    [House Hearing, 114 Congress]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

       REGARDING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF DEMOCRACY IN MONGOLIA; CONCERN
        REGARDING PERSISTENT AND CREDIBLE REPORTS OF SYSTEMATIC, STATE-
    SANCTIONED ORGAN HARVESTING FROM NON-CONSENTING PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
    IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA; AND RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
         OF SINGAPOREAN INDEPENDENCE AND REAFFIRMING SINGAPORE'S CLOSE
                       PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES

    =======================================================================

                                     MARKUP

                                   BEFORE THE

                      SUBCOMMITTEE ON ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

                                     OF THE

                          COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                        ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 SECOND SESSION

                                       ON

                    H. Res. 339, H. Res. 343 and H. Res. 374

                                   __________

                                JANUARY 12, 2016

                                   __________

                               Serial No. 114-146

                                   __________

            Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

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                          U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
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                          COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

                     EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman
    CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey     ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
    ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida         BRAD SHERMAN, California
    DANA ROHRABACHER, California         GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
    STEVE CHABOT, Ohio                   ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey
    JOE WILSON, South Carolina           GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
    MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas             THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida
    TED POE, Texas                       BRIAN HIGGINS, New York
    MATT SALMON, Arizona                 KAREN BASS, California
    DARRELL E. ISSA, California          WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts
    TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania             DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island
    JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina          ALAN GRAYSON, Florida
    MO BROOKS, Alabama                   AMI BERA, California
    PAUL COOK, California                ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
    RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas            GRACE MENG, New York
    SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania            LOIS FRANKEL, Florida
    RON DeSANTIS, Florida                TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
    MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina         JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas
    TED S. YOHO, Florida                 ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois
    CURT CLAWSON, Florida                BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania
    SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee
    REID J. RIBBLE, Wisconsin
    DAVID A. TROTT, Michigan
    LEE M. ZELDIN, New York
    DANIEL DONOVAN, New York

         Amy Porter, Chief of Staff      Thomas Sheehy, Staff Director

                   Jason Steinbaum, Democratic Staff Director
                                     ------

                      Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific

                         MATT SALMON, Arizona Chairman
    DANA ROHRABACHER, California         BRAD SHERMAN, California
    STEVE CHABOT, Ohio                   AMI BERA, California
    TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania             TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
    JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina          ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
    MO BROOKS, Alabama                   GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
    SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania            GRACE MENG, New York
    SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee
                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

                                   MARKUP OF

    H. Res. 339, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives
      regarding the 25th anniversary of democracy in Mongolia........     2
      Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 339 offered
        by the Honorable Matt Salmon, a Representative in Congress
        from the State of Arizona, and chairman, Subcommittee on Asia
        and the Pacific..............................................     6
          Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to
            H. Res. 339 offered by the Honorable Matt Salmon.........    10
    H. Res. 343, Expressing concern regarding persistent and credible
      reports of systematic, state-sanctioned organ harvesting from
      non-consenting prisoners of conscience in the People's Republic
      of China, including from large numbers of Falun Gong practition    11
      Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 343 offered
        by the Honorable Gerald E. Connolly, a Representative in
        Congress from the Commonwealth of Virginia...................    17
    H. Res. 374, Recognizing the 50th anniversary of Singaporean
      independence and reaffirming Singapore's close partnership with
      the United States..............................................    22
      Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 374 offered
        by the Honorable Matt Salmon.................................    26
      Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.
        Res. 374 offered by the Honorable Brad Sherman, a
        Representative in Congress from the State of California......    34

                                    APPENDIX

    Markup notice....................................................    38
    Markup minutes...................................................    39
    Markup summary...................................................    40

       REGARDING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF DEMOCRACY IN MONGOLIA; CONCERN
        REGARDING PERSISTENT AND CREDIBLE REPORTS OF SYSTEMATIC, STATE-
    SANCTIONED ORGAN HARVESTING FROM NON-CONSENTING PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
    IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA; AND RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
         OF SINGAPOREAN INDEPENDENCE AND REAFFIRMING SINGAPORE'S CLOSE
                       PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES

                                  ----------

                           TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016

                           House of Representatives,

                     Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific,

                         Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                Washington, DC.

