[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 198 (Wednesday, December 13, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H14373-H14374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TRIAL AND SENTENCING OF WEI JINGSHENG IS GROSS VIOLATION OF IDEALS OF 
                         DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM

  (Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, it took a Chinese court 
less than 6 hours on Wednesday to convict 1995 Nobel Peace Prize 
nominee Wei Jingsheng of conspiring to subvert the Government. He was 
sentenced to 14 years in the gulag, following Henry Wu.
  The trial and sentencing of Wei Jingsheng is a gross violation of the 
core ideals of democracy and freedom. In April 1994 Wei disappeared in 
the Beijing bureaucracy. For 19 months he was not allowed to 
communicate with his family, with legal counsel, or with his 
colleagues. In December 1995 Wei had only a few days to prepare a trial 
and obtain a lawyer.
  The only crime that Wei had committed was calling for democracy and 
human rights in China. Despite international pressure and opposition, 
people in China continue to be detained and sentenced for standing up 
for their fundamental rights.
  I applaud Wei's courage and strength to speak out in opposition to 
the tyranny of his government. I appeal to the Government of China to 
release this man, guilty only of believing in freedom and democracy. 
And I call on the President of the United States to continue to press 
for the release of Wei Jingsheng, and not to relent until he is freed.

[[Page H14374]]


 REPUBLICANS STAND WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR A BALANCED BUDGET AND 
                           LIMITED GOVERNMENT

  (Mr. PAXON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAXON. Mr. Speaker, the Democrats have tried to make an election 
in California a referendum on our Republican agenda of a balanced 
budget and limited government.
  Their tactic was simple.
  Offer a campaign of obstruction--devoid of ideas.
  Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to report they failed miserably.
  And they failed in a district that's been held by their party for 20 
years.
  There were two winners in yesterday's election:
  Obviously Tom Campbell, but equally important, the American people. 
They won because we proved that you cannot win an election by screaming 
about what you are against--you must proclaim what you are for.
  The truth is, Mr. Speaker, we won yesterday and we've been winning 
all year.
  We started the 104th Congress with 230 Republicans. We now have 236.
  We have five new Republicans--who like millions of Americans, left 
the Democrats because they have no ideas and no hope for the future.
  We are going to continue to win Mr. Speaker, adding 20 to 30 seats to 
our majority because we stand with the American people for a balanced 
budget and limited Government while Democrats have no ideas and stand 
for nothing.

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