[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 9, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H7457-H7459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONCERNING THE NEW TRIBES MISSION HOSTAGE CRISIS
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 277) concerning the New Tribes
Mission hostage crisis.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 277
Whereas Mark Rich, David Mankins, and Rick Tenenoff of the
Sanford, Florida, based New Tribes Mission were abducted on
January 31, 1993, from the Kuna Indian village of Pucuro in
the Darien Province of Panama;
Whereas the wives and children of these American citizens,
Tania Rich (daughters--Tamra and Jessica), Nancy Mankins
(son--Chad, daughter--Sarah), and Patti Tenenoff (son--
Richard Lee III, daughters--Dora and Connie), have lived the
past 5 years without knowledge of the safety of these 3 men;
Whereas Mark Rich, David Mankins, and Rick Tenenoff
presently are believed to be the longest held United States
hostages;
Whereas this kidnapping represents a gross violation of the
3 missionaries' human rights and is not an isolated incident
in Colombia where, since 1980, 83 innocent Americans have
been held hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN);
Whereas the FARC and the ELN guerrilla groups in Colombia
have both been designated terrorist organizations by the
Department of State;
Whereas Colombia is engaged in a high-level conflict with
these guerrilla insurgency groups, a number of whom are
protectorates of the deadly drug trade;
Whereas the FARC has recently threatened officials of the
United States Government and kidnapped additional United
States citizens in Colombia;
Whereas the region of Colombia where the 3 American
missionaries are believed to be held is controlled not by the
Colombian Government, but rather by the FARC;
Whereas on December 9, 1997, the President of Colombia
stated on an internationally televised episode of Larry King
Live that the FARC ``in some ways have admitted indirectly
that they have the missionaries'';
Whereas Human Rights Watch has stated that ``The FARC has
an obligation to unconditionally free the 3 missionaries,
with all necessary guarantees'' and Amnesty International has
declared their ``request that the FARC respect international
humanitarian norms, guarantee the life and physical safety of
the missionaries and unconditionally free them and all other
hostages'';
Whereas congressional inquiries regarding the 3
missionaries have been made to United States Government
entities, including, the White House, the Department of
State, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice,
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
Whereas congressional inquiries regarding the 3
missionaries have been made to Amnesty International, Pax
Christi, His Holiness the Pope John Paul II, and the
International Committee of the Red Cross, which has provided
assurances that their Colombian delegation ``is still
actively working in favor of the missing members of the New
Tribes Mission'';
Whereas 58 Members of Congress and Senators signed letters
to 8 different heads of state, including Costa Rica, Mexico,
Panama, Spain, Venezuela, Guatemala, Colombia, and Portugal,
in attendance at the Iberian-American Conference in Venezuela
in November of 1997, requesting any and all assistance in
order to bring about a favorable outcome to this unfortunate
event;
Whereas no official confirmation of life or death has been
made by any United States Government entity, nongovernmental
organization, foreign government, or religious institution;
Whereas the distinction between a ``terrorist activity''
and a ``criminal activity'' perpetrated on an American
citizen traveling abroad should not be a limiting factor in
terms of United States governmental investigation; and
Whereas every consideration to safety and prudence
regarding action by the United States Government, foreign
governments, nongovernmental organizations, international
institutions, and other groups in this matter should be of
the highest priority: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That--
(1) the President of the United States and his emissaries
should raise the kidnapping of Mark Rich, David Mankins, and
Rick Tenenoff of the New Tribes Mission and other American
victims in Colombia to all relevant foreign governments,
nongovernmental organizations, and religious institutions at
every opportunity until a favorable outcome is achieved;
(2) the international community should encourage any and
all groups believed to have information on this case to come
forward to help the families of the kidnapped missionaries;
(3) all appropriate information obtained by the United
States Government, foreign governments, international
institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and religious
institutions should be turned over in a timely basis to the
New Tribes Mission crisis response team;
(4) a copy of this resolution shall be transmitted to the
President, the Secretary of State, the National Security
Advisor, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Director of Central
Intelligence, the President of the Republic of Costa Rica,
the President of the United Mexican States, the President of
the Republic of Panama, the King of Spain, the President of
the Republic of Venezuela, the President of the Republic of
Guatemala, the President of the Republic of Colombia, the
President of the Republic of Portugal, and His Holiness Pope
John Paul II; and
(5) a copy of this resolution shall be transmitted to the
New Tribes Mission, Amnesty International, Pax Christi, and
the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Gilman) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr.
Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).
General Leave
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous matter on House Concurrent Resolution 277.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
[[Page H7458]]
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent
Resolution 277 concerning the New Tribes Mission hostage crisis. I want
to commend our colleagues on the committee: the gentleman from Missouri
(Mr. Blunt), for introducing this concurrent resolution highlighting
the plight of the New Tribes missionaries in Columbia; and I understand
that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) and the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Burton) contributed to the drafting of this resolution,
and have been actively engaged on behalf of the families of these
victims of terrorist kidnappings. This resolution received the
unanimous support of our committee, and was referred to the suspension
calendar.
Since 1980, Mr. Speaker, 83 innocent Americans have been held hostage
in Columbia. Twelve of these Americans are known to have been murdered.
In February, 1997, American geologist Frank Pescatore was brutally
killed by the narcoterrorist group that calls itself the National
Liberation Army, the ELM.
In 1995, the Florida-based New Tribes Mission lost two other
missionaries, Steve Welsh and Timothy Van Dyke, who were murdered by
another narcoterrorist group that calls itself the Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Columbia, the FARC. These kidnappings and the suffering of
the victims and their families have been virtually unnoticed and have
been underreported in the media. Moreover, in Columbia, kidnappers act
with substantial impunity. Ninety-seven percent of crimes in Columbia
are never brought to justice.
In March, our Committee on International Relations held a hearing in
which we heard testimony from three Americans whose lives were
callously and inexorably altered by kidnapping at the hands of Columbia
narcoterrorists. The testimony of Mrs. Tania Rich and the other
kidnapped missionaries' wives was particularly moving.
Mr. Speaker, now is the time for the missionaries' captives to come
forward with any information they may have on their fate and their
well-being. Accordingly, I invite all of our colleagues to join in
approving this resolution today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, again I thank the gentleman from New York, the chairman
of the Committee on International Relations, for his management of this
legislation now before us. I want to commend the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Blunt) for his authorship of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, the resolution calls for the President and his
representatives to raise the kidnapping of these three missionaries and
all other American victims of kidnapping in Columbia with relevant
governments, NGOs, and religious institutions at every opportunity.
The resolution also calls on the international community to encourage
all groups with information on this case to come forward. Also, the
resolution states that all appropriate information on the case of these
three missionaries be provided to the New Tribes Mission crisis
response team.
Mr. Speaker, it seems that kidnapping is literally an industry now in
Columbia, where thousands of people are taken and held for ransom every
year. No case, however, is as cynical and senseless as the case of Mark
Rich, David Mankins, and Rick Tenenoff. These three men were on mission
in southern Panama when they were kidnapped in January of 1993. If
Columbia insurgents are as serious about peace as they say they are,
then the least we can expect from them is an accounting of where these
three men are and what has happened to them.
Mr. Speaker, the drafters of this resolution have been very active in
raising the profile of this very regrettable case, and they ought to be
commended for their efforts, especially the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Mica) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).
This resolution deserves our support, Mr. Speaker, and I urge my
colleagues to join me in voting yes on this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts).
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I am compelled
to rise today to urge the House to support House Resolution 277,
because it means that Columbian guerillas are still holding David
Mankins, Mark Rich, and Rick Tenenoff as hostages.
As we know, in January of 1993 the Columbian guerillas crossed the
border into Panama and kidnapped David, Richard, and Mark from an
Indian village where they were doing humanitarian work. These three
American missionaries have now been held for over 5 years by the
guerillas. I believe that is the longest held Americans ever, as
hostages. Credible reports suggest that they are still alive.
