[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 26, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H1751-H1754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[[Page H1751]]
URGING THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA TO REINSTATE ALL LICENSES OF GAO
ZHISHENG AND HIS LAW FIRM AND REVISE LAW AND PRACTICE IN CHINA SO IT
CONFORMS TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 365) urging the
Government of China to reinstate all licenses of Gao Zhisheng and his
law firm, remove all legal and political obstacles for lawyers
attempting to defend criminal cases in China, including politically
sensitive cases, and revise law and practice in China so that it
conforms to international standards.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 365
Whereas, since November 2005, the Beijing Judicial Bureau
has shut down the law firm and suspended the license of Mr.
Gao Zhisheng, one of China's best known lawyers and legal
rights defenders;
Whereas Mr. Gao has represented citizens of China in
lawsuits against various local and administrative
governmental bodies of the People's Republic of China over
corruption, land seizures, police abuse, and violations of
religious freedom;
Whereas Mr. Gao wrote 3 open letters to President Hu Jintao
and Premier Wen Jiabao condemning the methods employed by the
Government of China in implementing its ban on ``evil
cults'', such as the Falun Gong and an additional letter
documenting severe persecution of Christians in Xinjiang
Uighur Autonomous Region;
Whereas Mr. Gao's law practice filed a petition to appeal
the verdict against Cai Zhuohua, who was found guilty of
``illegal business practices'' based upon his distribution of
Bibles and religious material;
Whereas Mr. Gao's home has been constantly monitored by
agents from the Ministry of State Security and Mr. Gao was
prevented by the Public Security Ministry from meeting with
the representatives of the United Nations Special Rapporteur
on Torture during his November 2005 visit to Beijing;
Whereas agents of the Public Security Bureau of China,
numbering between 10 and 20, have consistently monitored the
activities and whereabouts of Mr. Gao, his wife, and his
daughter since late November 2005;
Whereas, on November 10, 2005, an open letter, signed by
138 organizations worldwide, was submitted to President Bush
calling on him to voice support of Mr. Gao and his legal
practice during the President's November 2005 visit to China;
Whereas other human rights lawyers, collectively known as
``rights defenders'', or Wei Quan, have also faced
harassment, arrest, and detention for their consistent and
vigorous activities to defend the fundamental rights of the
people of China, contrary to measures within the law of China
protecting human rights and rights of lawyers;
Whereas Mr. Chen Guangcheng, a blind human rights lawyer
who has exposed cases of violence against women, including
forced abortion and forced sterilization perpetrated by
authorities of China under the 1-child policy, was beaten on
October 10, 2005, and currently remains under house arrest;
Whereas law professor and People's Political Consultative
Congress Delegate, Xu Zhiyong, who advocates on behalf of
petitioners filing grievances with the Central government in
Beijing, was also beaten on October 10, 2005, when meeting
with Chen Guangcheng;
Whereas Mr. Yang Maodong (also known as Guo Feixiong), a
lawyer representing villagers in Taishi village who attempted
to oust their village head in peaceful elections, has been
arbitrarily detained repeatedly and remains under consistent
surveillance by security agents;
Whereas Mr. Tang Jingling, a Guangdong based lawyer also
working on the Taishi village elections case, has been fired
from his law firm and was beaten on February 2, 2006, after
attempting to meet with Yang Maodong;
Whereas, on February 28, 2006, the Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV and AIDS (also known as ``UNAIDS'') office
in China expressed concern regarding the disappearance of Mr.
