[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
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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.
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