Germany have done;
            (5) urges all countries, especially fellow democracies and 
        those with sizeable Muslim populations, to condemn and address 
        the plight of Uyghurs and other minority communities in the 
        XUAR;
            (6) the Government of the PRC should immediately and 
        unconditionally release all prisoners detained for their 
        ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identities, or for 
        expressing their political or religious beliefs in the XUAR, 
        including--
                    (A) Ekper Asat, who participated in the Department 
                of State's International Visitors Leadership Program in 
                2016, was incarcerated after returning to the XUAR, and 
                is now serving a 15 year prison sentence on charges of 
                ``inciting ethnic hatred and ethnic discrimination'';
                    (B) Dr. Gulshan Abbas, a retired medical doctor and 
                Uyghur, who was wrongfully detained in the XUAR on 
                September 11, 2018, and unjustly sentenced to 20 years 
                in prison in retaliation for her sister's advocacy for 
                Uyghur human rights issues; and
                    (C) Kamile Wayit, a university student and Uyghur, 
                who was wrongfully detained on December 12, 2022, after 
                returning to the XUAR while on break from studying 
                during the winter holiday;
            (7) the Government of the PRC should facilitate access for 
        international humanitarian organizations, including the 
        International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent 
        Societies, to the ``political reeducation'' centers in the XUAR 
        to ensure prisoners are not being mistreated and are receiving 
        necessary medical care; and
            (8) the United States Agency for Global Media should 
        continue to facilitate the unhindered dissemination of 
        information to the international community on issues regarding 
        the human rights and religious freedom of Uyghurs and members 
        of other minority groups in the XUAR.

SEC. 4. UNITED STATES SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR UYGHUR ISSUES.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be within the Department of 
State a United States Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues (in this 
section referred to as the ``Special Coordinator''), to be designated 
by the Secretary of State in accordance with subsection (b).
    (b) Consultation.--The Secretary of State shall consult with the 
Chairs and Ranking Members of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives prior to the designation of the Special Coordinator.
    (c) Central Objective.--The Special Coordinator should seek to 
promote the protection and preservation of the distinct ethnic, 
cultural, religious, and linguistic identities of the Uyghurs and other 
ethnic and religious minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous 
Region (in this Act referred to as the ``XUAR'').
    (d) Duties and Responsibilities.--The Special Coordinator should, 
as appropriate--
            (1) coordinate United State Government policies, programs, 
        and projects concerning the Uyghurs and members of other ethnic 
        and religious minority groups in the XUAR;
            (2) vigorously promote the policy of seeking to protect the 
        distinct ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic identity 
        of the Uyghurs and other minority groups and seek improved 
        protection of human rights in the XUAR;
            (3) maintain close contact with Uyghur religious, cultural, 
        and political leaders, including seeking regular travel to the 
        XUAR and to Uyghur populations in Central Asia, Turkey, 
        Albania, Germany, and other parts of Europe;
            (4) lead coordination efforts for the release of political 
        prisoners in the XUAR who are being detained for exercising 
        their human rights;
            (5) consult with the United States Congress on policies 
        relevant to the XUAR and the Uyghurs;
            (6) coordinate with relevant Federal agencies to administer 
        aid to Uyghur rights advocates; and
            (7) make efforts to establish contacts with foreign 
        ministries of other countries, especially in Europe, Central 
        Asia, and members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, 
        to pursue a policy of promoting greater respect for human 
        rights and religious freedom for Uyghurs and other ethnic and 
        religious minority groups from the XUAR.
    (e) Support.--The Secretary of State shall ensure the Special 
Coordinator has adequate resources, staff, and administrative support 
to carry out this section.
    (f) Deadline.--If the Secretary of State has not designated the 
Special Coordinator by the date that is 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate a report detailing the reasons for the 
delay.
    (g) Termination.--This section shall terminate on the date that is 
5 years after the date of the designation of the Special Coordinator.

SEC. 5. FUNDING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES TO CONDUCT PUBLIC DIPLOMACY 
              IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD ON THE UYGHUR SITUATION.

    Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for the U.S. Speaker 
program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the 
Department of State, $250,000 for each of fiscal years 2024, 2025, and 
2026 is authorized to be made available to support human rights 
advocates working on behalf of the Uyghurs and members of other ethnic 
and religious minority groups from the XUAR that are persecuted in the 
PRC, whose names may be provided by the Department of State and the 
United States Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues in consultation 
with representatives of the global Uyghur community, to speak at global 
public diplomacy forums, particularly those in which Organisation of 
Islamic Cooperation countries and other Muslim-majority countries are 
present, on issues regarding the human rights and religious freedom of 
Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups 
persecuted in the PRC.

SEC. 6. ACCESS TO DETENTION FACILITIES AND PRISONS AND THE RELEASE OF 
              PRISONERS.

    (a) Strategy on Political Reeducation and Detention Facilities.--
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of State should, in consultation with the heads of other 
relevant Federal departments and agencies, develop a strategy to 
cooperate with like-minded partners to pressure the People's Republic 
of China to--
            (1) close all detention facilities and ``political 
        reeducation'' camps housing Uyghurs and members of other ethnic 
        minority groups in the XUAR;
            (2) allow unhindered access to detention facilities and 
        ``political reeducation'' camps in the XUAR by independent 
        media, researchers, international organizations and the Office 
        of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for a 
        comprehensive assessment of the human rights situation; and
            (3) protect human rights and preserve the distinct 
        religious and cultural identity of the Uyghurs and the other 
        religious and ethnic minority communities in the XUAR.
    (b) Report on Strategy and Implementation.--Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a 
report that includes--
            (1) the strategy developed pursuant to subsection (a); and
            (2) all the steps taken pursuant to the objectives 
        described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of such subsection.

SEC. 7. REQUIREMENT FOR UYGHUR LANGUAGE TRAINING.

    (a) Uyghur Language Training and Staffing.--The Secretary of State 
shall take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that--
            (1) Uyghur language training is available to Foreign 
        Service officers as appropriate; and
            (2) every effort is made to ensure that at least one 
        Uyghur-speaking member of the Foreign Service (as such term is 
        defined by section 103 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 
        U.S.C. 3903)) is assigned to each United States diplomatic or 
        consular post in China.
    (b) Report.--No later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter for 2 years, the Foreign Service 
Institute shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
a report that outlines all the steps taken to implement subsection (a).

SEC. 8. UYGHUR CONSIDERATIONS AT THE UNITED NATIONS.

    The President should direct the United States Permanent 
Representative to the United Nations to use the voice, vote, and 
influence of the United States to--
            (1) oppose any efforts to prevent consideration of the 
        gross violation of internationally recognized human rights in 
        the XUAR in any body of the United Nations;
            (2) oppose any efforts to prevent the participation of any 
        Uyghur human rights advocates in nongovernmental fora hosted by 
        or otherwise organized under the auspices of any body of the 
        United Nations; and
            (3) support the appointment of a special rapporteur or 
        working group for the XUAR for the purposes of monitoring human 
        rights violations and abuses in the XUAR, and for making 
        reports available to the High Commissioner for Refugees, the 
        High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human Rights 
        Commission, the General Assembly, and other United Nations 
        bodies.

SEC. 9. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.

    No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of 
this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out using amounts 
otherwise authorized.

            Passed the House of Representatives February 15, 2024.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
118th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 2766

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 To support the human rights of Uyghurs and members of other minority 
groups residing primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and 
       safeguard their distinct identity, and for other purposes.