Hu Jia, an activist who worked to organize the legal defense
of AIDS patients in Henan Province, and who has been placed
in detention and has not been permitted to contact his
friends and family since February 16, 2006;
Whereas, according to the Department of State 2005 Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices, lawyers who aggressively
tried to defend their clients continued to face serious
intimidation and abuse by police and prosecutors, and some of
these lawyers were detained;
Whereas the Constitution of China states that the courts
shall, in accordance with the law, exercise judicial power
independently, without interference from administrative
organs, social organizations, and individuals, but in
practice, the judiciary is not independent and it receives
policy guidance from both the Government of China and the
Communist Party, whose leaders use a variety of means to
direct courts on verdicts and sentences, particularly in
politically sensitive cases;
Whereas the Criminal Procedure Law of China gives suspects
the right to seek legal counsel, but defendants in
politically sensitive cases frequently find it difficult to
find an attorney;
Whereas the Lawyers Law of the People's Republic of China
states that a lawyer may ``accept engagement by a criminal
suspect in a criminal case to provide him with legal advice
and represent him in filing a petition or charge or obtaining
a guarantor pending trial'';
Whereas according to Article 306 of the Criminal Law of
China, defense attorneys can be held responsible if their
clients commit perjury, and prosecutors and judges in such
cases have wide discretion in determining what constitutes
perjury;
Whereas according to the All-China Lawyers Association,
since 1997 more than 500 defense attorneys have been detained
on similar charges, and such cases continued during the last
year despite promises made by the Government of China to
amend Article 306;
Whereas the State Department's 2005 Annual Report on Human
Rights states that China's human rights record ``remained
poor'', that authorities of China quickly moved to suppress
those who openly expressed dissenting political views, and
that writers, religious activists, dissidents, lawyers, and
petitioners to the Central Government were particularly
targeted;
Whereas directly following their August 2005 visit to
China, the United States Commission on International
Religious Freedom found that--
(1) the Government of China actively seeks to control and
suppress the activities of unregistered religious
organizations;
(2) China has outlawed unregistered religious organizations
and provides severe penalties for engaging in unregistered
religious activities;
(3) leaders of unregistered Protestant organizations have
come under increased pressure to register their churches and
affiliate with one of the government approved organizations,
and those who refuse, for theological or other reasons, are
subject to harassment, detention, arrest, and closing of
their religious facilities;
(4) groups determined by the Government of China to be
``evil cults'', such as Falun Gong, are brutally suppressed;
and
(5) practitioners of Falun Gong have experienced severe
persecution, including arrests, numerous detentions, torture,
irregular trials, imprisonment, and subjection to the
reeducation through labor system, whereby accused criminals
are subject to up to 3 years detention;
Whereas despite questions raised by the Government of the
United States and others about the charges made against
Pastor Cai Zhuohua, the Government of China sentenced Pastor
Cai and other members of his family to 3 years in prison for
``illegal business practices'' for their printing and
distribution of religious materials;
Whereas, according to China's Regulations on Religious
Affairs, promulgated in March 2005, any religious
organization that carries out activities without registering
with the government is subject to civil punishment and to
criminal prosecution;
Whereas since the promulgation of the Regulations on
Religious Affairs, the Government of China has stepped up its
efforts to eliminate unregistered religious activity, with
raids on ``house church'' Christian groups in several
provinces, resulting in detention of hundreds of leaders of
the house church, dozens of whom remain in custody; and
Whereas the Government of China has, on several occasions,
stated a commitment to ratify the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, but has delayed ratification
since signing the document in 1998: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That --
(1) Congress--
(A) commends ``rights defense'' lawyers and activists of
China for their courage and integrity, and expresses moral
support for this grass-roots ``rights defense'' movement in
China;
(B) urges the Government of the People's Republic of China,
at all levels, to cease its harassment of Mr. Gao Zhisheng,
overturn the suspension of his license to practice law, and
restore his legal right to represent the clients of his
choosing as protected by China's own Constitution, its
Criminal Procedure Law, and its Lawyers Law;
(C) urges the Government of the People's Republic of China
to repeal Article 306 of the Criminal Code of China, which
provides penalties for lawyers whose clients are accused of
perjury and has been used to curtail the active legal defense
of individuals accused of political crimes;
(D) urges the Government of the People's Republic of China
to undertake measures to further amend the Lawyers Law to
ensure lawyers' rights to investigate charges brought against
their clients, to provide a vigorous defense of their
clients, and to remain free of harassment and intimidation
throughout the course of representing clients, including
clients who are charged with offenses related to political or
religious activities;
(E) urges the Government of the People's Republic of China
to respect fully the universality of the right to freedom of
religion or belief and other human rights;
[[Page H1752]]
(F) urges the Government of the People's Republic of China
to ratify and implement in law the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, and to adopt such legislative or
