[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13814-13820]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT CHINA SHOULD CEASE PERSECUTION OF 
                        FALUN GONG PRACTITIONERS

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 188) expressing the sense of 
Congress that the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
cease its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 188

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
     cease its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, and its 
     representatives in the United States should cease their 
     harassment of citizens and residents of the United States who 
     practice Falun Gong and cease their attempts to put pressure 
     on officials of State and local governments in the United 
     States to refuse or withdraw support for the Falun Gong and 
     its practitioners;
       (2) the United States Government should use every 
     appropriate public and private forum to urge the Government 
     of the People's Republic of China--
       (A) to release from detention all Falun Gong practitioners 
     and put an end to the practices of torture and other cruel, 
     inhumane, and degrading treatment against them and other 
     prisoners of conscience; and
       (B) to abide by the International Covenant on Civil and 
     Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human 
     Rights by allowing Falun Gong practitioners to pursue their 
     personal beliefs; and
       (3) the United States Government should investigate 
     allegations of illegal activities in the United States of the 
     Government of the People's Republic of China and its 
     representatives and agents, including allegations of unlawful 
     harassment of United States citizens and residents who 
     practice Falun Gong and of officials of State and local 
     governments in the United States who support Falun Gong, and 
     should take appropriate action, including but not limited to 
     enforcement of the immigration laws, against any such 
     representatives or agents who engage in such illegal 
     activities.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Watson) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).


                             General Leave

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  In the past 3 years there has been a systematic escalation of 
horrific attacks launched by Chinese authorities against Falun Gong 
practitioners. The deplorable action by the Chinese authorities has 
included the brutal torture of followers, particularly women, who have 
been arrested, gang-raped and brutally beaten.
  In one instance, a 19-year-old woman who was arrested in Tiananmen 
Square died 13 days later while still in police custody. Her face and 
lips were severely swollen, both ears were plugged

[[Page 13815]]

with blood-soaked cotton, and her nose had collapsed as a result of 
repeated beatings.
  Another woman and her 8-month-old son were tortured to death while in 
police custody. Her neck and knuckle bones were broken, and her skull 
was sunken in. Her infant son's ankles had deep bruises from being hung 
upside down by handcuffs. There were bruises on the baby's head and 
blood in his nose.
  Since the crackdown officially began on July 21, 1999, many Falun 
Gong followers have been suspended or expelled from school. They have 
been demoted or dismissed from their employment. They have been held in 
prison. They have been sent to labor camps and psychiatric hospitals, 
all because they chose to live by the strength of their convictions and 
refused to renounce their religious beliefs.
  Thus, as a human being and a refugee of another Communist regime who 
oppresses its people and also has a policy of intolerance, I was 
compelled to act. I filed House Concurrent Resolution 188, which is 
supported by over 100 of our colleagues in this House. This resolution 
calls on the Chinese leadership to stop its persecution of Falun Gong 
practitioners. It further directs the agencies of our United States 
Government to use every appropriate public and private forum to press 
the Chinese authorities to release all Falun Gong religious prisoners 
and to immediately stop the use of torture against the Falun Gong and 
other prisoners of conscience.
  Since the resolution was passed by our Committee on International 
Relations last July, this situation for the Falun Gong has worsened, 
and the determination of the PRC to suppress the Falun Gong at all 
costs has become increasingly evident. Secret documents issued by the 
PRC and unveiled by human rights organizations in May of this year 
underscored that Falun Gong practitioners and instigators should be 
cracked down to a greater degree, and this is their exact quote, ``As 
soon as they are discovered, they should first be arrested and then the 
formalities be dealt with.''
  The PRC's persecution of the Falun Gong in China constitutes the most 
deplorable and inhumane behavior. Disturbingly, these practices are now 
being employed in the United States against the Falun Gong. Falun Gong 
practitioners here in the United States are the victims of death 
threats, of car bombs, of vandalism against their homes, of cyber 
attacks and harassment.
  Given the increased evidence linking Chinese officials to this wave 
of persecution, Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that we in the United 
States act swiftly and decisively to address this serious matter. We 
must send a clear message to the PRC that such behavior will not be 
tolerated in this country and that violators will be held accountable 
for their actions, and that is what the manager's amendment seeks to 
accomplish.
  In addition to technical changes, the manager's amendment includes 
two substantive changes to the bill introduced. The new whereas clause 
underscores the victimization of U.S. citizens and permanent residents 
who are subjected to arbitrary detention, imprisonment and torture by 
the PRC, and the new resolve clause calls on the United States 
Government to investigate reports of persecution of American citizens 
and residents by PRC officials and agents in the U.S.

