[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 13, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H551-H554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       UYGHUR POLICY ACT OF 2023

  Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 2766) to support the human rights of Uyghurs 
and members of other minority groups residing primarily in the Xinjiang 
Uyghur Autonomous Region and safeguard their distinct identity, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2766

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Uyghur Policy Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) The People's Republic of China (PRC) continues to 
     repress the distinct Islamic, Turkic identity of Uyghurs and 
     members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in the 
     Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwestern 
     China and other areas of their habitual residence.
       (2) Uyghurs, and other predominantly Muslim ethnic 
     minorities historically making up the majority of the XUAR 
     population, have maintained throughout their history a 
     distinct religious and cultural identity.
       (3) Human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, 
     and respect for the Uyghurs' unique Muslim identity are 
     legitimate interests of the international community.
       (4) The People's Republic of China has ratified the 
     International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural 
     Rights and has also signed the International Covenant on 
     Civil and Political Rights.
       (5) An official campaign to encourage Han Chinese migration 
     into the XUAR has placed immense pressure on those who seek 
     to preserve the ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic 
     traditions of the Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious 
     minority groups.
       (6) PRC authorities have supported an influx of Han Chinese 
     economic immigrants into the XUAR, implemented discrimination 
     against Uyghurs and other minorities in hiring practices, and 
     provided unequal access to healthcare services.
       (7) The authorities of the People's Republic of China have 
     manipulated the strategic objectives of the international war 
     on terror to mask their increasing cultural and religious 
     oppression of the Muslim population residing in the XUAR.
       (8) Following unrest in the region, in 2014, Chinese 
     authorities launched their ``Strike Hard against Violent 
     Extremism'' campaign, in which dubious allegations of 
     widespread extremist activity were used as justification for 
     gross human rights violations committed

[[Page H552]]

     against Uyghurs and members of other minority communities in 
     the XUAR.
       (9) PRC authorities have made use of the legal system as a 
     tool of repression, including for the imposition of arbitrary 
     detentions and for torture against members of the Uyghur 
     community and other minority populations.
       (10) Uyghurs and Kazakhs who have secured citizenship or 
     permanent residency outside of the PRC have attested to 
     repeated threats, harassment, and surveillance by PRC 
     officials.
       (11) Reporting from international news organizations has 
     found that over the past decade, family members of Uyghurs 
     and other minority groups living outside of the PRC have gone 
     missing or been detained to force Uyghur expatriates to 
     return to the PRC or silence their dissent.
       (12) Credible evidence from human rights organizations, 
     think tanks, and journalists confirms that more than 
     1,000,000 Uyghurs and members of other Muslim ethnic minority 
     groups have been imprisoned in ``political reeducation'' 
     centers.
       (13) Independent accounts from former detainees of 
     ``political reeducation'' centers describe inhumane 
     conditions and treatment including forced political 
     indoctrination, torture, beatings, rape, forced 
     sterilization, and food deprivation.
       (14) Former detainees of PRC so-called ``political 
     reeducation'' centers also confirmed that they were told by 
     guards the only way to secure release was to demonstrate 
     sufficient political loyalty to the PRC Government and the 
     Chinese Communist Party.
       (15) Popular discourse surrounding the ongoing atrocities 
     in the XUAR and advocacy efforts to assist Uyghurs remains 
     muted in much of the world, including in most Muslim majority 
     nations.
       (16) Both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Former 
     Secretary of State Michael Pompeo have stated that the PRC 
     government has committed genocide and crimes against humanity 
     against Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in 
     the XUAR.
       (17) Government bodies of multiple nations have also 
     declared that PRC government atrocities against such 
     populations in the XUAR constitute genocide, including the 
     parliaments of the United Kingdom, Belgium, Czechia, 
     Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Canada.

     SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
     immediately open the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) 
     to regular, transparent, and unmanipulated visits by members 
     of the press, international organizations including the 
     Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human 
     Rights, academic and human rights research institutions, as 
     well as foreign delegations including from the United States 
     Congress;
       (2) Government of the People's Republic of China should 
     recognize, and take tangible steps to protect and preserve, 
     the distinct ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic 
     identity of Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious 
     minority groups in the XUAR;
       (3) the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
     cease all government-sponsored crackdowns, imprisonments, and 
     detentions of people throughout the XUAR aimed at repressing 
     their ethnic, cultural, political, or religious identities;
       (4) it is commendable for countries to provide shelter and 
     hospitality to Uyghurs and other minority group members in 
     exile, as Turkey, Albania, and Germany have done;
       (5) urges all countries, especially fellow democracies and 
     those with sizeable Muslim populations, to condemn and 
     address the plight of Uyghurs and other minority communities 
     in the XUAR;
       (6) the Government of the PRC should immediately and 
     unconditionally release all prisoners detained for their 
     ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identities, or 
     for expressing their political or religious beliefs in the 
     XUAR, including--
       (A) Ekper Asat, who participated in the Department of 
     State's International Visitors Leadership Program in 2016, 
     was incarcerated after returning to the XUAR, and is now 
     serving a 15 year prison sentence on charges of ``inciting 
     ethnic hatred and ethnic discrimination'';
       (B) Dr. Gulshan Abbas, a retired medical doctor and Uyghur, 
     who was wrongfully detained in the XUAR on September 11, 
     2018, and unjustly sentenced to 20 years in prison in 
     retaliation for her sister's advocacy for Uyghur human rights 
     issues; and
       (C) Kamile Wayit, a university student and Uyghur, who was 
     wrongfully detained on December 12, 2022, after returning to 
     the XUAR while on break from studying during the winter 
     holiday;
       (7) the Government of the PRC should facilitate access for 
     international humanitarian organizations, including the 
     International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent 
     Societies, to the ``political reeducation'' centers in the 
     XUAR to ensure prisoners are not being mistreated and are 
     receiving necessary medical care; and
       (8) the United States Agency for Global Media should 
     continue to facilitate the unhindered dissemination of 
     information to the international community on issues 
     regarding the human rights and religious freedom of Uyghurs 
     and members of other minority groups in the XUAR.

     SEC. 4. UNITED STATES SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR UYGHUR ISSUES.

       (a) In General.--There is authorized to be within the 
     Department of State a United States Special Coordinator for 
     Uyghur Issues (in this section referred to as the ``Special 
     Coordinator''), to be designated by the Secretary of State in 
     accordance with subsection (b).
       (b) Consultation.--The Secretary of State shall consult 
     with the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign 
     Affairs of the House of Representatives prior to the 
     designation of the Special Coordinator.
       (c) Central Objective.--The Special Coordinator should seek 
     to promote the protection and preservation of the distinct 
     ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identities of the 
     Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in the 
     Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (in this Act referred to as 
     the ``XUAR'').
       (d) Duties and Responsibilities.--The Special Coordinator 
     should, as appropriate--
       (1) coordinate United State Government policies, programs, 
     and projects concerning the Uyghurs and members of other 
     ethnic and religious minority groups in the XUAR;
       (2) vigorously promote the policy of seeking to protect the 
     distinct ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic identity 
     of the Uyghurs and other minority groups and seek improved 
     protection of human rights in the XUAR;
       (3) maintain close contact with Uyghur religious, cultural, 
     and political leaders, including seeking regular travel to 
     the XUAR and to Uyghur populations in Central Asia, Turkey, 
     Albania, Germany, and other parts of Europe;
       (4) lead coordination efforts for the release of political 
     prisoners in the XUAR who are being detained for exercising 
     their human rights;
       (5) consult with the United States Congress on policies 
     relevant to the XUAR and the Uyghurs;
       (6) coordinate with relevant Federal agencies to administer 
     aid to Uyghur rights advocates; and
       (7) make efforts to establish contacts with foreign 
     ministries of other countries, especially in Europe, Central 
     Asia, and members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, 
     to pursue a policy of promoting greater respect for human 
     rights and religious freedom for Uyghurs and other ethnic and 
     religious minority groups from the XUAR.
       (e) Support.--The Secretary of State shall ensure the 
     Special Coordinator has adequate resources, staff, and 
     administrative support to carry out this section.
       (f) Deadline.--If the Secretary of State has not designated 
     the Special Coordinator by the date that is 180 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
     submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
     Senate a report detailing the reasons for the delay.
       (g) Termination.--This section shall terminate on the date 
     that is 5 years after the date of the designation of the 
     Special Coordinator.

     SEC. 5. FUNDING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES TO CONDUCT PUBLIC 
                   DIPLOMACY IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD ON THE UYGHUR 
                   SITUATION.

       Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for the U.S. 
     Speaker program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
     Affairs of the Department of State, $250,000 for each of 
     fiscal years 2024, 2025, and 2026 is authorized to be made 
     available to support human rights advocates working on behalf 
     of the Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious 
     minority groups from the XUAR that are persecuted in the PRC, 
     whose names may be provided by the Department of State and 
     the United States Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues in 
     consultation with representatives of the global Uyghur 
     community, to speak at global public diplomacy forums, 
     particularly those in which Organisation of Islamic 
     Cooperation countries and other Muslim-majority countries are 
     present, on issues regarding the human rights and religious 
     freedom of Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious 
     minority groups persecuted in the PRC.

     SEC. 6. ACCESS TO DETENTION FACILITIES AND PRISONS AND THE 
                   RELEASE OF PRISONERS.

       (a) Strategy on Political Reeducation and Detention 
     Facilities.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State should, in 
     consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal 
     departments and agencies, develop a strategy to cooperate 
     with like-minded partners to pressure the People's Republic 
     of China to--
       (1) close all detention facilities and ``political 
     reeducation'' camps housing Uyghurs and members of other 
     ethnic minority groups in the XUAR;
       (2) allow unhindered access to detention facilities and 
     ``political reeducation'' camps in the XUAR by independent 
     media, researchers, international organizations and the 
     Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human 
     Rights for a comprehensive assessment of the human rights 
     situation; and
       (3) protect human rights and preserve the distinct 
     religious and cultural identity of the Uyghurs and the other 
     religious and ethnic minority communities in the XUAR.
       (b) Report on Strategy and Implementation.--Not later than 
     1 year after the date of

[[Page H553]]

     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
     submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
     Senate a report that includes--
       (1) the strategy developed pursuant to subsection (a); and
       (2) all the steps taken pursuant to the objectives 
     described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of such subsection.

     SEC. 7. REQUIREMENT FOR UYGHUR LANGUAGE TRAINING.

       (a) Uyghur Language Training and Staffing.--The Secretary 
     of State shall take such steps as may be necessary to ensure 
     that--
       (1) Uyghur language training is available to Foreign 
     Service officers as appropriate; and
       (2) every effort is made to ensure that at least one 
     Uyghur-speaking member of the Foreign Service (as such term 
     is defined by section 103 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 
     (22 U.S.C. 3903)) is assigned to each United States 
     diplomatic or consular post in China.
       (b) Report.--No later than 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 2 years, 
     the Foreign Service Institute shall submit to the Committee 
     on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report that 
     outlines all the steps taken to implement subsection (a).

     SEC. 8. UYGHUR CONSIDERATIONS AT THE UNITED NATIONS.

       The President should direct the United States Permanent 
     Representative to the United Nations to use the voice, vote, 
     and influence of the United States to--
       (1) oppose any efforts to prevent consideration of the 
     gross violation of internationally recognized human rights in 
     the XUAR in any body of the United Nations;
       (2) oppose any efforts to prevent the participation of any 
     Uyghur human rights advocates in nongovernmental fora hosted 
     by or otherwise organized under the auspices of any body of 
     the United Nations; and
       (3) support the appointment of a special rapporteur or 
     working group for the XUAR for the purposes of monitoring 
     human rights violations and abuses in the XUAR, and for 
     making reports available to the High Commissioner for 
     Refugees, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human 
     Rights Commission, the General Assembly, and other United 
     Nations bodies.

     SEC. 9. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.

