[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S4377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              FREEDOM FOR CHINESE DISSIDENT WEI JINGSHENG

  Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I rise today to call for justice for Wei 
Jingsheng. Mr. Wei is a Chinese citizen who has devoted his life to the 
cause of democracy and tolerance in the People's Republic of China. In 
exchange for his selfless effort, Mr. Wei has spent almost 20 years in 
prison. We must, as a Senate and as a country, call upon Chinese 
leaders to recognize Mr. Wei's genuine love of his country, to respect 
his right to dissent, and to set him free to live his life in peace.
  I have chosen to make this statement today because today we celebrate 
the publication of Mr. Wei's book, ``The Courage to Stand Alone: 
Letters from Prison and Other Writings.'' In these unadorned yet 
powerful reflections, Mr. Wei provides insight into the tortures he has 
suffered in prisons and labor camps, as well as the passion and 
commitment which have maintained his fighting spirit. His 
straightforward missives on the obvious need for democracy remind us 
all of our fundamental civic values.
  Wei Jingsheng is a hero. With a background as an electrician, and 
with the weight of the Communist leadership against him, he became what 
the New York Times called the strongest voice of China's democracy 
movement. It is with awe and sadness that I note Mr. Wei's ability to 
persevere these many years despite his and other Chinese dissidents' 
virtual invisibility on the international scene.
  We can not allow Mr. Wei to be invisible. As Americans we have always 
supported the cause of democracy and tolerance. In our own country we 
are lucky. Democracy as law and tolerance, though we must always be 
vigilant for transgressions against it, is an integral part of our 
social fabric. In other parts of the world, including the People's 
Republic of China, democracy and tolerance remain elusive. Mr. Wei is a 
hero because he fights against the tide. The leaders of China will be 
heroes when they realize that men and women like Wei Jingsheng can 
strengthen and enrich their country--if only they are set free.

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