[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 27810]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 SENATE RESOLUTION 217--RELATING TO THE FREEDOM OF BELIEF, EXPRESSION, 
           AND ASSOCIATION IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

  Mr. HUTCHINSON submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 217

       Whereas the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human 
     Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political 
     Rights affirm the freedoms of thought, conscience, religion, 
     expression, and assembly as fundamental human rights 
     belonging to all people;
       Whereas the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human 
     Rights is a common standard of achievement for all peoples 
     and all nations, including the People's Republic of China, a 
     member of the United Nations;
       Whereas the People's Republic of China has signed the 
     International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights but has 
     yet to ratify the treaty and thereby make it legally binding;
       Whereas the Constitution of the People's Republic of China 
     provides for the freedom of religious belief and the freedom 
     not to believe;
       Whereas according to the Department of State and 
     international human rights organizations, the Government of 
     the People's Republic of China does not provide these 
     freedoms but continues to restrict unregistered religious 
     activities and persecutes persons on the basis of their 
     religious practice through measures including harassment, 
     prolonged detention, physical abuse, incarceration, and 
     police closure of places of worship;
       Whereas under the International Religious Freedom Act, the 
     Secretary of State has designated the People's Republic of 
     China as a country of special concern;
       Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China 
     has issued a decree declaring a wide range of activities 
     illegal and subject to prosecution, including distribution of 
     Falun Gong materials, gatherings or silent sit-ins, marches 
     or demonstrations, and other activities to promote Falun Gong 
     and has begun the trials of several Falun Gong practitioners;
       Whereas the National People's Congress of the People's 
     Republic of China on October 30, 1999, adopted a new law 
     banning and criminalizing groups labeled by the Government of 
     the People's Republic of China as cults; and
       Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China 
     has officially labeled the Falun Gong meditation group a cult 
     and has formally charged at least four members of the Falun 
     Gong under this new law: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate calls on the Government of the 
     People's Republic of China to--
       (1) release all prisoners of conscience and put an 
     immediate end to the harassment, detention, physical abuse, 
     and imprisonment of Chinese citizens exercising their 
     legitimate rights to free belief, expression, and 
     association; and
       (2) demonstrate its willingness to abide by internationally 
     accepted norms of freedom of belief, expression, and 
     association by repealing or amending laws and decrees that 
     restrict those freedoms and proceeding promptly to ratify and 
     implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political 
     Rights.

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