[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S4379]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 URGING THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA TO RELEASE WEI JINGSHENG--A POLITICAL 
                                PRISONER

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today with a simple message, a 
message to the Government of China to release Wei Jingsheng. Who is Wei 
Jingsheng? Born in China, Wei Jingsheng is a dreamer, a political 
activist, a writer, a silenced leader, an inspiration, a nurturing 
older brother, and one who possesses an unparalleled faith in democracy 
and its place in modern China. He is the kind of man who if living in 
America would undoubtedly grace these Halls. But Wei Jingsheng does not 
live in the United States, he lives in China, where the courage of his 
convictions have not been appreciated, in fact quite the opposite, Wei 
Jingsheng has been severely punished.
  In speaking out for democracy and reform, Wei Jingsheng has suffered 
great consequences--consequences including nearly 18 years of solitary 
confinement, torturous treatment, the lack of medical attention, and 
numerous other methods known to squelch a man's spirits and weaken his 
convictions.
  Now that we know about his punishment, let us consider Wei 
Jingsheng's crimes: numerous writings on democracy, a series of letters 
to China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping before his death, 
communicating with foreign journalists, participating in the 1979 
Democracy Wall movement, and most recently meeting with John Shattuck, 
the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human 
Rights, and Labor in 1994. Frankly, these do not strike me as crimes, 
or actions that warrant any sanctions by the state, and most certainly 
are not at all commensurate with the punishment Wei Jingsheng has 
endured.
  Respect for human rights is an international concept. We only need 
look to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to see a sample of 
the international consensus on human rights. While China may resent 
United States scrutiny on this topic, we do in fact have a legitimate 
right, as well as a moral obligation, to call for improved conditions. 
We can and should have a human rights dialog with Chinese leaders, and 
I encourage the administration to make more opportunities for such high 
level discussions to take place.
  Wei Jingsheng is reported to be near the end of his life--a life of 
struggle and hardship. His recently published book ``The Courage To 
Stand Alone: Letters From Prison and Other Writings'' underscore Wei 
Jingsheng's struggle to promote democracy in China. I stand with my 
other colleagues in the Senate today to encourage the Government of 
China to immediately release Wei Jingsheng.

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