[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 82 (Wednesday, June 13, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1097-E1098]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   STATE DEPARTMENT LETTER DESCRIBING RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN CHINA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 13, 2001

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, as co-chairman of the Congressional Human 
Rights Caucus, I want to share a letter I recently received from the 
State Department regarding religious persecution in China. The letter 
notes that the State Department currently estimates that, ``roughly ten 
Catholic Bishops, scores of Catholic priests and house church leaders, 
100-300 Tibetan Buddhists, hundreds (perhaps thousands) of Falun Gong 
adherents, and an unknown but possibly significant number of Muslims 
are in various forms of detention in China for the expression of their 
religious or spiritual beliefs.'' An illustrative list of religious 
prisoners in China notes that many have been tortured to death or are 
serving sentences of up to 21 years for simply practicing their 
religion.
  I look forward to the day when the citizens of China will be free to 
worship the religion of their choosing and enjoy the basic human right 
of religious freedom.

                                     U.S. Department of State,

                                     Washington, DC, May 31, 2001.
     Hon. Frank Wolf,
     Co-Chairman, Human Rights Caucus,
     House of Representatives.
       Dear Mr. Wolf: This is in response to your request of 
     Acting Assistant Secretary Michael Parmly for additional 
     information during his testimony before the Human Rights 
     Caucus on May 15 on the status of religious freedom in China. 
     We appreciate your concern about the recent deterioration of 
     religious freedoms in China and the large number of persons 
     held in China for the peaceful expression of their religious 
     or spiritual views. We regret the delay in responding to your 
     request for information, but we wanted to provide as 
     comprehensive a list of these individuals as possible.
       We currently estimate that roughly ten Catholic Bishops, 
     scores of Catholic priests and house church leaders, 100-300 
     Tibetan Buddhists, hundreds (perhaps thousands) of Falun Gong 
     adherents, and an unknown but possibly significant number of 
     Muslims are in various forms of detention in China for the 
     expression of their religious or spiritual beliefs. The forms 
     of detention range from de facto house arrest to imprisonment 
     in maximum security prisons. As you know, we regularly raise 
     cases of religious prisoners with Chinese officials both here 
     and in China. Our information about such cases comes from 
     sources as diverse as religious dissidents, human rights 
     NGOs, interested Americans and, most importantly, regular 
     reporting from our embassies and consulates. Unfortunately, 
     the opaqueness of the Chinese criminal justice system and 
     absence of any central system that provides basic information 
     on who is incarcerated and why makes it exceedingly difficult 
     to determine the exact number of religious prisoners 
     currently being held in China. We have, however, attached 
     lists of cases of particular concern that we have raised with 
     Chinese authorities or have included in our human rights and 
     religious freedom reports.
       We recognize the importance of compiling and maintaining a 
     database of political and religious prisoners from additional 
     sources such as Chinese newspapers and government notices and 
     appreciate Congressional interest in providing us additional 
     resources to fund such activities. At present, the Bureau for 
     Democracy, Human Rights and Labor is discussing with the 
     International Republican Institute a proposal which will be 
     submitted through the National Endowment for Democracy. This 
     proposal will be for a Human Rights and Democracy Fund grant 
     specifically for the purpose of funding a U.S. NGO's efforts 
     to develop and maintain a list of political and religious 
     prisoners in China.
       Such a database will be extremely valuable to the human 
     rights work done not only by this bureau but also by other 
     government agencies, the Congress, and NGOS. We welcome your 
     interest in and support of this effort and look forward to 
     cooperative efforts to develop and fund a comprehensive 
     record of religious prisoners in China.
       In the meantime, we hope the information in this letter and 
     the attached lists are helpful to you. We would welcome any 
     case information that you might have available that could 
     improve the quality of this list.
           Sincerely,

                                             Michael E. Guest,

                                       Acting Assistant Secretary,
                                              Legislative Affairs.
       Enclosure: Listing of Religious Prisoners in China.


           Illustrative List of Religious Prisoners in China

       Note: See comments in cover letter. The following 
     illustrative list is compiled from various sources, including 
     information provided to us by reputable non-governmental 
     organizations and from the State Department's annual reports 
     on human rights and on religious freedom. We cannot vouch for 
     its overall accuracy or completeness.

                                 STATUS


                                MUSLIMS

       Xinjiang Abduhelil Abdumijit, tortured to death in custody.
       Turhong Awout, executed.
       Rebiya Kadeer, serving 2nd year in prison.
       Zulikar Memet, executed.
       Nurahmet Niyazi, sentenced to death.
       Dulkan Rouz, executed.
       Turhan Saidalamoud, sentenced to death.
       Alim Younous, executed.
       Krubanjiang Yusseyin, sentenced to death.


                          PROTESTANTS (misc.)

       Qin Baocai, reeducation through labor sentence.
       Zhao Dexin, serving 3rd year in prison.
       Liu Haitao, tortured to death in custody.
       Miao Hailin, serving 3rd year in prison.
       Han Shaorong, serving 3rd year in prison.
       Mu Sheng, reeducation through labor sentence.
       Li Wen, serving 3rd year in prison.
       Yang Xian, serving 3rd year in prison.
       Chen Zide, serving 3rd year in prison.