other measures as may be necessary to give effect to the
rights recognized in the Covenant;
(G) urges the Government of the People's Republic of China
to amend or repeal Article 300 of the Criminal Code of China
so it is consistent with international law, and to halt its
crackdown on spiritual movements;
(H) urges the Government of the People's Republic of China
to halt arrests, harassment, and intimidation of leaders of
unregistered religious organizations on the basis that their
organizations violated the law by not registering with the
Government of China;
(I) urges the Government of the People's Republic of China
to Amend the Regulations on Religious Affairs to conform more
closely with the internationally recognized freedom of
thought, conscience, religion or belief and allow all
religious believers in China to practice their religion
without interference from the government or from government
sponsored ``patriotic religious associations'';
(J) urges the Government of the People's Republic of China
to release Pastor Cai Zhuohua, his wife, and others
imprisoned with him, and to allow Pastor Cai to resume
religious activities and to resume leadership of his
congregation in Beijing; and
(K) urges the Government of the People's Republic of China
to invite the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human
Rights on freedom of religion or belief to China as promised
according to an agreement between the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of China and the Department of State of China in
March 2005; and
(2) it is the sense of Congress that--
(A) the Government of the United States should support
democracy and human rights programs that strengthen
protection of basic rights and freedoms, and should initiate
programs to train lawyers, judges, academics, and students in
China about international human rights law, to inform
citizens of China about international human rights norms, and
to build organizations and associations to promote these
priorities;
(B) the Government of the United States should seek grant
proposals and fund programs to promote legal protections and
cultural awareness of the right to the freedom of religion or
belief commensurate to ongoing rule of law programs funded by
the Human Rights and Democracy Fund for Chinese workers,
women, and public interest law training; and
(C) the President should raise the issue of the Government
of China's harassment, arrest, detention, and persecution of
rights defense lawyers and activists and the need for the
Government of China to respect the basic human rights of its
citizens and the rule of law during his planned meeting with
Chinese President Hu Jintao in April 2006.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the concurrent resolution
under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Speaker, I thank our good friend, Mr. Mark Kennedy, for
sponsoring this important human rights legislation. It is very well
crafted. It sends a clear and unambiguous message to the People's
Republic of China. Having worked the China issue for 26 years as a
Member of Congress, I want to thank him for his extraordinary
leadership on this. It is an excellent resolution.
This resolution can probably be summed up in one phrase: Rule of law.
When you get past the details, it asks China simply to adhere to the
rule of law. First, it demands that China adhere to its own
Constitution, its own procedure law, and its own law on lawyers. This
is not asking a great deal. These instruments give very few rights, it
is true, but unless China protects the rights it already acknowledges,
nobody in China can have any genuine fundamental human rights.
China acknowledges the right of defendants to a lawyer, the right of
a citizen to seek redress of their legitimate grievances through the
courts, and the duty of lawyers to represent clients. Yet China
tramples on even these minimal rights.
Lawyers like Gao Zhisheng, who dare to follow the law and represent
clients, are harassed, threatened, beaten, forbidden to practice,
detained and imprisoned. Defense lawyers are faced with the constant
threat of indictment for perjury if and when the government decides
their clients have lied. These practices must stop.
Secondly, the resolution demands that China cease its assault on
basic human rights, an assault that is the real reason behind the
persecution of Gao Zhisheng and other Chinese lawyers.
{time} 1045
They are being punished for their courageous defense of religious
freedom, the right of women not to be violated by China's coercive
population control program, the right of citizens to protest corrupt
officials, the rights of citizens to petition their government to
redress grievances. Such rights are not Western or American inventions.
They are universal. No rule of law can exist unless such rights are
acknowledged and protected.
Last week, Madam Speaker, on the eve of President Bush's meeting with
Chinese President Hu Jintao, I held a hearing to examine China's human
rights abuses, and it was my 26th hearing on human rights abuses in the
People's Republic of China. Our witnesses included three individuals--
survivors--who have spent considerable time in Chinese concentration
camps--Laogai--including Harry Wu, who spent 19 years in prison. The
hearing focused on some of the worst abuses, including Chinese
censorship of the Internet, the use of the Internet as a tool of
repression, violations of the rights of Chinese citizens to worship
freely; also the trampling of labor rights, and coercive family
planning, which continue to be a serious and highly pervasive abuse by
the Chinese Government.
Madam Speaker, Beijing has increasingly viewed the information
available on the Internet as a potential threat to the party's ability
to control the population and monopolize political power. It has turned
China into one of the most repressive and restrictive Internet
countries in the world. It is important to note that freedoms that we
enjoy in America allowing individuals to publish information and news
on the Web unfiltered is not something that Chinese individuals have.