                              {time}  2030

  It calls on the U.S. Government to investigate harassment of U.S. 
State and local officials in an attempt to intimidate the State and 
local officials into withdrawing support for the Falun Gong; and it 
further calls on the United States Government to take appropriate 
action to address this illegal and unacceptable behavior.
  Mr. Speaker, it has been said that the only thing necessary for the 
triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing. Therefore, I 
call on my colleagues to render their support to the Falun Gong and 
other victims of oppression in China, and to vote for the manager's 
amendment to House Concurrent Resolution 188.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume, and I rise in strong support of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Ros-Lehtinen), the distinguished Chair of the House Subcommittee on 
International Operations and Human Rights, for bringing this important 
resolution to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, since the Chinese Government launched its brutal 
campaign against Falun Gong practitioners over 3 years ago, the U.S. 
Congress has been joined by human rights' groups and the State 
Department in condemning this campaign of terror and intimidation. I 
have been visited at my district office by the distinguished Chinese 
ambassador who feels that the Falun Gong is a threat to the orderly 
process of government in China. I had questions at the time that they 
came; but I listened diplomatically, I responded in a very diplomatic 
way, but I disagreed.
  Unfortunately, these calls for fair and decent treatment of the Falun 
Gong has fallen on deaf ears in Beijing. Since 1999, over 250 Falun 
Gong practitioners have been killed by the Chinese Government. Many of 
those killed refused to break their links to the Falun Gong and have 
paid the ultimate price as a result. Thousands more Falun Gong 
adherents arrested in cities and villages throughout China have been 
subjected to brutal mistreatment, rape, and torture by their jailers. 
As we speak today, thousands of Chinese citizens remain behind bars or 
locked away in mental hospitals because they refuse to break from the 
Falun Gong.
  Mr. Speaker, it is hard to fathom the reasons for the Chinese 
Government's decision to declare Falun Gong an evil cult and to launch 
a brutal crackdown on its adherents. And maybe there is good reason. 
However, as I can see it, Falun Gong's only apparent crime is its 
ability to organize and attract followers in a country in which the 
government wishes to have a monopoly on organization and ideology.
  Prior to the Chinese Government's edict of July 21, 1999, to smash 
the Falun Gong, its adherents organized the largest peaceful public 
demonstration in China since the democracy movement in 1989. These 
peaceful protests have continued to today, despite the repression. We 
often see a few lone Falun Gong practitioners on the nightly news, 
bravely unfurling banners in Tiananmen Square, only to be hauled off 
into police vans a few seconds later.
  To counteract these brave acts, the Chinese Government has embarked 
on an intense media campaign both in China and abroad to defame Falun 
Gong as a cult, thereby designating Falun Gong for particularly harsh 
treatment under the PRC's anticult agenda. Falun Gong supporters, 
largely silent and intimidated in China, have sought legal refuge 
abroad and in any place they can from these human rights' violations. 
There have been numerous civil complaints filed in U.S. Federal courts 
for the violations of the Torture Victim Protection Act, the Alien Tort 
Claims Act, and other crimes against humanity. Lawsuits have also been 
filed claiming that PRC embassies and consulates have been responsible 
for harassment here in the United States.
  The Congressional Human Rights Caucus recently heard testimony from 
local government officials, including some from my own home State of 
California, that they have been subject to pressure from Chinese 
diplomats to renounce proclamations of support for Falun Gong by local 
city councils. I, myself, as I said, have been pressured. Mr. Speaker, 
it is important that the United States Congress strongly condemn such 
outrageous behavior and stand with local officials in the United States 
who wish to speak out for human rights in China.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield such time 
as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).

[[Page 13816]]


