[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 72 (Wednesday, May 23, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S5553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 42--A BILL CONDEMNING THE TALEBAN FOR 
          THEIR DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself and Mrs. Boxer) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 42

       Whereas the Taleban militia took power in Afghanistan in 
     1996, and now rules over 90 percent of the country;
       Whereas, under Taleban rule, most political, civil, and 
     human rights are denied to the Afghan people;
       Whereas women, minorities, and children suffer 
     disproportionately under Taleban rule;
       Whereas, according to the United States Department of State 
     Country Report on Human Rights Practices, violence against 
     women and girls in Afghanistan occurs frequently, including 
     beatings, rapes, forced marriages, disappearances, 
     kidnapings, and killings;
       Whereas Taleban edicts isolate Muslim and non-Muslim 
     minorities, and will require the thousands of Hindus living 
     in Taleban-ruled Afghanistan to wear identity labels on their 
     clothing, singling out these minorities for discrimination 
     and harsh treatment;
       Whereas Taleban forces have targeted ethnic Shiite Hazaras, 
     many of whom have been massacred, while those who have 
     survived, are denied relief and discriminated against for 
     their religious beliefs;
       Whereas non-Muslim religious symbols are banned, and 
     earlier this year Taleban forces obliterated 2 ancient 
     statues of Buddha, claiming they were idolatrous symbols;
       Whereas Afghanistan is currently suffering from its worst 
     drought in 3 decades, affecting almost one-half of 
     Afghanistan's 21,000,000 population, with the impact severely 
     exacerbated by the ongoing civil war and Taleban policies 
     denying relief to needy areas;
       Whereas the Taleban has systematically interfered with 
     United Nations relief programs and workers, recently closing 
     a new hospital and arresting local workers, closing United 
     Nations World Food Program bakeries providing much needed 
     food, and closing offices of the United Nations Special 
     Mission to Afghanistan in 4 Afghan cities;
       Whereas, as a result of those policies, there are more than 
     25,000,000 persons who are internally displaced within 
     Afghanistan, and this year, contrary to past practice, the 
     Taleban rejected a United Nations call for a cease-fire in 
     order to bring assistance to the internally displaced;
       Whereas, as a result of Taleban policies, there are now 
     more than 2,200,000 Afghan refugees in Pakistan, and 500,000 
     more refugees are expected to flee in the coming months 
     unless some form of relief is forthcoming;
       Whereas Pakistan has closed its borders to Afghanistan, and 
     has announced that Pakistani and United Nations officials 
     will begin screening refugees in June with a view toward 
     forcibly repatriating all those who are found to be staying 
     illegally in Pakistan;
       Whereas the Taleban leadership continues to give safe haven 
     to terrorists, including Osama bin Laden, and is known to 
     host and provide training ground to other terrorist 
     organizations; and
       Whereas the people of Afghanistan are the greatest victims 
     of the Taleban, and in recognition of that fact, the United 
     States has provided $124,000,000 in relief to the people of 
     Afghanistan this year: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) condemns the harsh and discriminatory policies of the 
     Taleban toward Muslims, Hindus, women, and all other 
     minorities, and the attendant destruction of religious icons;
       (2) urges the Taleban to immediately reopen United Nations 
     offices and hospitals and allow the provision of relief to 
     all the people of Afghanistan;
       (3) commends President George W. Bush and his 
     administration for their recognition of these urgent issues 
     and encourages President Bush to continue to respond to those 
     issues;
       (4) recognizes the burdens placed on the Government of 
     Pakistan by Afghan refugees, and calls on that Government to 
     facilitate the provision of relief to these refugees and to 
     abandon any plans for forced repatriation; and
       (5) calls on the international community to increase 
     assistance to the Afghan people and consider granting asylum 
     to at-risk Afghan refugees.

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