Those freedoms do not exist in China. Individuals who attempt to speak
freely are imprisoned and tortured.
At the very least, U.S. corporations should not be aiding in that
process. Yet at a February hearing I chaired on the Internet in China,
we learned in greater and disturbing detail how some of the biggest
corporations of America have partnered with the much-hated Chinese
secret police to find, apprehend, convict and jail religious believers,
labor activists, and prodemocracy advocates.
Yahoo told us at the hearing how they profoundly regretted sending
Shi Tao to prison for 10 years, but then they couldn't tell us and
didn't seem to want to know how many others were condemned to jail and
torture because of Yahoo's complicity with the secret police. When I
asked under what conditions, a court order, police demand, a fishing
trip, Yahoo surrenders e-mails and address files, Yahoo told us that
they couldn't reveal this information because it would break Chinese
law. Give me a break.
Google, for its part, created an exclusively Chinese search engine
that only a Joseph Goebbels could love. Type in any number of vile
words like ``human rights'' or ``Tiananmen Square massacre'' or ``Falun
Gong,'' and you get rerouted to government propaganda, much of it
heavily anti-American, much of it heavy anti-President Bush, and filled
with hate, especially for the Falun Gong.
How did Google respond to our deep concern about their enabling of a
dictatorship to expand its hate message? They hired big-time Washington
lobbying firms like Podesta-Mattoon and the DCI Group to put a good
face on it all, and presumably kill my pending legislation, the Global
Online Freedom Act of 2006.
Amazingly, Cisco showed no seller's remorse whatsoever that its
technology, especially Policenet, a tool for good in the hands of
honest cops and legitimate law enforcement, but a tool of repression in
the hands of Chinese
[[Page H1753]]
police, has now effectively linked and exponentially expanded the
capabilities of the Chinese secret police.
Microsoft also censors and shuts down blogs that Big Brother objects
to. You can be sure that no serious discussion of human rights was on
the agenda at President Hu's visit with Bill Gates at Microsoft.
China's continued repression of religion is among the most despotic
in the world. In February, a BBC report said that China had warned Hong
Kong's newly appointed Cardinal, Joseph Zen, a well-known critic of
China's suppression of religious freedoms, to remain quiet on political
issues. Citizens practicing a faith other than officially sanctioned
religions are often subjected to torture, imprisonment and death, at
which time prisoner organs are frequently harvested to meet demand.
Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, and Muslim Uighurs are all being
persecuted for their faith. Today numerous underground Roman Catholic
priests and bishops and Protestant pastors languish in the infamous
concentration camps known as the Laogai for simply proclaiming the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In the early 1990s, Madam Speaker, I met a bishop, Bishop Su Zhimin
of Baoding Province, a gentle and kind man who celebrated mass for our
small delegation. I was deeply inspired by his faith. He had recently
been let out of jail, and his compassion was overwhelming even for
those who jailed and mistreated him. He had no animosity for his
jailers, only compassion and forgiveness. Soon after my visit--he was
sent back to prison. What kind of regime incarcerates a truly noble man
like this? Bishop Su has now spent 30 years of his life in prison for
loving God and for loving his neighbor and even loving the despotic
dictatorship that so hates him. What kind of barbaric regime hurts a
man like this?
And then there is the special hate that Beijing pours out on the
Falun Gong. Nearly 7 years ago the Chinese Government began its brutal
campaign to completely eradicate the Falun Gong through whatever means
necessary. Many party members as early as 7 years ago or so and army
officials began to practice Falun Gong. Like all dictators and
totalitarian terror systems, the PRC fears and hates what it cannot
control, so it decided to destroy and intimidate those who practice
Falun Gong. We see before us now a Stalinist nightmare revived for the
21st century, hundreds, perhaps thousands, dead as a result of torture;
tens of thousands of jailed individuals without trial held in labor
camps, prisons and mental hospitals where they are forced to endure
torture-brainwashing sessions.
I would note parenthetically that when a woman protested on the White
House lawn when President Hu was making his speech, it may have been
impolite for her to do that, but had she done that in China, Madam
Speaker, she would be dead now, having been subjected to torture and
then an execution. That is the reality on the ground in the People's
Republic of China.
