[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 914-918]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




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

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 157) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives regarding several individuals who are being held as 
prisoners of conscience by the Chinese Government for their involvement 
in efforts to end the Chinese occupation of Tibet.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 157

       Whereas for more than 1,000 years Tibet has maintained a 
     sovereign national identity that is distinct from the 
     national identity of China;
       Whereas armed forces of the People's Republic of China 
     invaded Tibet in 1949 and 1950 and have occupied it since 
     then;
       Whereas according to the United States Department of State 
     and international human rights organizations, the Government 
     of the People's Republic of China continues to commit 
     widespread and well-documented human rights abuses in China 
     and Tibet;
       Whereas the People's Republic of China has yet to 
     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;
       Whereas the Chinese Government has detained hundreds of 
     Tibetan nuns, monks and lay persons as prisoners of 
     conscience for their efforts in speaking out against the 
     Chinese occupation of Tibet;
       Whereas on October 14, 1989, Phuntsog Nyidron, a Tibetan 
     Buddhist nun, and 5 other nuns from the Michungri Nunnery 
     were arrested in Lhasa after chanting some slogans and 
     marching in a procession as part of a peaceful demonstration 
     that they organized to protest the Chinese occupation of 
     Tibet;
       Whereas Phuntsog Nyidron and the other nuns were kicked, 
     beaten and given electric shocks on their hands, shoulders, 
     breasts, tongue, and face while in Chinese custody;
       Whereas in 1993, Phuntsog Nyidron and 13 other nuns 
     secretly recorded songs about Tibetan independence and 
     smuggled the recordings out of Drapchi prison;
       Whereas the Chinese Government charged Phuntsog Nyidron 
     with ``spreading counter-revolutionary propaganda'' for her 
     role in recording and smuggling out the taped songs and, on 
     October 9, 1993, extended her prison sentence to 17 years, 
     one of the longest reported sentences of any female Tibetan 
     political prisoner;
       Whereas Phuntsog Nyidron was awarded the Reebok Human 
     Rights Award in 1995;
       Whereas Phuntsog Nyidron is just one of many individuals 
     whom the Chinese Government has held as a prisoner of 
     conscience;
       Whereas the Chinese Government continues to imprison 
     individuals as prisoners of conscience for their involvement 
     in peaceful protests against the brutal Chinese occupation of 
     Tibet; and
       Whereas the Chinese Government continues to exert control 
     over religious and cultural institutions in Tibet, abusing 
     human rights through torture, arbitrary arrest, and detention 
     without public trial of Tibetans who peacefully expressed 
     their political or religious views: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that the Government of the People's Republic 
     of China should, as a gesture of goodwill and in order to 
     promote human rights, immediately release all prisoners of 
     conscience, including Phuntsog Nyidron.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. 
Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would like to begin by commending my colleague, the gentleman from 
New Mexico (Mr. Udall), for sponsoring this resolution; and this 
resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives 
regarding individuals being held as prisoners of conscience by the 
Chinese Government for their involvement in efforts to end the Chinese 
occupation of Tibet. It calls for the Chinese Government to release all 
its prisoners of conscience.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution notes that the United States Department 
of State and international human rights organizations have documented 
continuing and widespread human rights violations committed by the 
Chinese Government throughout China and throughout Tibet. This 
resolution specifically highlights the plight of imprisoned Tibetan nun 
Phuntsog Nyidron who was arrested along with five other nuns back in 
1989 for peacefully demonstrating against China's occupation of Tibet. 
She was beaten and she was tortured for her peaceful protest, and 
further, her prison sentence was extended when she and 13 other nuns 
secretly recorded and smuggled out of Drapchi prison songs of Tibetan 
independence.
  Her continued defiance of the Chinese Government earned her one of 
the longest reported prison sentences of any female Tibetan political 
prisoner, and, Mr. Speaker, she continues to languish in prison. What 
is more, she is hardly alone.
  This resolution notes that the Chinese Government has detained 
hundreds of Tibetan nuns and hundreds of monks and laypersons as 
prisoners of conscience for one crime, and that is speaking out against 
the Chinese government's occupation.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States House of Representatives has a long 
tradition of being a voice for the voiceless. The United States House 
of Representatives has a long tradition of being a champion for the 
oppressed, and, Mr. Speaker, this body has a long tradition of leading 
the charge for human rights, and I encourage my colleagues to support 
this H. Res. 157.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my good friend, the gentleman from 
California, for being the manager of this legislation on the majority 
side.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I would 
first like to commend my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from 
New Mexico (Mr. Udall), for his leadership on this Tibet issue and for 
his introduction of this important resolution.
  I would also like to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), 
the chairman of the House Committee on International Relations, for 
allowing this resolution to move to the floor and also the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Lantos), our senior Democratic ranking member, for 
his support of this legislation.