  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to join with my 
colleagues tonight on a matter of principle. And my colleague who just 
spoke certainly has spoken for all of us in the points that she has 
made, and I hope that the words that I am going to utter now also 
maintain what one would say is bipartisan. But it is not actually a 
bipartisan spirit; it is an American spirit. It has nothing to do with 
politics and nothing to do with anything but a belief in human beings 
and a belief that we care and a demonstration that we care about 
people.
  Mr. Speaker, the Falun Gong, if anyone has ever met anybody in the 
Falun Gong, they know how easy it is to really care about these people, 
because they have such wonderful hearts. Here we have people who 
practice meditation and yoga, and they have committed themselves to 
treating other people with kindness and trying to be honest. For that, 
they have made themselves a target of one of the most brutal regimes on 
this planet.
  How could anyone do anything other than sympathize with people like 
the Falun Gong? They are so demonstrative, and they are so exemplary of 
the oppressed people of the world. Not all oppressed people in the 
world have such good hearts and are kind and practice yoga and 
meditation, but they are all oppressed. And the fact that we have a 
regime that can be so brutal with these pacifists indicates just how 
immoral and horrifying the Communist regime in Beijing actually is.
  As we have heard, tens of thousands of these pacifistic people, these 
spiritual people, have been arrested. Thousands of them have been 
tortured. Hundreds have died in captivity. Let us think about it: 
hundreds of these people, people with good souls, kindhearted people 
who are dedicated pacifists have died in captivity, thousands have been 
tortured; and tens of thousands have been thrown into jail.
  This is not, however, unique for Communist China. Let us remember 
what has been going on in Tibet for these last few decades. In fact, 
one of the Dalai Lama's religious followers was just let out, I think 
after 19 years in prison. Again, tens of thousands of people in Tibet 
have been thrown into prison and tortured, if not hundreds of 
thousands. These are horrendous crimes against civilization that have 
been committed against the people of Tibet, like the Falun Gong.
  And how about Christian churches in China? The People's Republic of 
China says if you do not register, if you are a religious organization, 
you must register and let us know exactly the names of everyone 
involved in your organization. Sounds like what the Nazis did to the 
Jews prior to World War II. And guess what? If you refuse to register, 
then those people, in what they call underground churches, are rounded 
up and they too are put into the laogai prison system along with the 
Tibetans, along with the Falun Gong representatives.
  And what happens in the laogai prison system? What happens in the 
laogai prison system is that people are used as slave labor, and we end 
up having products sent to the United States that, oh yes, we can be 
guaranteed that none of them come from that prison camp; but what we 
cannot be guaranteed of is that the parts that are made in the laogai 
prison system do not end up in the factories that make the products 
that give us such a great deal at the supermarket and at the Wal-Mart 
stores throughout our country.
  No. What has happened, unfortunately, while all this repression and 
bloodshed and brutality, and I might add a massive build up in their 
military has been going on, America has been conducting business as 
usual with the Communist regime in Beijing. Business as usual. And that 
is the United States Congress has passed time and time again bills 
providing Most Favored Nation Status, or as they call it, normal trade 
relations, for the same Communist China that is committing these 
violent crimes, these ugly crimes against humanity.
  I do not think we should have business as usual with any thug regime, 
whether it be Fidel Castro, which our colleague, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), knows the brutality of that regime 
firsthand, or whether it be Communist China or whether it be 
Kazakhstan, which I read in the paper today that we have developed a 
close relationship with the gangster thug that runs that country. Let 
us not have business as usual with countries that are run by gangsters.
  Yes, let us have free trade, but let us have free trade between free 
people. What happens instead, what controls the agenda here in our 
relationships with these regimes around the world? Instead, it is our 
big business community, with their dreams of huge profits in dealing 
with someone who has a monopoly control of a country, like these 
gangster regimes have; cutting one deal, and thus they can have all the 
profit they want because they have no labor problems and they have no 
competition.
  No, that dream is not the dream of the American people. The American 
people's dreams come on July 4, when we talk about individual rights 
being granted by God to all of God's children throughout the world. We, 
as free people, should be siding with the oppressed people of the world 
and not those gangster regimes that stand for everything that America 
is supposed to be against. But, of course, our big businessmen are over 
there making a huge profit.
  They are making a big profit by setting up companies over there, I 
might add, manufacturing units. What is ironic about all of this is 
that I talked to a big business company the other day, a pharmaceutical 
industry; and I said, by the way, I remember when you built your plant 
over in China 10 years ago. How are you doing over there? And he said, 
well, we are not doing too good; but we are not losing as much money as 
the rest of those people who invested over there.
  The irony of this is that we have big business, with their dreams of 
huge profits, directing our policy, while they themselves are getting 
taken to the cleaners for investing in a regime that has no respect for 
the rule of law. And they also know that without the IMF loan 
guarantees and subsidies that we provide them by granting Most Favored 
Nation Status, without that they would not have invested over there in 
the first place. Now we see a Frankenstein monster that has been 
created by the actions of our own government, by kowtowing to business 
interests that are being totally unrealistic about the threat of 
Communist China and a business community that has no respect for our 
traditions of liberty and justice.
  Unfortunately, this administration, as I read today, to top it all 
off, as we are talking about the Falun Gong, this administration is 
considering closer military ties to the People's Republic of China. 
What a disgrace that is. When we talk about bipartisanship here in 
Congress, let us note that I attacked the last administration for 
trying to do that. Not trying to, but implementing a policy of closer 
military ties, and I cannot stand silently while this administration 
goes down that same path.

                              {time}  2045

  Mr. Speaker, America should side with those in China who long for 
freedom. We should side with the good-hearted people of China who want 
to have yoga and meditation and treat people kindly. Those are our 
allies, not those who carry guns and building the weapons systems, and 
putting their boots in the face of their fellow Chinese.
  We need to let the people of the world know that the United States is 
not the friend of totalitarian regimes, of gangsters who beat people up 
and slaughter them and refuse to allow the people of their country to 
control their destiny through the ballot box. Many people of the world 
think that is what they think the United States is all about, because 
that is what they see in their own country. Our only hope is that the 
young people of China, Burma, Kazakhstan or Cuba, that they understand 
that we are on their side and that the United States of America is a 
country that believes in treating people decently, and those people who 
are treating them in such a harsh manner and destroying their families 
and torturing them, that has nothing to do with the United States of 
America.

