[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1778-E1779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




H.J. RES. 57--DISAPPROVING EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT TO 
                 PRODUCTS OF PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 27, 1999

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I have thought long and hard 
about what position to take on the Joint Resolution disapproving Normal 
Trade Relations with China. While it may be in both our national and 
global interests to continue to engage China economically, I feel 
strongly that the United States cannot sit by and ignore the flagrant 
abuses of human rights that China continues to perpetrate. In good 
conscience, I cannot support NTR for China.
  This is a difficult issue for me personally. As someone who has had 
the opportunity to travel extensively throughout Asia, I feel a deep 
connection with that part of the world. I have spent time in Tibet, 
getting to know the people and sharing in their customs and traditions. 
The Tibetans are a peaceful and spiritual people, undeserving of the 
abuses they have suffered under the Chinese government.
  When I climbed Mt. Everest in 1994, our group struggled with which 
route to take so as not to land on Tibetan territory and thereby give 
support to the Chinese government. Although we did eventually set foot 
in Tibet, every individual in our group made a commitment to do what we 
could in our own lives to show support for the people of Tibet and to 
protest China's human rights record and occupation of Tibet. It is with 
this commitment in mind that I support this resolution.
  The Chinese Government maintains one of the most atrocious human 
rights records in the world. China continues to wage an all-out war on 
the people, environment, religion and culture of Tibet. In the 46 years 
of Chinese occupation, over one million Tibetans have been killed and 
thousands more unjustly tortured, shot and imprisoned. China has 
plagued Tibet with extensive deforestation and open dumping of nuclear 
waste. But the abuses are not only reserved for Tibet. Ten years after 
the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the Chinese Government has still not 
made good on its commitment to increase social freedom. Just last week, 
the Chinese Government banned the religious group, Falun Gong, and 
imprisoned 5,000 people for peacefully exercising their basic human 
rights.
  As the leader of the free world, the United States is in a unique 
position to push for freedom and democracy for the people in the 
region. We must use this opportunity to make a statement to China that 
we will not tolerate its blatant disregard for human rights.

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