[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 72 (Friday, June 5, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S5681]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NINTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MASSACRE OF PRODEMOCRACY DEMONSTRATORS ON
TIANAN-MEN SQUARE
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Senate Resolution 244
submitted earlier today by Senators Collins, Lott, Hutchison, and
Abraham.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 244) expressing the sense of the
Senate on the ninth anniversary of the massacre of
prodemocracy demonstrators on Tiananmen Square by military
forces acting under orders from the Government of the
People's Republic of China.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate
consideration of the resolution?
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, yesterday was the ninth anniversary of
the massacre of hundreds of prodemocracy students on Tiananmen Square
in Beijing by troops acting under the orders of the Communist
Government of China. In memory of the brave students who suffered and
died there for speaking out peacefully against political repression,
and in memory of those who are imprisoned still, last night I attempted
to introduce this resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that
our Government should remain committed to honoring the memory of these
victims of oppression and also that supporting China's peaceful
transition to democracy should be a principal goal of our foreign
policy.
I know that such sentiments are shared by all Members of this body.
After all, who could possibly object to honoring the Chinese student
martyrs to democracy on the ninth anniversary of their massacre? After
all, our most cherished political ideals are those of inalienable
rights and democratic self-rule. Unfortunately, however, we were unable
to get the resolution cleared last night on the Democratic side. This
objection prevented the Senate from making any statement in memory of
the victims of Tiananmen Square on the ninth anniversary of their
murder.
I am pleased, however, to report today that the cold light of morning
has helped bring some perspective to this issue and that the objection
to my resolution has now been withdrawn. I am very grateful for the
cooperation of the Democratic leader in resolving the issue on his
side.
I spoke at some length last night about the purpose of this
resolution, so I will not repeat those remarks now. Let me merely say
that it is deeply gratifying to see all of us join together in
expressing our heartfelt commitment to democracy and human rights in
China and in honoring the memory of those slain in the pursuit of these
ideals. It may be 24 hours late, Mr. President, but history will not
find the U.S. Senate to have been voiceless in remembrance of the
victims in the Tiananmen Square massacre of June 4, 1989.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed
to, the preamble agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon
the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 244) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution (S. Res. 244), with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 244
Whereas in the spring of 1989, thousands of students
demonstrated in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in favor of
greater democracy, civil liberties, and freedom of expression
in the People's Republic of China (PRC);
Whereas these students' protests against political
repression in their homeland were conducted peacefully and
posed no threat to their fellow Chinese citizens;
Whereas on the evening of June 4, 1989, these students were
brutally attacked by infantry and armored vehicles of the
People's Liberation Army (PLA) acting under orders from the
highest political and military leadership of the PRC;
Whereas hundreds of these students were killed by the PLA
in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989 for offenses no more
serious than that of seeking peacefully to assert their most
basic human, civil, and political rights;
Whereas many of the leaders of the student demonstrations
thus attacked were subsequently imprisoned, sought out for
arrest, or otherwise persecuted by the Government of the PRC;
Whereas during or shortly after the brutal assault of June
4, 1989, at least 2,500 persons were arrested for so-called
``counter-revolutionary offenses'' across China and dozens of
persons were executed;
Whereas the Chinese government has never expressed grief
for its actions on June 4, 1989, still imprisons at least 150
persons in connection with the Tiananmen Square
demonstrations, and has continued to deny its citizens basic
internationally-recognized human, civil, and political
rights;
Whereas the Government of the PRC, as detailed in
successive annual reports on human rights by the United
States Department of State, still routinely and
systematically violates the rights of its citizens, including
their rights to freedom of speech, assembly, worship, and
peaceful dissent; and
Whereas the Tiananmen Square Massacre has become indelibly
etched into the political consciousness of our times as a
symbol both of the impossibility of forever denying a
determined people the right to control their own destiny and
of the oppressiveness and brutality of governments that seek
to do so: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That, in the interest of expressing support for
the observance of human, civil, and political rights in China
and around the world, it is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the United States Government should remain committed to
honoring the memory and spirit of the brave citizens of China
who suffered and died in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989 for
attempting to assert their internationally-recognized rights;
and
(2) supporting the peaceful transition to democratic
governance and the observance of internationally-recognized
human, civil, and political rights and the rule of law in
China should be a principal goal of United States foreign
policy.
Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy
of this resolution to the President.
Ms. COLLINS. Thank you, Mr. President.
I thank the distinguished senior Senator from West Virginia for
allowing me to precede him.
I yield the floor.
Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, what is the state of things at this point?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are in a period of morning business, with
Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent, in view of the fact
that my statement may require more than 10 minutes--it may not--that I
may use as much time as I may consume, with the understanding that I
will not use more than 15 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, and I shall
not object, I wonder if the Presiding Officer might entertain a consent
request that I be allowed to follow Senator Byrd.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator yield for that purpose?
Mr. BYRD. Yes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________