[[Page 13817]]

When they see our flag, they should think this is not for repression. 
Those people who see our flag should think, they are on our side.
  Mr. Speaker, let us pass this resolution siding with the Falun Gong, 
and help those who are suffering so much in China and throughout the 
world. We should let them know that our world stands for freedom and 
liberty and justice, and that we have made mistakes. We have not gone 
so far and it is not past time for us to reclaim our proper role in 
this world, which is the role of the champion of the oppressed and the 
hope for all mankind.
  We can make it real when we talk about the Falun Gong and the 
oppression in Tibet, the repression in Cuba and Kazakhstan and 
elsewhere, by making sure that the business community does not dictate 
to us the short term profit goals as being the goals of the United 
States of America. Our goals are much, much higher than that. Our goals 
are a united humanity, united behind the principles that were laid down 
in 1776.
  We fell short of those goals for a long time, but now we must stand 
together on both sides of the aisle to see that we stand for those 
higher values.
  Ms. WATSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey).
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 188, the 
resolution sponsored by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen), and I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) for 
yielding me time to express my concerns regarding the persecution of 
Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese government. Three years ago, 
the Chinese government began its brutal crackdown against Falun Gong 
practitioners in China. People have been killed, imprisoned, and beaten 
for expressing their peaceful beliefs, and we know this is absolutely 
unacceptable.
  Across America, many local United States officials have responded by 
sponsoring resolutions affirming the right of Falun Gong practitioners 
to enjoy freedom of speech. They have done this in their particular 
community across America. And much to our outrage, these local 
officials have been pressured by Chinese officials demanding that they 
recant their support for Falun Gong practitioners. In a Democratic 
Nation, the value of free speech and freedom of religion means that 
this is absolutely unacceptable to us. The gentlewoman from Florida 
(Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) touches briefly in this issue in H. Con. Res. 188, 
and later this week, I will be introducing a resolution which focuses 
solely on Chinese efforts to interfere with local American officials.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask Members to ask themselves how do they feel about 
the Chinese governments telling the mayors and city councils in their 
districts who to support, who to allow to demonstrate and speak and, 
what to do in general? I urge all Members to support H. Con. Res. 188, 
and to cosponsor my resolution that directly addresses China's attempts 
to stifle democracy right here in America.
  Ms. WATSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Watson) for yielding me this time, and for her 
leadership on this issue, and thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Ros-Lehtinen) for this legislation, H. Con. Res. 188, and ask my 
colleagues to support it.
  I begin my remarks by asking the question, How long? How long, and 
when will this persecution end? That is the underlying underpinnings of 
this resolution. How long can the world stand by when those who are 
part of the Falun Gong are persecuted and beaten every day in China? It 
is interesting when we begin to debate issues of human rights as 
relates to China. There is always a dilemma. China our friend, China 
our business and trading partner. But I believe it is imperative that 
the United States looks internally on its own history and assesses 
times when it needs to be corrected and its treatment of individuals 
remedied, such as passing the hates crime legislation and civil rights 
legislation, and to ask our friends as well to address the terrible and 
violent acts that are going on against those who simply want to be 
peaceful practitioners, who want to be in peace.
  In Houston as I pass the Chinese council office, I have worked with 
them. I have been able to support issues that they are concerned about. 
But every time I pass, there are those who are there protesting quietly 
and silently, but in pain over the treatment of those who practice 
Falun Gong. They are there every day. They are there so Americans can 
see that they are in pain and they need help.
  This resolution will be both instructive, and it helps to craft 
America's foreign policy, that we cannot leave our human rights at 
home. It is imperative that we stand for what we believe in this 
country's right and as we look at our friends overseas, that we do not 
step away from our values. It is important to allow those to practice 
their faith, and to acknowledge that we have the right to free 
expression.
  I realize that China is not governed by our Bill of Rights or our 
Constitution. I also realize that China has represented over and over 
again that they are fearful of the Falun Gong because they may be 
distracting people away from the government policies that China 
operates under the particular structure of government, the communist 
system of government, but China wants us to applaud and encourage its 
participation in the World Trade Organization and to be an equal 
partner in trade.
  China welcomes our university professors and exchange programs. There 
is one in my own community with the University of Houston, and I 
applaud those cultural exchanges. But it warrants that we speak loudly 
about the abuse, and this community of people who simply ask to be left 
alone to practice their particular beliefs, have not been left alone in 
peace. Their human rights are violated, have been violated, are being 
violated, and will continue to be violated.
  H. Con. Res. 188 puts on record this body's opposition to this 
violent treatment. It stands for what we believe in. It crafts and 
states that we are believers in human rights and that we will seek to 
promote human rights all over the world, even in place of having a 
trading partner that does not look askance at us for speaking our 
values and from our heart.
  I applaud the strong people who are part of the Falun Gong and ask 
them to remain strong so we will be able to answer the question how 
long. Now is the time to change the ways and the attitudes. We must 
preserve their dignity and their life. I ask my colleagues to 
enthusiastically support this resolution; but as I do so, I ask the 
administration to enthusiastically embrace this legislation and to ask 
the leaders of the Chinese government to cease and desist, or else 
suffer penalties that we in America will stand by because we stand by 
human rights.
  Ms. WATSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Falun Gong is based on the principles of truthfulness, of compassion 
and forbearance. It is about spirituality and peace. Yet for this, as 
we have heard tonight, practitioners are subjected to the most cruel, 
inhumane and degrading treatment imaginable at the hands of the Chinese 
authorities. Young or old, male or female, adult or child, the Chinese 
authorities show no regard for human life, no mercy, and no remorse. 
And now the PRC is seeking to extend its rein of terror over the Falun 
Gong to the United States. The persecution of the Falun Gong must end, 
and it must end now. I ask my colleagues to vote yes on the manager's 
amendment to H. Con. Res. 188.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this resolution that 
calls on the People's Republic of China to cease its persecution of 
Falun Gong practitioners, and I want to thank Rep. Ros-Lehtinen for 
introducing this legislation.