        The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:24 p.m., in
    room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Matt Salmon
    (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
        Mr. Salmon. The subcommittee will come to order. We meet
    today pursuant to notice to mark up three bipartisan measures.
    As your offices have been notified, it is the intent of the
    Chair to consider en bloc the following items, which were
    previously provided to members and are in your folders: First,
    House Resolution 339, expressing the sense of the House of
    Representatives regarding the 25th anniversary of democracy in
    Mongolia; the Salmon amendment 104 in the nature of a
    substitute to H. Res. 339; and the Salmon second degree
    amendment 105 to amendment 104.
        We also have House Resolution 343, expressing concern
    regarding persistent and credible reports of systematic state-
    sanctioned organ harvesting from non-consenting prisoners of
    conscience in the People's Republic of China, including from
    large numbers of Falun Gong practitioners and members of other
    religious and ethnic minority groups. With that, we will be
    voting on the Connolly amendment No. 66 in the nature of a
    substitute to H. Res. 343.
        And, finally, House Resolution 374, recognizing the 50th
    anniversary of the Singaporean independence and reaffirming
    Singapore's close partnership with the United States. And, with
    that, Salmon amendment 103 in the nature of a substitute to H.
    Res. 374.
        And, without objection, these items are considered as read
    and will be considered en bloc.
        [The information referred to follows:]H. Res.
    339 deg.
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        Mr. Salmon. I now recognize members to speak on these items
    beginning with myself and the ranking member.
        Today we consider three resolutions: Resolution 339, on
    Mongolia's 25 years of democracy; Resolution 343, on the
    People's Republic of China state-sanctioned organ harvesting;
    and Resolution 374, reaffirming Singapore's partnership with
    the United States.
        First, we turn to H. Res. 339, sponsored by Representative
    Joe Pitts from Pennsylvania. This resolution recognizes
    Mongolia's success as a young democracy and free market system
    which has emerged from the fall of the Soviet Union. Mongolia
    evolved from a one-party Communist state to a democracy upon
    the introduction of its Constitution in 1992. Since then,
    Mongolia has held six Presidential and parliamentary elections,
    each deemed generally free and fair by the State Department.
    The United States strongly supports democracy promotion around
    the Globe and will continue to work with Mongolia to promote
    peace, stability, and other good things in the region.
        This legislation encourages the U.S. Government to expand
    academic, cultural, and people-to-people partnerships with
    Mongolia to ensure this beacon of democracy in Asia endures.
        I offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute that
    gives the recognition to Mongolia's open government initiative
    and substantial U.N. peacekeeping efforts.
        I have an additional amendment to offer that recognizes
    Mongolia's eligibility for the Millennium Challenge Corporation
    Fiscal Year 2015 compact assistance.
        I urge my colleagues to support both of these amendments
    and the underlying resolution.
        Next, I would like to express my support for the
    consideration of H. Res. 343, condemning Chinese state-
    sanctioned forced organ harvesting. This legislation, sponsored
    by our colleague Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida,
    has the support of 152 cosponsors. Reports allege that tens of
    thousands of Chinese detainees, largely associated with the
    Falun Gong, fell victim to nonconsensual organ harvesting while
    still alive. H. Res. 343 encourages China to end the practice
    of organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience and calls on
    the Department of State to provide an analysis of these
    activities.
        Representative Gerry Connolly from Virginia will offer an
    amendment in the nature of a substitute that provides further
    information on the practice of organ harvesting in China, and I
    encourage my colleagues to support this measure as well.
        Finally, we consider H. Res. 374, which reaffirms the
    United States' important economic and security partnership with
    Singapore. I would like to recognize and welcome the attendance
    of Mr. Denny Heck of Washington. Mr. Heck, along with Mr.
    Bradley Byrne of Alabama, introduced this resolution and are
    the co-chairs of the Congressional Singapore Caucus.
        Since the Republic of Singapore gained independence in
    1965, this city-state has been a critical regional partner of
    the United States. The United States-Singapore economic
    relationship has been vibrant, especially since the U.S.-
    Singapore Free Trade Agreement was signed in 2004, the first
    bilateral trade agreement between the United States and an
    Asian country.
        In 2014, Singapore was the United States' 18th largest
    trading partner, and we are pleased that Singapore is part of
    the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. The United
    States welcomes it broadening military partnership with
    Singapore based on the 1990 memorandum of understanding for a
    continued security presence and the 2015 defense cooperation
    agreement. This resolution also underscores Singapore's
    commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes, such as those in
    the South China Sea. As the United States works to implement
    the rebalance to Asia, Singapore will undoubtedly play an
    incredibly important partner in that process.
        Given the storied history of the United States-Singapore
    relationship, it is important to recognize this relationship,
    especially on the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic
    relations.
        I offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute that
    reflects additional U.S.-Singapore cooperative efforts. In the
    face of a deteriorating security environment in Asia-Pacific,
