[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 112 (Friday, July 26, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8993-S8994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 283--RELATIVE TO THE CREATION OF A NEW POSITION IN 
                            THE WHITE HOUSE

  Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. Helms, Mr. Bennett, and Mr. Faircloth) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 283

       (a) Findings.--The Senate finds that--
       (1) Americans are increasingly concerned about anti-
     Christian persecution overseas, including rape, torture, 
     enslavement, imprisonment, killings, mutilations, 
     discrimination and mistreatment of Christians, and the fact 
     that far too many foreign governments systematically deny 
     their Christian citizens religious liberty;
       (2) reports indicate that the Government of Sudan is 
     currently involved in the enslavement of the Christian 
     populations of southern Sudan. Today in Sudan, a human being 
     can be bought for as little as fifteen dollars. It has been 
     estimated that in the last six years, more than 30,000 
     children have been taken from their homes, forcibly interned 
     in ``cultural cleansing camps,'' forced to accept Islam and 
     then moved to the front lines of Sudan's civil war;
       (3) in China, there are reports of the imprisonment and 
     detention of many Chinese Christians under a 1994 law which 
     restricts religious freedom. It has been reported that in 
     1992, Protestant leader Zheng Yunsu was arrested and 
     sentenced to twelve years in jail simply for practicing his 
     religion. Additionally, between October 1994 and June 1995, 
     more than 200 Christians were apparently detained in the 
     Henan province. One of those arrested, Ren Ping, was 
     sentenced, without trial, to three years of reeducation 
     through labor. According to Amnesty International, more than 
     thirty Chinese Catholics in Jiangzi province were arrested 
     and severely beaten while celebrating Easter Mass earlier 
     this year;
       (4) in the Muslim-controlled Oromo region of Ethiopia, 
     reports indicate that in 1994, officials raided the area's 
     largest Christian Church and arrested most of its 
     congregants. Many of those arrested died while in prison. The 
     leader of the congregation was tortured and his eyes were 
     plucked out;
       (5) in several Islamic countries conversion to Christianity 
     from Islam is a crime punishable by death;
       (6) it has been reported that Christians have been 
     effectively excluded from the political process in many 
     countries. In Pakistan, for example, Christian can vote only 
     for token representatives to the National Assembly;
       (7) there is no Senior Advisor on religious persecution in 
     the White House to ensure that anti-Christian persecution 
     overseas is given top priority by White House and to 
     coordinate efforts to combat such persecution; and
       (8) the President had committed, in January 1996, to 
     appoint a White House Senior Advisor on religious 
     persecution, but has yet to do so.
       (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate 
     that the President should proceed forward as expeditiously as 
     possible by appointing a White House Senior Advisor on 
     religious persecution.

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, on behalf of Senators Helms, Bennett, and 
Faircloth I am submitting a sense-of-the-Senate resolution to highlight 
the top priority that must be given to combating religious persecution 
in foreign countries. This resolution calls on President Clinton to 
live up to his commitment, made in January 1996, to appoint a White 
House senior advisor on religious persecution.
  The persecution of Christians and other religious minorities is a 
growing problem. In countries such as Saudi Arabia, Sudan, China, and 
Ethiopia, among other countries, Christians are systematically denied 
their religious liberties. Christians have been the victims of rape, 
torture, enslavement, imprisonment, killings, mutilations, and 
discrimination simply because of their religious beliefs. The 
governments of these countries all too often tacitly, or even openly, 
endorse this sectarian violence.
  According to human rights organizations, the Sudanese Government is 
essentially waging a war against its Christian population. The 
government's campaign against the Christian and non-Muslim populations 
of southern Sudan has resulted in more than 1.3 million deaths and the 
displacement of over 3 million people. Equally shocking are reports 
that the Sudanese Government is involved in the enslavement and forced 
internment and conversion of the Christian populations from the 
southern regions of Sudan. In the last 6 years more than 30,000 non-
Muslim children have reportedly been abducted by agents of the Sudanese 
Government, taken from their homes and families, forcibly interned in 
high-security ``cultural cleansing'' camps, forced to convert to Islam 
and then sent to the front lines of Sudan's civil war.
  Of course anti-Christian persecution and sectarian violence extends 
far beyond Sudan. In the Muslim-controlled Oromo region of Ethiopia, 
reports indicate that government officials raided the area's largest 
Christian church and arrested most of its congregants. Many of those 
arrested in this 1994 raid died while in prison. The leader of the 
congregation was tortured and his eyes were torn from their sockets.
  In Egypt, a country generally noted for its religious tolerance, 
Christians are increasingly the targets of militant Islamist terrorist 
attacks on the streets as well as more subtle persecution in the courts 
and businesses. Christians are also often denied participation in the 
Egyptian political process.
  Persecution of Christians is by no means limited to the Islamic 
world. It is reported that the Chinese Government has harassed and 
imprisoned many Chinese Christians simply for practicing their 
religion. In 1992, Protestant leader Zheng Yunsu was arrested and 
sentenced to 12 years in prison because of his faith. Other reports 
indicate that between October 1994 and June 1995, more than 200 
Christians were detained in the Hunan Province in a crackdown on 
unregistered Protestant house churches. One of those arrested, Ren 
Ping, was sentenced, without trial, to 3 years of ``reeducation'' 
through labor. According to Amnesty International, more than 30

[[Page S8994]]

Chinese Catholics were arrested and severely beaten by the police while 
celebrating Easter Mass earlier this year.
  Examples of such religious persecution abound. The time has come for 
the United States to stand up for the right of all people to enjoy the 
fundamental freedom of religious faith. Without further delay, the 
White House should fulfill its commitment to appoint a senior advisor 
to the President dedicated to combating religious persecution overseas.

                          ____________________