[[Page 915]]

  Mr. Speaker, this is a bipartisan piece of legislation. The 
resolution before the House is not the first expression of Congress' 
great concern regarding the treatment of Tibetans by the Chinese 
Government. Two years ago, Congress overwhelmingly approved the Tibet 
Policy Act, and we have also considered several resolutions regarding 
the lack of political and religious freedom in Tibet, but as Congress 
debated these larger policy matters, it was easy to lose sight of the 
impact of Chinese repression on individual Tibetans. To understand the 
brutality of Chinese rule in Tibet, we need to put a human face on it.
  The Udall resolution accomplishes this important task by calling 
attention to the case of Phuntsog Nyidron, a Tibetan nun who is the 
longest surviving female political prisoner in Tibet.
  What was Phuntsog Nyidron's crime? Three days after learning that His 
Holiness the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, she led five 
other nuns in a protest in downtown Lhasa against the Chinese 
occupation of Tibet. Instead of ignoring these peaceful protests, 
Chinese authorities arrested the nuns and subjected them to horrific 
torture.
  Phuntsog Nyidron and her fellow nuns were kicked, beaten, and given 
electric shocks all over their bodies. They were strung up by their 
hands and beaten with an iron rod, all this because they were unhappy 
with the Chinese occupation of Tibet and dared to speak their minds.
  Mr. Speaker, even torture would not silence Phuntsog Nyidron. In 1993 
Phuntsog Nyidron and 13 other imprisoned nuns secretly recorded songs 
about Tibetan independence and smuggled their recordings out of prison. 
In one song, the nun thanked, ``all of you outside who have done all 
that you can for us in prison. We will never forget you.''