    reaffirming this partnership is critical. This resolution is an
    important part of this affirmation. I encourage my colleagues
    to support the measure.
        These measures will be considered en bloc, and I urge the
    subcommittee's support for all three measures.
        I now recognize the ranking member for his comment on
    today's procedures.
        Mr. Sherman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the
    bipartisan approach you are taking.
        There are two, I think, noncontroversial--completely
    noncontroversial--bills. The first deals with Mongolia. I will,
    of course, support the bill and your amendment to it as well.
    Democracy has been thriving in Mongolia for 25 years. This bill
    recognizes the 25th anniversary of that democracy, and
    recommends the U.S. Government expand academic, cultural, and
    other people-to-people partnerships between Mongolia and the
    United States. It advocates and urges Mongolia to further
    develop democratic institutions, promote transparency,
    accountability, and community engagement. This is a country
    with a truly amazing history, and I join you in supporting the
    bill.
        The other noncontroversial bill deals with Singapore. I
    commend Mr. Heck for being here and for offering this
    resolution. Singapore was established in its independence 50
    years ago. The country's history began in a unique way, being
    expelled from Malaysia in August 1965. After that separation,
    the fledgling nation had to become self-sufficient and faced
    problems, including mass unemployment, housing shortages, lack
    of land, and a lack of virtually all natural resources. Not
    only does this resolution commemorate the 50th anniversary of
    Singapore's independence, but it highlights the strong
    bilateral cooperation between the United States and Singapore.
        And I might add that Singapore is one of the very few
    countries in Asia where we have a trade surplus, and I look
    forward to looking at that trade relationship and seeing if we
    can replicate it with others in Asia.
        Turning to the third resolution dealing with the Falun
    Gong, China's human rights record is abysmal. Its treatment of
    religion and those who wish to practice religion is abysmal. It
    appears that Beijing simply fears anything it does not control.
    If they were providing open government in which all could
    participate, they would have far less to fear. We should
    specifically condemn China's treatment of Falun Gong members,
    who have faced perhaps more discrimination and more retribution
    and more mistreatment than any other religion in China; though,
    there are many others that could argue that they, too, are
    subject to that abuse.
        But there are parts of this resolution that do give me
    pause. In particular, the second full ``whereas'' clause on
    page 3 of the amendment in the nature of a substitute, which
    says: ``Whereas researcher and journalist Ethan Gutmann
    estimates that approximately 65,000 Falun Gong adherents''--and
    this is a strange phrase--``may have been''--and then it goes
    on to say--``killed for their organs from 2000 to 2008.'' I
    can't find anyone in the human rights community, any of the
    established human rights organizations, to lend their
    credibility to this as even a reasonable estimate.
        It also gives me pause to say that a researcher determines
    that a certain number may have been killed. The chairman points
    out that he believes that people's organs were harvested when
    they were alive. This clause talks about them being killed. I
    think this resolution would be preferable if it simply deleted
    this ``whereas'' clause, or--and I may offer this as an
    amendment in the full committee; I will not offer an amendment
    here--if we said: Okay, it is indeed true that Ethan Gutmann
    has this estimate, but others concerned with human rights,
    those who are focused on human rights in Asia and in China, do
    not subscribe to that estimate.
        Either way, I think that this resolution can be improved.
    And it is factually true that Ethan Gutmann does put out this
    estimate. But when you cite the estimate in a ``whereas''
    clause in a resolution, you are not only making a statement of
    fact; you are citing it and giving it credibility. And I think
    that at a maximum, we should delete this. As a minimum, we
    should qualify it by indicating that others who are very
    concerned with human rights in China don't embrace this. Again,
    that would be something for the full committee and not the
    subcommittee.
        And I will yield to the chairman.
        Mr. Salmon. I am not particularly married to that
    ``whereas'' clause, and if that is something that is causing
    the gentleman some concern, I would entertain a motion for that
    clause being stricken or modified.
        Mr. Sherman. I will make that motion. I will make the
    motion that we simply delete that ``whereas'' clause beginning
    with the word ``whereas'' and ending with the word ``targeted''
    as it appears as the second full ``whereas'' clause on page 3
    of the Connolly amendment in the nature of a substitute. That
    is my motion.
        [The information referred to follows:]
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        Mr. Salmon. And I would be very, very supportive of that.
        Without objection, then--if there is no objection on the
    panel, then I am going to go ahead and strike that.
        Without objection, so ordered.
        Okay.
        Anything else?
        Mr. Sherman. That is it.
        Mr. Salmon. We aim to please.
        Mr. Sherman. I commend Mr. Heck.
        Mr. Salmon. We did.
        Mr. Sherman. But we didn't do it enough. You can never do
    it enough.
        Mr. Salmon. We could make it into a song.
        No, I am very, very pleased that you are here. And trying
    to observe the rules of the committee as far as speaking, but,
    Mr. Heck, this wouldn't have come to the floor, this Singapore
    resolution, without your great work, and we very, very much
    appreciate it, and thanks for being here today.
        Mr. Rohrabacher.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. Thank you very much.
        And I rise in support of these three pieces of legislation.