[[Page 13818]]

  Falun Gong practitioners in China continue to suffer at the hands of 
China's officials. The State Department's most recent annual human 
rights report cited that thousands of organizers and adherents of the 
banned Falun Gong movement continue to be held in reeducation-through-
labor camps or in prison.
  The report says that over 200 Falun Gong practitioners died in 
detention as a result of torture or mistreatment. It is incredible to 
think that the Chinese Government tortured and killed over 200 Falun 
Gong practitioners--200 men and women--for practicing their religious 
belief.
  As evidenced by the $83 billion trade deficit the U.S. has with 
China, the Chinese government has not been afraid to manufacture more 
products for sale overseas. The Chinese authorities are not afraid of 
making money or of selling products, but they seem to fear any 
organized religion in their country.
  According to the Cardinal Kung Foundation, there are at least 12 
Roman Catholic bishops in Chinese prisons under house arrest or in 
hiding.
  Numerous Protestant House Church leaders and worshipers in China have 
been imprisoned and detained.
  Large numbers of Muslims from the Uighur people group in China are in 
prison because of their faith. Young Muslim Uighur boys and girls are 
not even allowed to enter a mosque until they are 18-years-old.
  The Chinese government has imprisoned hundreds of Tibetan Bhuddist 
monks and nuns because of their faith.
  It is time for the state-sponsored and state-led persecution of 
believers in China to stop. It is time for the innocent to stop 
suffering and for believers in China to be allowed to worship freely, 
without fear of imprisonment.
  I support this legislation that calls on the people's Republic of 
China to stop its persecution and urges the U.S. government to use 
every appropriate forum, public and private, to speak out against these 
human rights abuses.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call attention to the 
persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Falun Gong is based 
on three principles: Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance. Falun Gong 
practitioners participate in five simple yet powerful exercises that 
they believe refines their inner strength by reaching for excellent 
health and higher spirituality. That is why I am baffled as to why the 
Chinese Government, which supported the spread of Falun Gong in the 
early 1990s, is so against such a peaceful and humble religion. I was 
shocked when I read reports of Falun Gong practitioners being beaten, 
imprisoned, and even tortured. This abuse is not isolated within the 
borders of China. There have been recent reports of Falun Gong 
practitioners in the United States being attacked. These incidents have 
even affected constituents in my district and these abuses must come to 
an end across the globe.
  It pains me to see innocent people being attacked for their beliefs. 
As we enter this new century, we have so much opportunity to make this 
world a better place to live for all and it is our responsibility to 
work toward that goal. I ask my colleagues to support House Concurrent 
Resolution 188, which strongly urges the Government of the People's 
Republic of China to cease its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners 
because supporting this resolution is supporting the true essence of 
freedom.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the gentlelady from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for bringing this important resolution 
before us today.
  China's continued persecution of Falun Gong practitioners for merely 
practicing their religion is deeply appalling. After 3 years of intense 
repression marked by propaganda campaigns, beatings, and imprisonment, 
thousands of Falun Gong practitioners remain in ``reeducation-through-
labor camps'' or in prison without the benefit of formal judicial 
process. Furthermore, since October 2000, when China's President Jiang 
Zemin declared that Falun Gong was bent on ``overthrowing the Chinese 
government, and undermining socialism'' and vowed to crush the 
spiritual practice, over 400 Falun Gong practitioners died in detention 
as a result of torture or mistreatment.
  China's suppression of Falun Gong is systematic and thorough. The are 
seeking to destroy the religion and the practitioners. Just as the 
British felt threatened by the peaceful non-violent protests of Mahatma 
Ghandi, the Chinese regime fears the popular appeal of this movement 
and views it as a threat to its domination over Chinese society at 
large.
  Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 188 
expressing the sense of Congress that the Government of the People's 
Republic of China should cease its persecution of Falun Gong 
practitioners.
  If the regime in Beijing wants to take its place among civilized 
nations, it must end its repression and persecution of the Falun Gong 
and other religions, and end it now.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. 
Con. Res. 188, expressing the sense of Congress that the Government of 
the People's Republic of China should cease its persecution of Falun 
Gong practitioners. Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, I commend you for introducing 
this legislation and for the leadership you have shown as Chair of the 
Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights in speaking 
out against human rights abuses throughout the world.
  Members of Congress need to be aware of the brutal suppression of 
human rights and religious freedoms being carried out by the People's 
Republic of China. From forced abortion and labor camps, to the 
imprisonment and sometimes even execution of brave Chinese who dare to 
stand up for their faith or political beliefs, Jiang Zemin's regime is 
one of the worst violators of human rights in the world.
  While Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, and Muslim Uighurs are all being 
persecuted for their faith, the suffering of peaceful Falun Gong 
practitioners has been especially intense. In 1999, China's dictators 
launched a brutal campaign to completely eradicate Falun Gong from 
their country through whatever means necessary, claiming that Falun 
Gong was a threat to ``social order'' in China. The reason behind this 
campaign of brutality is clear: by the mid to late 1990s, the number of 
Falun Gong practitioners began to exceed the number of members of the 
Communist Party. Like all dictators and totalitarian terror systems, 
the PRC fears and hates what it cannot control. So it sought to destroy 
and intimidate those who practice Falun Gong.
  Falun Gong is not a religion, per se, but rather more like a 
philosophy. Based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and 
Tolerance, Falun Gong uses a series of five physical and mental 
exercises to assist its members purify themselves spiritually and 
peacefully resolve conflicts. Whatever one may say about the merits of 
their beliefs, the evidence is very clear that Falun Gong practitioners 
are peaceful individuals who want to be left alone to practice their 
beliefs as they see fit.
  To carry out the task of smashing those who practice Falun Gong, the 
Beijing dictatorship created ``610'' offices throughout China to 
oversee and direct the persecution of Falun Gong through brainwashing, 
torture, and murder.
  The State Department Human Rights Report for 2001 has several pages 
detailing and documenting the plight of the Falun Gong. We know at 
least 250 Falun Gong have died as a result of torture thus far. Other 
estimates place the true body count much higher. Bodies of the tortured 
victims are often cremated immediately to conceal evidence of torture. 
The report indicated that Falun Gong adherents sent to mental health 
institutions have been administered psychiatric drugs and electric 
shock treatments by Chinese authorities.
  Tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners are held in labor 
camps, prisons, and mental hospitals, where they are forced to endure 
torture brainwashing sessions. Chinese-American permanent residents are 
not spared in the PRC's disgusting torture and brainwashing campaign.
  One American permanent resident, Ms. Teng Chunyan, was arrested in 
May 2000 and sent to prison for three years solely on account of her 
beliefs. She was sent to Beijing ``re-education center'' in June 2000. 
The PRC--in a move that most American POWs from Korea and Vietnam would 
immediately see through and recognize--put Ms. Teng on public display 
on November 20, 2001 after its ``re-education'' center had thoroughly 
broken and brainwashed this poor woman.
  In the macabre display gleefully published by the Chinese embassy--
which I will include for the public record--Ms. Teng disavowed her 
affiliation to the Falun Gong and stated that ``I have never been 
abused since my detention and have not seen any sign of beating or 
admonishment here. Police in the center are very polite and kind. . . . 
The re-education center is more comfortable than my home and I am 
gaining weight here.'' American POWs who endured horrible torture at 
the hands of Communists would recognize these kinds of forced 
statements immediately as a pathetic farce. We might never know what 
kinds of terrible things were done to Ms. Teng and her family to get 
her to make these kinds of statements under duress. This is just one 
example of how China uses its state controlled media to inundate the 
public with anti-Falun Gong propaganda.
  As my colleagues know, a sizable number of Falun Gong practitioners 
reside here in the United States. They attempt to raise awareness about 
the horrors their fellow believers are subject to through meeting with 
government officials and through holding peaceful

