[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 189 (Wednesday, November 29, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H13795-H13796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1745
      CHINA'S TOP DISSIDENT CHARGED 20 MONTHS AFTER DISAPPEARANCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call attention to the House of 
Representatives and indeed further attention of our country to a recent 
event that happened in China. Last week, the Chinese Government 
formally charged Wei Jingsheng with trying to overthrow the Government 
of China. This is a source of very serious concern to all of us who 
care about human rights in China.
  As you may recall, Mr. Speaker, Wei Jingsheng is China's foremost 
democracy advocate. He has been called the Sakharov of China. Many 
years ago, over 15 or 16 years ago, he was arrested by the Chinese 
Government for his pro-Democracy Wall activities.
  Early on he spoke out for democracy, the need for democracy in China. 
He had been a soldier and an electrician and was sentenced to 15 years 
in prison. He served most of that sentence, and about 6 months ago, the 
Chinese released him when they were trying to put on a good face in 
order to attract the Olympics to China. You may recall that campaign. 

[[Page H 13796]]

  Six months later, he was quickly rearrested after speaking openly for 
democracy and human rights, granting interviews to foreign reporters, 
meeting, indeed, with our own Secretary of State, Assistant Secretary 
of State for Human Rights, John Shattuck, and writing essays for 
overseas publications, including the New York Times.
  He was taken into custody on April 1, 1994, and has not been seen or 
heard from since. His family has not been allowed to see him, and 
requests from foreign governments and international rights groups for 
information on his case have gone unanswered.
  After repeated inquires by his family, the Public Security Bureau 
acknowledged in April that Wei was under a form of house arrest. Since 
then the Chinese officials have merely referred to him as a criminal 
and have said that, without elaborating, he was under investigation. 
Now the Chinese Government has acted. They have officially charged him 
with a capital offense, trying to overthrow the Government.
  This is, of course, ridiculous. However, the charge is of such 
seriousness and the nature of the Chinese judicial system of such 
concern that I call this to our attention. Trials in China are usually 
swift, in secret, and behind closed doors. The verdict is usually 
predetermined and severe. Attempting to overthrow the Government, as 
Wei Jingsheng is mistakenly charged with, is considered a political 
crime which can be punished by death.

  Many of our colleagues in this body and in the Senate, indeed 
parliamentarians throughout the world, nominated Wei Jingsheng earlier 
this year for the Nobel prize. We were proud to do so.
  I am calling this to the attention of the House of Representatives 
because I hope that we will have a resolution out of this body 
condemning the charges against Wei Jingsheng and calling for his 
immediate and unconditional release and demanding that if indeed he 
does go to trial, that foreign media and diplomatic observers be 
allowed to attend.
  I mentioned that Wei Jingsheng had met with Assistant Secretary of 
State John Shattuck in April, and since then he has been, as I say, 
detained, and now charged. This is very serious for the United States, 
because our Government has said that we will not use certain methods to 
improve human rights in China, we would not use economic sanctions, but 
we would do other things, and right now this administration has not 
spoken out strongly enough against the charging of Wei.
  I recently wrote to the Vice President, Vice President Gore, asking 
him for a strong statement from the Clinton administration. Only strong 
public expressions of concern and interest at our highest levels will 
be read by the Chinese leadership as a true indicator of American 
policy regarding Wei and other democracy advocates. If we do not raise 
the issue of Wei's charges, it could be read as tacit consent by the 
United States of whatever fate China has chosen for Wei Jingsheng.
  The public intervention of the Clinton administration is most 
important in establishing United States policy regarding the treatment 
of Wei Jingsheng, clearly and unequivocally. The need for public and 
strong statement at the highest levels, I repeat, of the Clinton 
administration is critical given China's foreign ministry statement 
last week that the United States stop its confrontation with China at 
the U.N. Commission at Human Rights in Geneva. Such a statement, 
coupled with Wei's charge, is a challenge to the United States we must 
answer.
  Mr. Speaker, I am very hopeful that the Clinton administration will 
indeed speak out. They were very, very strong in sending a message to 
the Chinese about Harry Wu. I commend them for their actions. That was 
responsible for Harry Wu's release. I hope they will do the same thing 
in the case of Wei Jingsheng and look forward to working with them and 
the Members of this body to free Wei Jingsheng.

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