Last year a number of Latin American ambassadors pledged to assist in
resolving this hostage situation. In addition, the governments of other
countries in Central and South America learned of the case and pledged
their support in working to secure the release of Mr. Mankins, Mr.
Rich, and Mr. Tenenoff.
The commitments of assistance from a number of these governments has
been very encouraging. In July of last year, Assistant Secretary of
State John Shattuck committed to doing everything possible to secure
the release of these three Americans. Unfortunately, despite all these
pledges of assistance from other countries, the Americans remain as
hostages.
Mr. Speaker, American citizens' lives are at stake, and now have been
for over 5 years. We must continue our efforts on behalf of these men.
I urge President Clinton, Secretary Albright, the State Department, and
all other appropriate American officials to work to bring an immediate
end to this tragic hostage situation. I urge the House to support House
Resolution 277 to pledge our assistance in bringing David Mankins, Mark
Rich, and Rick Tenenoff, home to their families.
I also again offer my continued to support, assistance and prayers to
Mrs. Mankins, Mrs. Rich, and Mrs. Tenenoff and their families as they
seek the release of their husbands and fathers. I call on all of my
colleagues to stand firmly against terrorism of any kind.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) for
his eloquent remarks in support of this resolution.
Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, on January 31, 1993, armed Colombian
guerrillas from the FARC organization crossed the border between
Colombia and Panama and kidnapped three American missionaries of the
New Tribes Mission. These innocent American citizens were then taken
back into Colombia and held for millions of dollars of ransom.
Since that day almost 6 years ago, the fate of Rick Tenenoff, David
Mankins, and Mark Rich remains unknown. Their families wait anxiously
every day for some news of their loved ones. I want to applaud the FARC
for their recent release of U.S. businessman, Donald Lee Cary who they
held captive for more than five months, but I want to express my
disappointment with the FARC for their silence on the issue of the New
Tribes missionaries. The FARC guerrillas have chosen not to provide any
information on the whereabouts of these missionaries. They won't even
say whether they are still alive or not.
I want to commend our colleague, Roy Blunt for introducing H. Con.
Res. 277 asking the Colombian guerrillas to release these American
citizens or to provide some information as to their fate. For the
families, this is the least that can be done.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and I call on the
FARC to release whatever information they have about these citizens.
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, on January 31, 1993, armed guerillas entered
in Kuna village of Pucaro in Southern Panama and stormed the homes of
Mark Rich, David Mankins, and Rick Teneoff. The men were missionaries
for new Tribes Mission who lived in the village with their families.
The guerillas tied up the men in their homes and ordered their wives to
prepare packages of clothing. Then they all--the gun-toting guerillas
and the three American missionaries--disappeared into the night. The
three men have not been heard from again--that was over 5\1/2\ years
ago.
[[Page H7459]]
The three men are believed to be the longest held American hostages
in our history.
It is believed the men are being held by the Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia or FARC--an organization designated by the State
Department as a terrorist group. It is believed the men were taken to
Northern Colombia into an area controlled by the FARC. We know little
else. We don't know whether the men are dead or alive. We don't know
the exact location of whether they are being held. Very little
information has become available.
For over 5 years, the families of these men have longed for the
return of their loved ones--Mark has two daughters, David has a son and
a daughter, and Rick has two daughters. These children have all spent
the last years of their young lives without their fathers. Their
mothers--Tania Rich, Nancy Mankins, and Patti Teneoff--have been
without their husbands. They have spent each day praying for some shred
of information that may give them a ray of hope.
They have lobbied the State Department and FB to do more. They have
written to President Clinton. They have met with Latin American leaders
who may have influence with the FARC. They have presented their pleas
to Congress. They are speaking out and doing what they can. But we must
help.
I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 277 which condemns the
kidnapping of the New Tribes Missionaries and urges the United States
government to do everything possible to press for their release. It
sends the message that U.S. Congress cares about this case and is
committed to working for the release of these men. Resolving these
cases is never easy, but there be must be more the U.S. government can
and should do.
We must try everthing possible to help return these men to their
families. The kidnapping of American citizens is not acceptable and
must be punished. Indecisive or unenthusiastic intervention on behalf
of the American government puts American citizens everywhere at risk.