Just over a year ago, Madam Speaker, Beijing finally released the
renowned Uighur human rights activist Rebiya Kadeer, who also testified
at our hearing from prison, where she had be held on trumped-up charges
and lived there in prison for over 6 years. We had hoped this signaled
some sort of genuine improvement. Maybe things were beginning to turn.
However, we have now learned that nothing could be further from the
truth, and the Muslims, like the Tibetan Buddhists and like so many
others, are being continually harassed and put into prison.
Madam Speaker, coercive family planning in China has slaughtered more
innocent children than any war in human history. It is a weapon of mass
destruction. Coercive family planning has wounded Chinese women by the
millions. And one psychological consequence is that some 500 women
commit suicide each and every day in the People's Republic of China.
China's one child per couple policy decreed back in 1979 has killed
hundreds of millions of babies by imposing Draconian fines up to 10
times annual salaries for both husband and wife on their parents who
are told they must abort their child. Brothers and sisters in China,
Madam Speaker, are illegal.
Sex selection abortions, a direct consequence of the one child per
couple policy, has led to gendercide. Approximately 100 million girls
are missing in China, killed by sex selection abortion. One Chinese
demographer has admitted that by the year 2020, 40 million Chinese men
will not be able to find wives because Beijing's weapon of mass
destruction, population control, destroyed the girls.
Then there is the whole issue of labor rights. We heard from the
policy director of the AFL-CIO who raised significant and profound
issues of labor rights violations by the Government of China, Ms. Thea
Lee, who spoke at our hearing. We all know that solidarity in Poland
made the difference in ushering in respect for human rights in Central
and Eastern Europe and then Russia, and that in China there are no
labor rights, and there is no recourse for hundreds of millions of
Chinese laborers trapped in these poor working conditions. Ms. Lee
pointed out that those who protest unjust wage and labor practices are
often put into prison. They, like religious and prodemocracy advocates,
are tortured and cruelly mistreated by the Government of China.
So let me just say, Madam Speaker, this resolution puts us on record
as a Congress in a bipartisan way; Mr. Lantos, who has been just
outstanding and a champion on behalf of the human rights in China, Mark
Kennedy and Frank Wolf and so many others who daily speak out against
these abuses. This resolution gives us all an opportunity to speak
truth to a despotic power that is literally getting away with murder
that they must stop these egregious violations of human rights, and
they must stop now.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might
consume. I rise in strong support of this resolution.
Madam Speaker, before dealing with this resolution, I would like to
commend my friend from New Jersey Chairman Smith for holding an
extraordinary hearing during the visit of the Chinese President Hu
Jintao here in Washington. I had the privilege of watching that hearing
from California, and I want to commend my friend for injecting a sorely
needed dose of realism into this very ceremonial and in many ways
misleading visit. You did the country great service, Mr. Smith.
I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the leading Democratic
cosponsor of this important measure, Representative Dennis Cardoza, my
fellow Californian, and an emerging leader on human rights issues on
the International Relations Committee.
Madam Speaker, during his groundbreaking trip to South Africa in
1966, the late Robert Kennedy addressed students at the University of
Cape Town. His remarks that day were particularly eloquent, and I
quote, ``Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows,
the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral
courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great
intelligence. Yet it is the one essential vital quality for those who
seek to change the world which yields most painfully to change.''
Madam Speaker, Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng is precisely
the type of individual Robert Kennedy had in mind 40 years ago in Cape
Town. As a former soldier in the People's Liberation Army and a member
of the Chinese Communist Party, Gao was set to join China's political
and social elite. But, instead of power and prestige, Gao opted to
become a human rights lawyer in a nation where respect for human rights
and political freedoms are not part of the government's lexicon.
Gao's struggle for human rights within China's legal system has not
been without cost. His law firm has been shut down by the Chinese
Government. Gao and his family are subject to constant surveillance by
an army of government agents. Police officers called him a few months
ago to say, we have gathered a lot of information about you, including
your home, your wife and your children. We even know which bus your
children usually take to go to school.
Madam Speaker, these scare tactics are unfortunately standard
practice against Chinese lawyers who fight for real justice in the
Chinese legal system. Gao provoked Beijing's wrath by defending a
Chinese activist who had worked on behalf of the villagers trying to
unseat their corrupt village
[[Page H1754]]
chief, and by representing a journalist sentenced to jail for posting
his own political thoughts on line. And perhaps, most importantly, Gao
had written an open letter to the Chinese leadership condemning the
unfounded persecution of the Falun Gong.