                              {time}  1500

  In another song, the nuns sang of being ``beaten and treated 
brutally, but this will never change the Tibetan people's 
perseverance.''
  Mr. Speaker, when the Chinese Government found out about these songs, 
they extended the sentence of Phuntsog Nyidron to 17 years because she 
was ``spreading counterrevolutionary propaganda.'' Mr. Speaker, 
sentencing a Tibetan nun to 17 years in prison for peacefully 
protesting the treatment of Tibetans and making a musical tape to 
expose prison conditions is absolutely outrageous, in my humble 
opinion, and a violation of every international human rights treaty to 
which China is a party.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, we in the House are sending a signal to Phuntsog 
Nyidron that we have not forgotten her, her fellow nuns, and China's 
other fellow prisoners of conscience. We are signaling to the Chinese 
Government that it is time to release Phuntsog Nyidron and other 
prisoners of conscience as a humanitarian gesture, particularly as 
China celebrates the Lunar New Year.
  Today, we are celebrating the perseverance of the Tibetan people who 
have suffered enormous repression and deprivation over the last 50 
years. The Tibetan people will one day regain their freedom, and those 
who languish in Chinese prisons for opposing Chinese rule in Tibet will 
be celebrated as heroes.
  Mr. Speaker, years ago it was my privilege to accompany our former 
chairman of the House Committee on International Relations, my good 
friend and the gentleman from New York, Mr. Ben Gilman, also an 
outstanding leader of our Nation who was a great advocate of human 
rights throughout the world. We traveled to the town of Dharmsala in 
India, where the Dalai Lama and his Tibetan followers live since they 
were driven out of Tibet by Chinese authorities. To this day, I will 
never forget the privilege of meeting with the Dalai Lama and the good 
people of Tibet who are currently living in this town of Dharmsala in 
India.
  The situation between the people of Tibet and China is not an easy 
matter to resolve, but we certainly should express our grave concerns 
with the way the people of Tibet are treated by the Chinese Government. 
At this time I will not get into the debate as to whether the Tibetans 
are of Chinese ancestry and if at one time or another Tibet was part of 
the Chinese empire centuries ago. Of paramount importance is our 
concern for the inhumane treatment of our fellow human beings anywhere 
on this planet, the very reason why this resolution is important to 
note the will of this body before our Nation and to the world.
  Mr. Speaker, the great people of Tibet truly appreciate and know the 
meaning of freedom because they are not free, and so I urge my 
colleagues to support House Resolution 157.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Mexico (Mr. Udall), the author of this resolution.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to rise in 
support of my bill, House Resolution 157, which calls on China to 
release its Tibetan prisoners of conscience. I would like to thank the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) and the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Lantos), the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on 
International Relations, for moving this bill to the House floor today.
  Around 100 political prisoners remain behind bars in the Drapchi 
prison in Lhasa, the most notorious Chinese prison in Tibet. I was 
lucky enough last fall to meet one of Drapchi's most recently released 
political prisoners. Ngawang Sangdrol was her name. This humble 
remarkable young woman survived 11 years of torture and deprivation in 
prison before she reached her 21st birthday. She was released from 
prison in 2002 and was allowed to travel to the United States for 
medical treatment in March of 2003.
  Despite the horrific treatment she suffered in prison, her spirit was 
never broken and her dedication to the cause of Tibetan freedom never 
flagged. The horrific treatment that Ngawang Sangdrol experienced in 
prison is unimaginable to most of us. She recalls being made to stare 
at the sun while holding newspapers under her arms and between her 
knees. If the newspapers fell, she would be beaten. She was 
electrocuted with a baton and was made to run with her arms behind her 
while stones were thrown at her.
  When I asked this young woman, who had been through so much, what the 
worst day of her imprisonment was, she responded she had no answer; 
``they were all the worst day of my life,'' she said.
  Many of the Tibetan nuns and monks who suffered along with Ngawang 
Sangdrol remain in Drapchi prison today. Mentioned explicitly in this 
resolution is a nun by the name of Phuntsog Nyidron. This 34-year-old 
Tibetan nun is the longest serving female political prisoner in Tibet. 
She was only 20 years old when she was arrested in 1989 for taking part 
in a peaceful protest. Her sentence was extended in 1993 when she and 
13 other nuns recorded and smuggled out of prison songs about their 
love for their country, their people, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
  The Tibetans are a peace loving and resilient people, and even under 
the Chinese occupation they have been able to retain their culture 
outside Tibet's borders. In my district in New Mexico I enjoy having a 
significant group of Tibetan refugees as constituents. It is these 
Tibetans and the people who care about them who led to this 
resolution's introduction and its eventual passage.
  This resolution also comes at a crucial time in the treatment of 
Tibetan refugees elsewhere. After the Nepalese government handed over 
18 Tibetan refugees to the Chinese Government last summer, the U.S. 
Congress put significant pressure on them to issue an official policy 
stating that it would not happen again. We now know definitively that 
at least two of the Tibetans who were given to the Chinese authorities 
were thrown in prison, whereupon they were tortured. However, even 
after the Nepalese government issued its new policy, reports continue 
to surface that they are handing over Tibetan refugees to the Chinese. 
This is