[[Page 13819]]

protests. Just this past weekend Falun Gong members gathered on the 
Mall to pass out literature and inform Americans of the great suffering 
those in their faith are enduring. When Jiang Zemin and other state 
leaders responsible for this purge are visiting foreign countries, 
Falun Gong members travel overseas to protest and raise awareness of 
the brutal persecution.
  In response, China's persecution against the Falun Gong has moved 
outside of China's own borders. A few weeks ago, Falun Gong 
practitioners--U.S. citizens--were denied visas to travel to Iceland 
during Jiang Zemin's visit to that country. An Icelandic newspaper 
known as ``The Morgunblad'' wrote that it ``has reliable sources that 
Chinese authorities have demanded from the Icelanders that Falun Gong 
members not be in the country during the visit.'' They even reportedly 
demanded that no Falun Gong protesters be seen from the Saga Hotel 
where Jiang Zemin was staying.
  Persecution of Falun Gong in China is horrific enough itself. The 
fact that China is now exporting its repression to weaker foreign 
nations under the guise of ``safety'' and ``public order'' is even 
worse. We must not forget that Iceland has been a strong democratic 
ally of the United States and a founding member of NATO. The fact that 
peaceful American citizens attempting to travel to a fellow NATO nation 
were detained and harassed, had their names placed on an Icelandic 
government ``blacklist'' and their tickets revoked, presumably at the 
behest of thugs in Beijing, is an outrage and must not be tolerated. 
The cancer of China's repression is spreading all over the world. The 
PRC is not content to beat and torture and silence those inside its own 
borders. Now it is seeking to bully other nations into doing its 
bidding. When will this country wake up and stand up to this kind of 
nonsense?
  I call upon all members of this body to support H. Con. Res. 188. I 
call on the administration to step up its efforts to speak up for the 
Falun Gong and out against the actions of the Chinese government 
immediately.