                        EVANGELISTIC FELLOWSHIP

       Hao Huaiping, serving reeducation sentence.
       Jing Quinggang, serving reeducation sentence.
       Shen Yiping, Reeducation; status unknown.


                          COLD WATER RELIGION

       Liu Jiaguo, executed in October 1999.


                         FENGCHENG CHURCH GROUP

       Zheng Shuquian; reeducation; status unknown.
       David Zhang; reeducation; status unknown.


                               CATHOLICS

     Bishops
       Bishop Han Dingxiang; arrested in 1999, status unknown.
       Bishop Shi Engxiang; arrested in October 1999.
       Bishop Zeng Jingmu; rearrested on September 14, 2000.
       Bishop Liu; house arrest in Zhejiang.
       Bishop Jiang Mingyuang; arrested in August 2000.
       Bishop Mattias Pei Shangde; arrested in early April 2001.
       Bishop Xie Shiguang; arrested in 1999; status unknown.
       Bishop Yang Shudao; arrested Feb. 2001; status unknown.
       Bishop An Shuxin; remains detained in Hebei.
       Bishop Li Side; house arrest.
       Bishop Zang Weizhu; detained in Hebei.
       Bishop Lin Xili; arrested Sept. 1999, status unknown.
       Bishop Su Zhimin; whereabouts unknown.
     Priests
       Fr. Shao Amin; arrested September 5, 1999.
       Fr. Wang Chengi; serving reeducation sentence.
       Fr. Wang Chengzhi; arrested September 13, 1999.
       Fr. Zhang Chunguang; arrested May 2000.
       Fr. Lu Genjun; serving 1st year of 3 year sentence.
       Fr. Xie Guolin; serving 1st year of 1 year sentence.
       Fr. Li Jianbo; arrested April 19, 2000.
       Fr. Wei Jingkun; arrested August 15, 1998.
       Fr. Wang Qingyuan; serving 1st year of 1 year sentence.
       Fr. Xiao Shixiang; arrested June 1996, status unknown.

[[Page E1098]]

       Fr. Hu Tongxian; serving 3rd year of 3 year sentence.
       Fr. Cui Xingang; arrested March 1996.
       Fr. Guo Yibao; arrested April 4, 1999.
       Fr. Feng Yunxiang; arrested April 13, 2001.
       Fr. Ji Zengwei; arrested march 2000.
       Fr. Wang Zhenhe; arrested April 1999.
       Fr. Yin; serving 1st of 3 year sentence.
       Fr. Kong Boucu; arrested October 1999.
       Fr. Lin Rengui; arrested Dec. 1997, status unknown.
       Fr. Fr. Pei Junchao, arrested Jan. 1999, status unknown.
       Fr. Wang Chengi; arrested Dec. 1996, status unknown.


                           TIBETAN BUDDHISTS

     Lamas
       Gendun Choekyi Nyima; house arrest.
       Pawo Rinpoche; house arrest.
     Nuns
       Ngawang Choekyi; serving 9th year of 13 year sentence.
       Ngawang Choezom; serving 9th year of 11 year sentence.
       Chogdrub Drolma; serving 6th year of 11 year sentence.
       Jamdrol; serving 6th year of 7 year sentence.
       Namdrol Lhamo; serving 9th year of 12 year sentence.
       Phuntsog Nyidrol; serving 12th year of 17 year sentence.
       Yeshe Palmo; serving 4th year of 6 year sentence.
       Ngawang Sangdrol; serving 9th year of 21 year sentence.
       Jigme Yangchen; serving 11th year of 12 year sentence.
     Monks
       Ngawang Gyaltsen; serving 12th year of 17 year sentence.
       Ngawang Jamtsul; serving 12th year of 15 year sentence.
       Jamphel Jangchub; serving 12th year of 18 year sentence.
       Ngawang Kalsang; serving 6th year of 8 year sentence.
       Thubten Kalsang; sentence not reported.
       Lobsang Khetsun; serving 5th year of 12 year sentence.
       Phuntsok Legmon; sentenced to 3 years in prison.
       Namdrol; sentenced to four years in prison.
       Yeshe Ngawang; serving 12th year of 14 year sentence.
       Ngawang Oezer; serving 12th year of 17 year sentence.
       Ngawang Phuljung; serving 12th year of 19 year sentence.
       Lobsang Phuntsog; serving 6th year of 12 year sentence.
       Sonam Phuntsok; arrested in October 1999.
       Phuntsog Rigchog; serving 7th year of 10 year sentence.
       Lobsang Sherab; serving 5th year of 16 year sentence.
       Sonam Rinchen; serving 15 year sentence.
       Ngawang Sungrab; serving 9th year of 13 year sentence.
       Jampa Tenkyong; serving 10th year of 15 year sentence.
       Ngawang Tensang; serving 10th year of 15 year sentence.
       Lobsang Thubten; serving 7th year of 15 year sentence.
       Agya Tsering; arrested in October 1999.
       Trinley Tsondru; serving 5th year of 8 year sentence.
       Tenpa Wangdrag; serving 13th year of 14 year sentence.

       

                          ____________________