[[Page 916]]

unacceptable. I take this opportunity not only to call on the Chinese 
Government to release its political prisoners but also to tell the 
Nepalese government that the United States takes very seriously the 
welfare of Tibetan refugees everywhere.
  With the passage of this resolution today, we send a message to the 
Chinese Government that we have not turned a blind eye to Tibet. Quite 
the contrary. We closely monitor what occurs in Tibet and will continue 
to do so. And with that we call on the Chinese to release its political 
prisoners out of good will and responsibility.
  There is a poem by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama that ends: ``Work 
for peace in your heart and in the world work for peace. And I say 
again never give up. No matter what is going on, never give up.''
  It is with this sentiment that I urge my colleagues to support this 
important resolution. There is credible evidence that international 
action on behalf of prisoners in China improves their situation. Since 
2002, nine political prisoners have been released from prison as a 
result of international pressure.
  On behalf of Phuntsog Nyidron and her fellow prisoners who are being 
so unjustly treated, please join me in voting in favor of House 
Resolution 157. I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) for 
his assistance in this matter and all the other Members the bipartisan 
group of Members that are a part of this resolution.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume, and I would make the observation that Tibet has been under 
Beijing rule since 1949, when it was invaded and at that time 
incorporated into China. In 1959, the Dalai Lama fled in exile to 
India, and he fled with tens of thousands of his followers.
  The Dalai Lama has shed daylight over the years on many human rights 
violations. More than 1 million Tibetans have died under the Chinese 
occupation as a result of torture and as a result of starvation and as 
a result of execution.
  No nation is exempt from the demands of human dignity. I should note 
that this House has a notable record when it comes to Tibet. The 
cochairmen of the Human Rights Caucus, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Wolf) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), have been 
instrumental in this effort. Last year, the Dalai Lama gave the keynote 
address to the Human Rights Caucus to recognize the 20th anniversary of 
our Human Rights Caucus here.
  The People's Republic of China has yet to demonstrate its willingness 
to abide by internationally accepted norms of freedom in terms of 
freedom of belief, or freedom of expression, or freedom of association. 
China is still holding hundreds of political prisoners of conscience 
for peaceful protests against the Chinese occupation.
  Seventeen years of additional sentence for singing a Tibetan song in 
prison is truly draconian, but it is not atypical of the treatment of 
those who try to keep their culture alive or those who try to keep 
their religion alive; nor are the tortures catalogued here today by the 
gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall), nor are those tortures atypical 
of what we have heard in committee about the condition that goes on in 
those prisons. That is why this resolution is so important.
  The human rights violations, the arbitrary arrests, the detention 
without public trial of Tibetans who peacefully express their political 
or religious views must come to an end, and I urge my colleagues to 
support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I know the distinguished minority leader would have 
loved to be here this morning to express her views on this very 
important issue, but she is necessarily otherwise obligated and will 
submit a statement for the record on this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, again I commend my good friend from California (Mr. 
Royce) for his comments. Over the years, both of us, as members of the 
Committee on International Relations, know that the issue of Tibet has 
always been one of those issues that we want to address forthrightly, 
but then there is always this idea or the response from the Chinese 
Government saying, well, this is really an internal affair kind of 
thing and, therefore, it is not any other country's business. I wonder 
if my good friend from California agrees with this statement being the 
response of our Chinese friends.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. ROYCE. In point of fact, Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to respond 
that China invaded Tibet in 1949 and subjugated its people. So for the 
government of Beijing to now say this is an internal matter, first 
there are two points here: First of all, they are claiming it is an 
internal matter because they subjugated an indigenous people in Tibet 
and then systematically killed over a million Tibetans and then moved 
people from mainland China into the Tibetan communities in order to try 
to erase a culture.
  Secondarily, even if this was action taking place in Beijing itself, 
we would be speaking out. Why? Because there are certain fundamental 
standards of human rights when it comes to freedom of religion and 
freedom of speech. And when we have things as egregious as a young 
woman who is a nun, who is tortured and sent to prison for an 
additional 17 years for singing a cultural song about Tibetan heritage, 
that is so outrageous that the international community would speak out 
regardless of what country that crime against humanity occurred in. And 
this is truly criminal activity.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank my good 
friend for his edification and certainly providing a better 
understanding for our colleagues on this important issue.
  I also want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from New Mexico, 
not only for his initiative but for his leadership in bringing this 
resolution for the Members to discuss. And I certainly would like to 
emphasize again that we need to support and to pass this legislation to 
send a clear message to the Chinese Government that this is not 
acceptable and we should do this at all costs.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H. Res. 157 which sheds light on the prisoners of conscience being 
held by the Chinese Government. These peaceful prisoners' only crimes 
were to speak out against the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 
Tibet. I would like to thank my distinguished colleague Mr. Udall for 
bringing this ongoing matter to the floor of this body. We can not 
ignore the plight of the Tibetan people while giving tacit support to 
the Chinese Government.
  One of the great marks of our Nation has been as a protector of human 
rights throughout the world. I recognize we may not be able to stop all 
international violations of human rights, but we certainly can not look 
the other way as the world's most populous nation blatantly occupies a 
peaceful country. For more than 50 years the Chinese Government has 
imposed its will on the people of Tibet. The Tibetan people have been 
unable to enjoy even the most basic rights under this Chinese 
occupation. Tibet had existed as a sovereign nation distinct from 
Chinese identity for over a thousand years. It was a nation that gave 
birth to the Buddhist faith and acted as the spiritual center for many 
people throughout the world. Now the people of Tibet can not even 
practice their own faith without fear of persecution. If we say we 
value human rights even a little bit how can we allow this deliberate 
oppression to continue?
  The prisoners of conscience being discussed in this resolution are a 
prime example of the kind of injustice that is inflicted on the 
peaceful Tibetan people. On October 14, 1989, Phuntsog Nyidron, a 
Tibetan Buddhist nun, and 5 other nuns from the Michungri Nunnery were 
arrested in Lhasa after chanting some slogans and marching in a 
procession as part of a peaceful demonstration that they organized to 
protest the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Their only real crime being 
that they believed they had the right to expression. Their only 
expression being their belief that Tibet deserved not to be occupied. 
Again I ask, how can we allow ourselves as a body to look the other way 
while this oppression continues to