The resolution before the House today commends Gao and other Chinese
human rights lawyers for their brave and principled actions on behalf
of individual Chinese citizens fighting the government's injustice. It
also condemns the Chinese Government's ceaseless efforts to harass,
intimidate and imprison lawyers who are simply attempting to uphold
China's own Constitution.
Madam Speaker, when Bob Kennedy spoke to South African students four
decades ago, it seemed inconceivable that apartheid would fall and that
human rights and democracy would one day flourish in South Africa.
{time} 1100
The skeptics were wrong. Today it seems similarly probable that China
will one day have a democratically elected government that respects
human rights. But Gao and his fellow human rights lawyers have bravely
refused to concede defeat, and we remain grateful to their moral
courage and willingness to persevere despite all the odds. When the day
comes that human rights are respected in China, we will all stand to
applaud Gao and his colleagues.
Madam Speaker, I strongly support this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the distinguished gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy),
the author of this resolution.
Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for
yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the persecution that
has been well laid out to those who dare challenge the Chinese
Government on matters of human rights and religious freedom. This
resolution calls on the Government of China to stop its persecution of
lawyers who defend clients in human rights and religious freedom cases
and to repeal its laws designed to prohibit unlicensed religions from
meeting freely.
The case of Gao Zhisheng, one of China's best-known lawyers and human
rights defenders, is illustrative of the abuse that the Chinese people
suffer for the exercise of rights that many Americans take for granted.
Mr. Gao has dared to represent Chinese citizens in lawsuits over
corruption, land seizures, police abuse, and violations of religious
freedom. One of these lawsuits was filed to appeal a verdict against
Cai Zhuohua, who was found guilty of illegal business practices because
he dared to distribute Bibles. Because of his human rights defense
work, Mr. Gao had his law practice closed and virtually everyone he
knew and his family followed by state agents.
Madam Speaker, just as troubling is the case of Chen Guangcheng, a
human rights lawyer who is blind and who exposed cases of violence
against women, including forced abortion and forced sterilization under
China's one-child policy. For his advocacy, last October Mr. Chen was
beaten by state agents, placed under house arrest, and this past March
taken into police custody. His whereabouts are presently unknown.
These are not isolated cases, according to the Department of State
2005 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in China. That report
detailed the serious intimidation and abuse that continues to occur in
China for those who defend basic human rights and religious freedom. In
fact, with the promulgation of the Regulations on Religious Affairs,
the Chinese Government has stepped up its efforts to eliminate
unregistered religious activity with raids on house church Christian
groups and the detention of hundreds of house church leaders, dozens of
whom remain in custody.
Last November I stood with Chairman Chris Smith, Ranking Member
Lantos, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and listened as the U.S.
Commission on International Religious Freedom report the active efforts
to suppress religion it found in China. The commission's report
detailed systematic activity against religious freedom, including the
criminalization of unregistered religious organizations and severe
penalties for those who engage in unregistered religious activities.
Those who defy these rules are subject to harassment, detention,
arrest, and closing of their religious facilities. Some, like the
members of Falun Gong, face brutal oppression for their beliefs and
horrific acts of torture that shock the conscience.
Madam Speaker, when I traveled to China last year, I spoke with
government officials, including representatives of the Chinese Catholic
Patriotic Association, to address these subjects. I spoke of the need
for the U.S. and China to have an open dialogue about the importance of
respecting these values. As I said then, fundamental human rights such
as religious freedom should face no ideological, political, or
geographic boundaries. These are rights given to man by the Almighty.
They are part of who we are as human beings and are bigger than any
government.
Madam Speaker, I urge the Chinese Government to release Chen
Guangcheng and to cease persecution of Gao Zhisheng and reinstate his
license. If China wants the respect of the world, it needs to respect
its own people. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution. Let us
make a statement that the Chinese Government and the Chinese rights
defenders will hear.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, this body stands united in calling on the
Chinese Government to release this courageous fighter for human rights,
and we urge all Members to vote for this resolution.
I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Kennedy
for his eloquent statement as well as Tom Lantos for his always
eloquent statements on behalf of human rights.
Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Miller of Michigan). The question is on
the motion offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that
the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H.
Con. Res. 365.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will
be postponed.
____________________