       No additional funds are authorized to carry out the 
     requirements of this Act. Such requirements shall be carried 
     out using amounts otherwise authorized.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Kim) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. 
Manning) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of my legislation, H.R. 2766, 
the Uyghur Policy Act of 2023.
  The Uyghur Policy Act of 2023 comes at a critical time. Chairman Xi 
is trying to rebrand Xinjiang as a business and tourist destination and 
seeks to erase Uyghurs from the international community's memory.
  The Chinese Communist Party continues to deny carrying out genocide 
against the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, and we have verified 
reports of forced sterilization, forced labor, brainwashing, and gang 
rape in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
  Despite the CCP being exposed for these crimes, Chairman Xi is 
doubling down. In a visit to the region recently, he called for 
stricter regulations on the practice of religion and protection of 
``hard-won stability.''
  We are running out of time to act.
  The Uyghur Policy Act of 2023 will help us lead from a position of 
strength and will address several shortcomings in our existing approach 
in responding to these human rights abuses.
  It authorizes the State Department to appoint a special coordinator 
for Uyghur issues, which will consolidate the State Department's 
diplomatic strategy to ensure that department-wide resources are better 
coordinated to respond to the Uyghur genocide.
  The United States must show, through words and through actions, that 
we will have Uyghurs' backs in their fight against the CCP's tyranny.
  H.R. 2766 mandates Uyghur language instruction at the Foreign Service 
Institute and requires the State Department to station a Uyghur-fluent 
officer at mission China locations.
  The bill also authorizes support for Uyghur human rights activists 
and directs the U.S. Agency for Global Media to disseminate news and 
information regarding the Uyghur genocide.
  We must act now to leverage U.S. soft power, garner international 
support for Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang and equip 
the State Department with the tools it needs to better respond to Xi 
Jinping's genocidal campaign.
  I thank Ranking Member Ami Bera of the Subcommittee on Indo-Pacific 
for leading this legislation with me and the 106 bipartisan cosponsors 
who helped me get this legislation to the House floor.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and 
I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2766, the Uyghur 
Policy Act of 2023, as amended.
  Madam Speaker, I thank my good friends, Representatives Young Kim and 
Ami Bera, the chair and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Indo-
Pacific, for introducing this important bill, of which I am a proud 
cosponsor.
  Over the last several years, we have heard horrific accounts of the 
genocide taking place in Xinjiang against Uyghurs and other ethnic 
minorities.
  Beijing has tried to hide its atrocities and prevent all of us from 
discovering what is really happening in Xinjiang.
  Despite Beijing's efforts, we cannot ignore what is happening in 
Xinjiang. A 2022 report by the Office of the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Human Rights concluded that the extent of arbitrary 
and discriminatory detention of members of the Uyghur and predominantly 
Muslim groups . . . may constitute international crimes, in particular, 
crimes against humanity,'' and that ``serious human rights violations 
have been committed'' in Xinjiang.
  Last Congress, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing to 
take heartbreaking testimony about the crimes being committed against 
the Uyghur people in Xinjiang.
  The committee passed a bipartisan resolution led by Chairman McCaul 
and Ranking Member Meeks condemning the PRC's genocide in Xinjiang, as 
well as passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which President 
Biden signed into law.
  However, as long as Beijing's genocide continues, Congress must 
continue to act. H.R. 2766 calls for the creation of a special 
coordinator for Uyghur issues to protect the distinct identities of 
Uyghurs and other minority groups in Xinjiang.
  It also provides the State Department and our diplomats with tools to 
enhance our diplomatic efforts and programs in support of those 
suffering under the PRC's repression.
  Madam Speaker, as Members of Congress, we have a responsibility to 
speak out against clear violations of fundamental human rights around 
the world.
  This measure is a clear statement that the United States Congress 
stands in support of Uyghurs and other religious and ethnic minority 
communities in Xinjiang that are suffering under Beijing's 
authoritarian and inhumane rule.
  H.R. 2766 will ensure that the United States plays a leadership role 
in holding the PRC accountable and in providing political and 
diplomatic support for Uyghurs around the world.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 
2766, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Ami 
Bera for co-leading this legislation with me. I thank Chairman McCaul, 
Ranking Member Meeks, and Representative Kathy Manning for their 
support and the many human rights organizations who helped build 
support for this bill.
  Madam Speaker, I urge its passage, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I would like to express my 
strong support for the Uyghur Policy Act, of which I am a proud 
cosponsor.
  But more than expressing strong support for this necessary piece of 
legislation, all of us

[[Page H554]]

must continue to show strong support for the oppressed people of the 
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and beyond.
  This bill supplements both the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, passed 
in the last Congress, and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, for 
which I was the lead Republican cosponsor.
  It is important that we call what the government of the People's 
Republic of China is doing to the Uyghurs by what it is--genocide. The 
bill does just that.
  The bill also would create a special coordinator for Uyghur issues at 
the State Department--something that I have long advocated for and 
tried to pass, for a special envoy really. Such a focus is particularly 
necessary, given the amount of repression directed by the Chinese 
Communist Party at the Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim Central 
Asian people, including the Kazakhs and Kyrgyz.
  Make no mistake, this is Xi Jinping's genocide; he is directly 
responsible for this.
  We know that there are recordings of him saying, ``show no mercy,'' 
as people are being dragged into concentration camps. Forced abortion, 
forced sterilization, and a whole host of human rights abuses are being 
committed right up to this very moment.
  We must not allow Xi Jinping to whitewash his crimes.
  We cannot allow U.S. businesses and business leaders to subsidize his 
genocide.
  This bill keeps the spotlight on one of this century's greatest 
crimes and I urge my colleagues to give it their strongest support.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2766, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. KIM of California. 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, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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