 Teng Chunyan: I Am Pleased to Shake off the Spiritual Shackle of the 
                       Falun Gong Cult (11/20/01)

       ``I hope that my experience help transform those obsessed 
     Falun Gong followers,'' said Teng Chunyan on November 20 
     surrounded by media at a Beijing-based re-education center. 
     With her short hair neatly combed and eyebrows noticeably 
     trimmed, the confident 38-year-old woman looked at least ten 
     years younger than her age.
       ``The reeducation center is more comfortable than my home 
     and I am gaining weight here,'' said Teng smiling shyly. The 
     beaming Teng, who has received systematic training in Chinese 
     herbal medicine, cannot be compared with the Falun Gong 
     devotee she once was.
       Teng came to China from the U.S. many times between 
     February and May of last year to collect information on the 
     Chinese Government's handling of Falun Gong issues for 
     Beijing branches of foreign news agencies and introduced 
     Falun Gong followers to foreign reporters. Teng was born in 
     Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province 
     and went to the United States in 1990. She was detained by 
     police when she tried to enter China via the Luohu Port in 
     Shenzhen in May 2000 and was sentenced to a 3-year term of 
     imprisonment according to Chinese law.
       Her belief in the Falun Gong cult began to waver after she 
     was sent to a Beijing-based re-education center in June 2000. 
     Recalling her former devotion to Falun Gong, Teng said that 
     persuasion from family members and friends could not lessen 
     her blind enthusiasm for the cult. ``I completely rejected 
     contacts with the outside world and only believed in the 
     Falun Gong cult and its propaganda which is flooded on the 
     cult web site,'' Teng said.
       Teng started to doubt the credibility and motives of the 
     cult web site when she found that her re-education center 
     roommate Yao Jie, who was reported dead by the web site 
     because of her conversion, was actually living a normal life. 
     ``What helped to change your belief in Falun Gong?'' asked a 
     reporter. ``Truth can never be concealed for long. I saw with 
     my own eyes police patiently helping educate Falun Gong 
     followers and trying their best to save lives of believers 
     who tried to commit suicide,'' said Teng.
       Teng has also talked with many former Falun Gong followers 
     and was deeply impressed with their experiences. ``My 
     personal experiences made me reconsider the so-called facts 
     published by the cult and I completely changed my mind,'' 
     said Teng. When asked about her conversion process, Teng 
     said: ``true belief conversion can never be forced.'' ``I am 
     pleased to shake off the spiritual shackle of the Falun Gong 
     cult and return to a normal life.''
       Teng Chunyan is now an active member of the re-education 
     center dancing troupe and is busy preparing for an upcoming 
     art performance organized by the center. ``I have never been 
     abused since my detention and have not seen any sign of 
     beating or admonishment here. Police in the center are very 
     polite and kind,'' said Teng.
       Jin Hua, vice director of the re-education center, said 
     that police in the center are required to treat every Falun 
     Gong follower in the center equally, and discrimination is 
     absolutely forbidden. Jin said: ``We encourage Falun Gong 
     followers to communicate with their family members. ``They 
     can write to or call their family members as well as meet 
     with relatives once a month.''
       The 75-year-old father of Teng Chunyan came from 
     Heilongjiang Province last week to visit her and was relieved 
     to see his daughter regaining energy and vigor. ``I am happy 
     now,'' Teng said. ``Justice will finally defeat evil.''
                                  ____


Statement of Tracy Zhao Falun Gong practitioner and Former Detainee in 
                          China March 2, 2000


             Hearing on ``Human Rights in China and Tibet''