[[Page 917]]

take place? Even in our darkest days as a nation we allowed the freedom 
of protest as long as it was peaceful. In the face of brutal oppression 
the Tibetan people have been nothing if not peaceful. So many Tibetans 
including the Dalai Lama have been forced in to exile, and still their 
message is one of peace. These brave people of Tibet pose no physical 
threat to China; instead it is their stoic resoluteness to obtain their 
rights that frightens the Chinese Government.
  Phuntsog Nyidron is the latest in the line of Tibetan leaders who 
have been imprisoned simply because they dared to voice their 
opposition to the Chinese occupation of their homeland. Let's not 
forget that Ms. Nyidron and those who were arrested with her were nuns. 
Since when have nuns become such a great threat to a government that 
they must be thrown in to prison and tortured? Since 1989 Ms. Nyidron 
has been subjected to torture and ill-treatment in the notorious 
Drapchi Prison which houses all female political prisoners. In 1993 Ms. 
Nyidron had her sentence extended to seventeen years simply because she 
and thirteen other nuns had secretly recorded songs about Tibetan 
independence and smuggled the recordings out of Drapchi prison. Once 
again I ask, where is the great threat to the Chinese government that 
requires a peaceful nun to be imprisoned for seventeen years? We now 
know that there are profound concerns for Ms. Nyidron's health as she 
is known to have liver, stomach and kidney problems which have no doubt 
been exacerbated by her brutal treatment in prison. It seems likely 
that the Chinese Government will be more than content to allow her to 
die in prison. The point of her imprisonment is not to eliminate a 
dangerous or threatening person, but instead to send a message to every 
other Tibetan that not only must they suffer Chinese occupation, but 
that they must do so in silence. This, Mr. Speaker, is unacceptable.
  I call on every Member of this body to support this resolution. Let 
us send a message to every Tibetan who lives in fear that they have an 
ally in their struggle for their rights. Let us also send a message to 
the Chinese Government that the United States of America still holds 
the banner as the international protector of human rights and that we 
will not turn a blind eye to the open and vicious oppression of the 
Tibetan people. For more than fifty years they have endured this 
occupation with great dignity and an enduring faith. They are a living 
testament to the fact that brutality cannot crush the spirit of even 
the most oppressed people. I ask the Chinese people to come to the aid 
of these great human rights proponents. I hope the Chinese government 
will see fit to listen. I look forward to that dialogue.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. 
Res. 157, calling on the government of the People's Republic of China 
to release all prisoners of conscience, including Phuntsog Nyidron, a 
Tibetan nun who is currently the longest serving Tibetan political 
prisoner in China.
  We know that the brutal regime in China has detained hundreds of 
Tibetan nuns, monks, and laypersons for speaking out against the 
Chinese occupation of Tibet. In the last session of Congress, I 
sponsored a resolution calling on the PRC to release the Panchen Lama, 
who is held in high esteem in Tibetan culture as the teacher of the 
Dali Lama. The Panchen Lama was abducted nearly 10 years ago at age 5. 
Today, his whereabouts remains unknown.
  This regime has been and continues to be relentless in squelching the 
voices of peaceful dissident. However, even in prison, these voices 
have been heard. In 1993 Phuntsog Nyidron and 13 other nuns sang and 
recorded songs about the plight of the Tibetan people that were 
smuggled out of Draphci prison, inspiring those working for peaceful 
