[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 12 (Wednesday, February 4, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E107]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE REGARDING PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE BY CHINESE 
 GOVERNMENT FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN EFFORTS TO END CHINESE OCCUPATION 
                                OF TIBET

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                               speech of

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 3, 2004

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H. Res. 157 and strongly 
condemn the Chinese government for the continued detainment and torture 
of Tibetan political prisoners. I remain extremely concerned that men 
and women in China are routinely persecuted by the Chinese government. 
China has for too long been at liberty to detain, torture, intimidate 
and oppress its people.
  The Tibetan people are denied basic human rights guaranteed in the 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the right to self-
determination, freedom of speech, assembly, movement, expression and 
religious belief. Hundreds of Tibetans are currently in prison for 
peaceful expressions of political or religious belief. The majority of 
Tibetan political prisoners are Buddist monks and nuns.
  Each year the situation in Tibet worsens. The unchecked migration of 
Chinese into Tibetan areas is resulting in social, economic and 
cultural destruction of Tibetans. His Holiness the Dalai Lama considers 
this demographic strategy the greatest threat to the survival of the 
Tibetan culture and identity. More than 6,000 monasteries and nunneries 
and their contents--irreplaceable jewels of Tibetan culture--have been 
destroyed since the Chinese occupation and thousands of monks and nuns 
have been kicked out of their monasteries for refusing to renounce the 
Dalai Lama.
  The Chinese government routinely refuses to allow independent 
international human rights monitors, including U.N. human rights 
representatives, to conduct unhindered investigations into the human 
rights situation in Tibet. Religious freedom in Tibet is nonexistent.
  Tibetans are routinely imprisoned for participation in-non-violent 
political activities, such as hanging flags or promoting independence. 
Prisoners serve lengthy sentences and are routinely mistreated and 
tortured while in prison. I visited Tibet in 1997 and was able to 
witness first hand the conditions there and the continued repression of 
the Tibetan people. I met with monks, nuns and Tibetans on the street 
who revealed to me how bad the conditions are in Tibet. I visited the 
prisons and heard first hand accounts of the brutality taking place 
deep in the shadows.
  The following is a firsthand account of the arrest of Phuntsog 
Nyidron, a 20-year-old nun arrested in 1989 for peaceful demonstration 
in Lhasa. ``During arrests nuns are kicked, beaten and given electric 
shocks on their hands, shoulders, breasts, tongue and face. During the 
interrogation, they are suspended by their hands, which are shackled 
behind their backs, for prolonged periods and beaten with iron rods.''
  As I close, 10 Catholic bishops are in China today under house 
arrest. The Protestant Church is being abused and beaten in China. The 
Falun Gong are being persecuted on a daily basis. The Chinese have 
plundered Tibet. America must do more to force China to adhere to 
fundamental human rights and religious freedom.
  The clock is ticking for Tibet. If nothing is done, a country, its 
people, religion and culture will one day be lost.

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