       Good afternoon everyone. I would like to thank the members 
     of this committee for the opportunity to speak at this 
     hearing today. I hope that my testimony will help shed some 
     light on what is happening right now in China regarding the 
     suppression of Falun Gong and the persecution of innocent 
     Chinese citizens.
       Before I begin, I would like to briefly introduce myself. 
     My name is Tracy Zhao. I was born and raised in Beijing, 
     China. Currently, I am an American citizen residing in 
     Queens, New York. I am 30 years old and work as a flight 
     attendant. I am also a Falun Gong practitioner.
       Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual 
     practice based on ancient Chinese principles. It has five 
     sets of traditional exercises and teaches practitioners to 
     follow the universal virtues of ``Truth, Compassion, and 
     Tolerance.'' It has attracted millions of people all over the 
     world, because of the positive effects it has on people's 
     overall health and well-being.
       In early February of this year, I traveled to Beijing with 
     a number of other practitioners. I was interested to see what 
     it was like for Falun Gong practitioners in China. I had 
     heard stories through news reports and friends, but I wanted 
     to get a first-hand look at what was really going on. I had 
     no intention of participating in any protests, nor was I 
     there to cause trouble. I simply wished to observe the 
     situation first-hand.
       Shortly before midnight on February 4th, which was the 
     night before the Chinese New Year, I arrived at Tiananmen 
     Square. I saw many policemen beating and kicking Falun Dafa 
     practitioners, and dragging them into police vans. Many 
     policemen were without coats and were sweating profusely from 
     beating people. The practitioners were trying to peacefully 
     practice their meditative exercises as a way to appeal to the 
     government to allow them their constitutional right to 
     freedom of belief, assembly, and speech.
       I quickly took out a camera to take a picture. The flash 
     caught the attention of the police and three of them 
     immediately pushed me into the police van without asking me 
     any questions. We were all taken to the nearby police 
     station. There were hundreds of practitioners being held 
     there. Some were bleeding in the face; others had bruises or 
     black eyes. There were children in detention, too.
       These Falun Gong practitioners had not committed any 
     criminal acts but had only been exercising their 
     constitutional rights. The Chinese government claims it is a 
     country ruled by law, but it often violates its own laws. In 
     the early hours of February 5th, around 1,200 practitioners, 
     including myself, were taken to the Dong Cheng detention 
     center on the outskirts of Beijing. For 24 hours there was no 
     water or heat. Each of us received only two pieces of Chinese 
     bread for food. And we were not allowed to use the bathroom.
       After 24 hours, the police questioned me and I told them I 
     was an American citizen. They did not believe me and sent me 
     to a prison cell. There were 15 other people there. Six of 
     them were practitioners and they told me they had been 
     secretly tried and had been sentenced for up a year. All they 
     had done was go to the government office of appeals to offer 
     their personal testimony to the government on how Falun Gong 
     had improved their health and made them better people. They 
     were arrested the moment they got there.
       The Premier of China has recently urged the Government 
     Offices of Appeals to improve their operating procedures, so 
     that the offices would become better places for citizens to 
     voice their concerns without fear of retribution. But for 
     Falun Gong practitioners, walking into these offices is more 
     like walking directly into prison.
       Every practitioner in my cell had been abused at some point 
     by the prison guards and policemen. In prison, we were given 
     two meals a day, and it was always two pieces of Chinese 
     bread with cabbage soup. At night all of us slept on one big 
     wooden platform, with one blanket for two people and no 
     pillows. It was very crowded. In the entire time I was there, 
     we weren't allowed to take any showers. None of the 
     practitioners were allowed any contact with the outside, nor 
     were family or relatives allowed to visit. And the families 
     usually also faced huge fines.
       In one instance a female practitioner was trying to do the 
     meditative exercises. But

[[Page 13820]]

     each time she started, a prison guard kicked her to the 
     ground. This scene repeated itself many times until she had 
     been kicked into a corner. The guard finally left her alone, 
     and she finished her exercises.
       While I was in prison, the police interrogated me and 
     threatened that if I didn't answer all their questions I 
     would be kept in prison forever. Finally, with the assistance 
     of the U.S. Embassy and reports made by the international 
     media, I was released and deported on February 12th, the 
     eighth day of my detainment. I was not allowed to make any 
     contact with anyone the entire time.
       Since the ban on Falun Gong was announced on July 20th, 
     1999, the brutality with which this ``ban'' has been enforced 
     has continued to escalate. It is reported that more than 
     5,000 practitioners, including the elderly, pregnant women, 
     and young children have been sent to labor camps without 
     proper legal procedures--without trial, legal representation, 
     or due process.
       In addition, more than 300 practitioners have been tried in 
     secret and jailed with sentences of up to 18 years. In 
     November, an internal government report stated that in 
     Beijing alone, more than 35,000 practitioners have been 
     detained, with many being under extremely inhumane 
     conditions. So far, 11 people are known to have died while in 
     police custody, while countless others remain unaccounted 
     for.
       Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, the scope and 
     severity of this persecution continues to escalate. For 
     example, in January of this year the Hong Kong-based 
     Information Center of Human Rights and Democratic Movement in 
     China discovered that some Falun Gong practitioners were now 
     being held in mental hospitals where they were being injected 
     with various drugs and were subject to other tortures. This 
     situation has been reported in the world news by CNN, AP, and 
     Agency France Press, to name a few. All this is ironic in 
     light of the fact that The People's Daily, the state-owned 
     paper, published a report just last May stating that Falun 
     Gong is a `beneficial practice' with no political motives 
     that can help people improve their health. This was prior to 
     the current crackdown.
       Other television programs drew similar conclusions back 
     then as well. Despite the overwhelming brutality currently 
     happening in China, I would like to make it clear that Falun 
     Gong practitioners are not against the Chinese government, 
     nor do they seek any particular political change or reform. 
     What they ask is that they regain the basic human rights to 
     freedom of assembly and freedom of belief, which are 
     protected under China's own constitution as well as under the 
     UN Declaration of Human Rights that China has signed.
       In short, we seek your help to open a dialogue with the 
     Chinese government so as to peacefully resolve this crisis. 
     On behalf of tens of millions of Falun Gong practitioners 
     around the world, we want to thank Congressman Chris Smith 
     for introducing House Resolution 218 that condemns China's 
     brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. This 
     House Resolution 218 was unanimously passed on November 18, 
     1999. I would like to personally thank the United States 
     government for the many steps it has taken thus far to 
     encourage the Chinese government to end this persecution, and 
     I hope you will continue to support a peaceful resolution. 
     Thank you.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Platts). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. 
Res. 188, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. 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 motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________