change. Her prison sentence was extended for 8 years because of the 
recording. In 1998 it was reported that she was badly beaten after 
trying to protect another prisoner and that she is in poor health.
  Phuntsog Nyidron is a peaceful advocate for change who should be 
released immediately along with the hundreds of other of prisoners of 
conscience in China. Although we lack specific information on each 
case, we know that many other Tibetans are mistreated in Chinese 
prisons as well. Even though China ratified the U.N. Convention against 
Torture in 1988, it has been reported that more than 70 Tibetans have 
died as a direct result of torture and inhumane treatment in Chinese 
prisons.
  We must not forget the many other ethnic and religious groups and 
political dissident persecuted in the PRC today. Serious human rights 
abuses are carried out against the Falun Gong, Uighur Muslims, 
Protestants, and Catholics are well documented in State Department 
Reports on Human Rights and Religious Freedom.
  We know that opponents of the regime continue to be unjustly 
imprisoned and that women continue to be subject to forced abortions. 
We also know that the government continues to violate international law 
through forcibly deporting thousands of North Koreans, many of whom are 
subsequently placed and concentration camps where they face persecution 
and death.
  As both our administration and other world leaders prepare for the 
annual U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, I along with many of 
my colleagues, strongly believe that a strong resolution on human 
rights in China should be introduced and passed. Given continued and 
systematic human rights abuses carried out by the regime, anything less 
would be simply inexcusable.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to strongly support passage of this 
resolution. I call upon the regime in Bejing to release Phuntsog 
Nyidron and the hundreds of others of political prisoners languishing 
in China's prisons. And I strongly urge our Administration and other 
governments to work towards the introduction and passage of a human 
rights resolution in Geneva.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 
157, which urges the Chinese Government to release all prisoners held 
for exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression, 
belief, or association.
  Thank you, Congressman Tom Udall for taking the lead in introducing 
this resolution and for all of your efforts for the people of Tibet. I 
am proud to be a co-sponsor.
  The Chinese Government continues to impose severely repressive 
measures against any display of support for an independent Tibet. We 
know the facts. The State Department's Annual Country Report on Human 
Rights states ``. . . [Chinese] authorities continued to commit serious 
human rights abuses, including instances of torture, arbitrary arrest, 
detention without public trial, and lengthy detention of Tibetan 
nationalists for peacefully expressing their political or religious 
views.''
  We know that more than 1 million Tibetans have died under the Chinese 
occupation. More than 6,000 monasteries and irreplaceable jewels of 
Tibetan culture have been destroyed. Tibetans are routinely imprisoned 
and tortured for non-violently expressing their views. Beatings, 
prolonged exposure to extreme heat and cold, electroshock, sleep and 
food deprivation and forced labor are among the techniques used to 
torture Tibetan political prisoners.
  Since China's 1988 ratification of the United Nations Convention 
Against Torture, more than 70 Tibetans have died as a direct result of 
torture and inhumane treatment in Chinese prisons in Tibet. Hundreds of 
Tibetans are currently in prison for peaceful expressions of political 
or religious belief. I would like to mention a few of these brave 
individuals.