My heart goes out to the Rich, Mankins, and Teneoff families. We are
with you and will do what we can to help you.
I urge you to vote in favor of H. Con. Res. 277.
Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this resolution and
encourage my colleagues and the United States Government to highlight
the plight of three missionaries from my district in Sanford, Florida,
who are being held captive by a narco-terrorist group in Colombia. The
Congress must ask every federal government agency to bring greater
attention to the plight of these men and their families.
New Tribes Mission, founded in 1945, places missionaries around the
world. With approximately 3,500 missionaries working in isolated areas
worldwide, no one can dispute the courageous work and positive
influences these dedicated individuals bring to so many. Their work,
however, is sometimes marked by danger.
On January 31, 1993, three New Tribes Missionaries: David Mankins,
Mark Rich, and Rick Tenenoff were taken from their families in their
village in Pucuro, Panama by armed guerrillas, who crossed the nearby
border back into Colombia. This was over five years ago! Still, these
three husbands and fathers, believed to be the longest held U.S.
hostages, have not been reunited with their loved ones. They were not
wealthy, well placed or international figures. They were there with
limited resources on a mission of faith.
Mr. Speaker, I have worked closely with many of our colleagues in
efforts to seek their release. We have made numerous inquiries with
various U.S. government entities, including the White House, the State
Department, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, and
the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the intelligence community. We
have also solicited support from human rights organizations such as
Amnesty International, Pax Christi, and the International Committee of
the Red Cross.
We were joined by fifty-seven Members of Congress and U.S. Senators,
in contacting foreign leaders and participants in the 1997 Iberian-
American Conference on Human Rights urging their support in raising
this issue with Colombia and with all relevant governments and
organizations. While this effort was met with wide support, these men
still have not been returned.
These three missionaries are not people of sizable wealth or
corporate executives. They are families of modest means who certainly
cannot afford large ransoms. Colombian guerrillas, largely funded by
the drug trade, have nothing to gain from holding these men. The United
States must not forget these American lives. These lives are of equal
value to any American, even those of substantial wealth and power. This
resolution emphasizes Congress's commitment to the cause of freeing
these men.
In closing, Mr. Speaker, we must face the prospect of what this sad
story holds for the children of these fine Americans. David Mankins has
not seen his children, Sarah and Chad, get married. Rick Tenenoff's son
has told his mother he would go and stay with the guerillas just be
with his father. And Jessica, Mark Rich's youngest daughter said, ``I
would give away all my toys, even Cubby [her teddybear], if it would
bring Daddy back.''--Heartbreaking. Let us not forget these men and
their families. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Con.
Res. 277, and hope that this effort further encourages those in power
to act now & use every possible resource to free these American
hostages, these devoted missionaries, these longed for husbands and
fathers.
Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit the following
statement for the Record regarding H. Con. Res. 277, the New Tribes
Mission Resolution:
I invite all of my colleagues to join me today in approving
legislation that I introduced, H. Con. Res. 277, the New Tribes Mission
Resolution.
On January 31, 1993 three Americans, Mark Rich, David Mankins, and
Rick Tennenoff were abducted from the Kuna Indian village of Pucuro in
the Darian Province of Panama, and were taken to Colombia by the
Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC). These men, missionaries
from the New Tribes Mission headquartered in Sanford, Florida, are now
believed to be the longest held American hostages in Colombia.
After five years of uncertainty about the fate of these men, their
families and other members of the New Tribes Mission deserve closure.
Congress must take action to urge the missionaries' captors to come
forward and release any information they may have on the fate and well
being of these hostages.
My resolution expresses the sense of Congress that any individual or
group with knowledge of the whereabouts of the New Tribes Mission
missionaries be encouraged to come forward. It also seeks to bring
international attention to the abduction and to pressure the Colombian
government to release any information they may have about the fate of
these men.
Accordingly, I welcome the support of all of my colleagues in
approving this bipartisan and humanitarian legislation.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 277.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof), the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was
agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________