[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 96 (Wednesday, July 11, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1312-E1313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EUROPEAN UNION OPPOSES BEIJING'S OLYMPIC BID--CONGRESS REMAINS SILENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 11, 2001

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr Speaker, on July 5th the 626-member European 
Parliament meeting in Strasbourg, France, adopted a resolution opposing 
China's bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. In finding that China 
``clearly fails to uphold universal human, civil and political rights, 
including freedom of religion,'' the European Parliament urges that the 
International Olympic Committee (IOC) ``reconsider Beijing's 
candidacy,'' only when China has made ``fundamental change in their 
policy on human rights, and the promotion of democracy and the rule of 
law.''
  Last March, with an overwhelming bipartisan vote, the House Committee 
on International Relations expressed itself against China holding the 
Olympics by approving H. Con. Res. 73. Now the 626 Members of the 
European Parliament have voted and approved a similar resolution, yet 
we in the U.S. House of Representatives have not been given the 
opportunity to speak as a whole on this critical moral issue. I implore 
the Speaker and the Majority Leader--stop bottling up this legislation.
  Mr Speaker, I ask that the entire text of the resolution concerning 
Beijing's application to host the 2008 Olympic Games, as adopted by the 
European Parliament on July 5th, be placed in the Congressional Record. 
I urge my colleagues to review this resolution and consider our 
obligation to join our European colleagues in speaking out on China's 
Olympic bid in the few hours that remain before the IOC vote on Friday 
in Moscow. Religion is persecuted, political freedom does not exist, 
media freedom does not exist, our airplane is forced down, our 
servicemen and women are held in captivity for 11 days; yet this body 
is not allowed to vote on whether the Olympics should be held in 
Beijing.

   European Parliament Resolution on Beijing's Bid to Host the 2008 
                             Olympic Games

       The European Parliament resolution on Beijing's bid to host 
     the 2008 Olympic Games The European Parliament, having regard 
     to its previous resolutions on the situation in the People's 
     Republic of China (PRC), having regard to the conclusions of 
     the General Affairs Council of 19 March 2001, in which the 
     Council expressed its concern at the serious human rights 
     violations in the PRC, recalling the city of Beijing's bid to 
     host the 2008 Olympic Games, recalling that the Charter of 
     the Olympic Games states that Olympism has as a goal `to 
     place sport at the service of the harmonious development of 
     humankind, with the object of creating a peaceful society 
     with the preservation of human dignity'.
       A. Whereas the repression of freedom of opinion and freedom 
     to hold demonstrations in favour of democracy that has been 
     practised for decades, is continuing in the PRC, despite 
     international protests.
       B. Having regard to the repression of religious, ethnic and 
     other minorities, in particular Tibetans, Uighurs and 
     Mongolians and the Falun Gong movement.
       C. Having regard to the frequent imposition of capital 
     punishment, leading to over a thousand reported executions in 
     China every year, as well as the widespread use of torture on 
     the part of the Chinese police and military forces.
       D. Recalling that the PRC has still not ratified the 
     International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
       E. Whereas the Chinese authorities have taken no 
     significant initiatives on respect for human rights, despite 
     the ongoing political dialogue between the EU and the PRC.
       F. Concerned with regard to environmental and animal 
     welfare issues in the PRC.
       G. Stressing that the plans relating to Beijing's bid to 
     host the 2008 Olympic Games would involve the destruction of 
     a large part of the old city and the obligatory transfer of 
     the inhabitants to the surrounding areas.
       H. Recalling that the International Olympic Committee is 
     due to designate, on 13 July 2001 in Moscow, the city that 
     will host the 2008 Olympic Games.
       1. Invites the International Olympic Committee to establish 
     guidelines to include respect for human rights and democratic 
     principles to be applied as a general rule to host countries 
     of Olympic Games.
       2. Regrets that the PRC clearly fails to uphold universal 
     human, civil and political rights, including freedom of 
     religion and therefore believes that this negative record and 
     the repression in Tibet as well as in Ouighouristan and in 
     South Mongolia, make it inappropriate to award the 2008 
     Olympic Games to Beijing.
       3. Urges the International Olympic Committee in any case to 
     make a thorough environmental impact assessment with regard 
     in particular to the recurrent water shortages, the impact of 
     mass tourism and the social repercussions in the region 
     surrounding Beijing.
       4. Invites the International Olympic Committee to 
     reconsider Beijing's candidacy when the authorities of the 
     PRC have made a fundamental change in their policy on human 
     rights, and the promotion of democracy and the rule of law.
       5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to 
     the Council, the Commission,

[[Page E1313]]

     the Presidents of the parliaments of the Member States, and 
     to the International Olympic Committee.

     

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