                            phuntsog nyidron

  Phuntsog Nyidron is a nun from outside Lhasa. She has been in prison 
for 16 years. On October 14, 1989, she participated in a peaceful 
demonstration to protest China's occupation of Tibet. During the 
arrest, she and other nuns were subjected to beatings with iron rods, 
kicks, and punches. She is now the longest serving female Tibetan 
political prisoner. She is reportedly in poor health and is suffering 
from a respiratory ailment and severe internal problems.


                    the drapchi 14: ``singing nuns''

  While in a Chinese prison for political crimes in 1993, Phuntsog 
Nyidron and 13 other nuns secretly recorded songs proclaiming their 
love for their Tibetan homeland and their families. On the tape, each 
nun states her name and dedicates a song to her family and supporters.
  The tapes were smuggled out of the prison and the recordings were 
circulated inside Tibet and around the world. These young women became 
known as the Drapchi 14 and the Singing Nuns.


                  tibetan refugees sent back to tibet

  I am also concerned about Tibetan refugees sent back to China by the 
Government of Nepal. Last May, in close coordination with the Chinese 
Embassy, Nepal deported 18 Tibetan refugees who were seeking safe 
transit through Nepal. This violates the long-standing agreement that 
Nepal will turn over refugees to UNHCR to facilitate safe transit to 
the Tibetan exile community in India.
  For many years, Nepal has worked cooperatively with UNHCR. They have 
earned a strong reputation for their humanitarian approached to Tibetan 
refugees. I am disturbed by the Government of Nepal's recent actions in 
violation of international and humanitarian norms. The prison 
conditions awaiting repatriated Tibetans are harsh. From first hand 
reports we have learned about the torture and maltreatment of the 18 
Tibetans deported by

[[Page 918]]

Nepal. Unfortunately, the deportation of Tibetan refugees continues.
  On January 9, Radio Free Asia reported on that 21 refugees were 
deported by Nepalese border security. On January 15, we have learned 
that three Tibetan refugees were handed over to Chinese border police 
by Nepalese officials.
  We expect Nepal to adhere with its own written policy and turn over 
all Tibetan refugees to UNHCR. Today we are sending a clear message to 
the Government of Nepal--the U.S. Government is watching your actions 
closely.


                               conclusion

  The survival of the Tibetan identity is an issue of urgent U.S. and 
international concern. I am proud to stand with my colleagues today to 
demand that the Chinese Government immediately release all prisoners of 
conscience in China and Tibet. As we honor the brave and heroic 
prisoners of conscience, we must heed the guidance of His Holiness the 
Dalai Lama. He is a constant reminder that the crisis in Tibet is a 
challenge to the conscience of the world. Unless we are prepared to 
confront the Chinese Government on the issue of Tibet, we cannot be 
consistent when we talk about human rights in any other place in the 
world. We have not forgotten the people of Tibet in their struggle. We 
must and will continue our efforts.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gilchrest). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, House Resolution 
157.
  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. ROYCE. 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.

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