    First and foremost, let us remember that Mongolia, the people
    there have been courageous in their implementation of an
    entirely new economic system at a time when they are in a
    relatively isolated area of the world. There was great hardship
    there in Mongolia while they were transitioning out of the
    Soviet economy. And it is much to the credit of the people of
    Mongolia that they were able to stick it out, and they actually
    have maintained a Democratic government and were able to move
    forward and now I think are exemplary in the way they have
    conducted their own society, again, starting way behind the
    curve 25 years ago.
        Next is Singapore, and let us note this about Singapore,
    Singapore, too, also started with much of a handicap. If you
    take a look at Singapore the people of Singapore had less land,
    fewer resources, and more people than China, and so you have
    what appears to be a country with a lot of liabilities and not
    many assets. But they have turned that country--in a 50-year
    period, Singapore has become exemplary to the world of a
    society that works.
        And it was my honor to meet President Lee in Singapore, the
    first President Lee. I haven't met his son yet, but President
    Lee was a dramatic leader who made that country work, as I say,
    with few resources, lots of people. Unlike China, they never,
    for example, went to a one-child policy, yet they established a
    country in which, because of the prosperity level of their
    people, you had basically a stable population without having to
    have the draconian and antifreedom policies that we saw in
    China, which the Chinese have just recently backed off on.
        Lastly, about our friends in the Falun Gong and China,
    talking about China, the Falun Gong, while I agree with Brad,
    with my good friend, Mr. Sherman, that, yes, maybe there isn't
    an exact reading on this, you can't get an exact reading from a
    dictatorship, from a group of gangsters. You cannot get an
    exact reading on how many people they have murdered in order to
    sell their body parts.
        Yeah, the only way we could express it is ``may,'' but we
    can say, for the record--and I put it on the record now--there
    have been many investigations into this, especially by
    parliamentarians from Canada, who I have spoken to personally,
    who went into China, documented how many prisoners, Falun Gong
    prisoners, were taken to certain prisons and how many didn't
    come out. And the fact that those very same prisons were the
    prisons in which body parts were being sold to people from the
    West and other places. So although, yeah, you can't say, ``No,
    there may be body parts being sold there,'' because they are
    not going to show you this, but when you have a dictatorship,
    this is just about as proven as it gets.
        The Falun Gong, by the way, are people who have no violent
    threat to anybody. Falun Gong are people who believe in
    meditation and yoga and are peaceful people. The fact that the
    Chinese Communist leadership still feels compelled to murder
    the Falun Gong to try to destroy it as an option for the
    Chinese people speaks a lot about the nature of the Chinese
    regime today. It is an evil regime that continues to put people
    in jail, murder them, and sell their body parts because they
    are part of a pacifist organization.
        So all of this I think we should make sure we heed in these
    three pieces of legislation.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership.
        Mr. Salmon. Mr. Chabot, did you have an opening statement?
        Mr. Chabot. Yes, it is very brief, Mr. Chairman. I want to
    thank you, and I want to commend you and the ranking member for
    bringing all three of these bills before the committee today.
        And I will speak just briefly on H. Res. 343, a bill that
    expresses concern, as my colleague indicated, in regards to
    China's state-sanctioned harvesting of organs from prisoners,
    particularly members of the Falun Gong and other religious and
    ethnic minorities. And I know I have met with many Falun Gong
    practitioners from my district in past years who have brought
    me all kinds of horrific stories about what they either
    experienced themselves in China or others that they know of or
    relatives that are still there. And it is unbelievable that
    this happens in the 21st century.
        I brought similar legislation before this committee when I
    was chair, and I am pleased to see that the subcommittee is
    raising awareness of the issue by bringing this matter before
    the subcommittee again. China's organ harvesting, it is
    deplorable, and it is sad to me to think, again, that in 2016
    this heinous practice is still occurring. China continues to
    deny that organs are taken from prisoners without consent, but
    there is still no independent verification of a state-sponsored
    organ transplant system. And it is our duty as the leader of
    the free world to continue to call on China to end this
    disgraceful barbarism.
        And I yield back.
        Mr. Salmon. I thank the gentleman.
        Do any other members on the panel seek any recognition for
    opening statements?
        If not, then the question occurs on the adopting the items,
    as amended, en bloc.
        All those in favor, say aye.
        Those opposed, say no.
        In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and the en
    bloc items are approved.
        Without objection, H. Res. 339, H. Res. 343, and H. Res.
    374, as amended, will be reported favorably to the full
    committee. And the staff is directed to make any technical and
    conforming changes.
        I would like to thank all members and staff for the
    assistance and cooperation that went into today's markup, and I
    would like now to move into the hearing side of the--I am
    sorry. I will adjourn the markup, and I will go ahead and
    convene the next meaning, which is a hearing dealing with human
    rights in China, and I will allow the panelists time to take
    the dais.
        [Whereupon, at 2:44 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]

                                A P P E N D I X

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