[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16602-16604]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

  Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, I come here on December 10, Human Rights 
Day. I want to briefly discuss human rights because, I would just say, 
while we have made great advances around the world in the cause of 
human rights, there are still a lot of roads to travel. Today is a good 
opportunity to take note of some of the struggles and challenges around 
the world with regard to human rights.
  The first issue I want to talk about with regard to human rights is 
modern-day slavery. When people think about slavery they think about 
the historic nature of slavery in this country or around the world. It 
is hard to imagine that today, in the 21st century, that there are 
slaves in the world. It is even harder to believe there are slaves in 
the United States, but the fact is there are. It has been well 
documented that human trafficking around the world numbers in the 
millions.
  Of course, sex trafficking is a big part of that, a grotesque part of 
that, and we are all aware that it is a very serious problem. So too is 
forced labor-type slavery, which we find around the world and even in 
the United States. In fact, there is no major city in the United States 
that does not have an element of human trafficking and human slavery 
within its confines. I think it is important to understand that exists, 
it is real, and it is happening.
  To that extent, remember there are things we are trying to do in this 
legislative body, in the Senate, in Washington, to deal with this 
issue. One of the issues we are going to have a chance to deal with 
soon, I hope, is reauthorizing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, 
which was sponsored last year by Senator Brown and Senator Leahy. 
Hopefully, we can finish that before the end of this year, but if we 
cannot, I hope early in the next Congress we will address it.
  As you know, there are also reports that the State Department does 
rank countries around the world on the efforts they are making to deal 
with human trafficking, and they actually rank them in three tiers, the 
third being the worst, those nations not doing enough. I hope we look 
at how we reform the process of giving some of these countries waivers. 
There are countries that are perpetually on the list of the worst 
possible places with regard to government policy toward human 
trafficking. Yet they are getting waivers from the implications and the 
consequences of being a tier 3 country. There are countries getting 
that waiver every single year.
  I hope we will examine the process legislatively, of how we grant 
those waivers, so we can have more information as to exactly why it is 
our government is granting waivers to other governments and other 
nations that are not making any advances whatsoever on human slavery 
and trafficking.
  Another aspect we should take some time to look at is some 
transparency from the business community, particularly large 
international companies that do business around the world. We should 
look for ways to encourage and incentivize companies to report 
voluntarily on their supply chains to ensure the products we use in the 
United States are not the product of human slavery, modern slavery 
around the world. We can do that as well.
  Obviously, we do not want to put any more onerous costs on our 
businesses, and we will be careful how we approach it, but I think it 
is important that we know the products sold in the United States are 
not directly or indirectly benefiting from slavery around the world. 
That is something I hope we will remember; that human trafficking and 
human slavery is real, it exists all around the world, and exists in 
our own country. I hope we will continue making strides dealing with 
this issue.
  One last point on that is a few months ago several of my colleagues 
and I sent a letter to the Village Voice, which is a newspaper in the 
United States, which actively--and unfortunately--advertises in its 
back pages, including in a site called backpage.com. It advertises the 
services of people being held against their will in those 
circumstances. It is outrageous to believe a major American publication 
continues to advertise the services of young girls and young boys, some 
of whom are minors, and is doing so shamelessly. I hope they will heed 
our call to stop that from happening. It is a massive source of revenue 
for that company. It is outrageous, it is disgusting, it is grotesque, 
and I hope more of our colleagues will join us in writing a new letter 
to them in continuing to call attention to this because it is simply 
unacceptable.
  Secondly, I want to turn to the issue of religious freedom, which is 
another

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human rights cause around the world. Sadly there is not enough 
advancement being made in that regard. We are seeing a step backward 
with regard to religious liberty and religious freedom around the 
world.
  In April of this year the U.S. Commission on International Religious 
Freedom released its latest report with some very grim news. I want to 
go through some of it, but it is important to understand we are not 
talking about the countries, we are talking about the governments. 
There are some governments that are aiding and abetting the persecution 
of unprotected religious minorities. I want to highlight some of those 
countries and governments. The list is long, but these are a few I 
wanted to point to today that are truly unacceptable.
  Let's start with the People's Republic of China, which is not exactly 
a beacon of hope for those who are looking for religious liberty. Of 
course we all know the situation in Tibet, which is not just a 
religious issue, it is a cultural issue. We see the self-immolation of 
folks who are willing to burn alive because of the effort of that 
government to wipe out their identity. What they are going through is 
intolerable.
  It goes much deeper than that. Proselytizing Christians and the 
orthodox, ``nonpatriotic'' Catholic Church, face significant 
oppression. The Chinese Government actually authorizes who the 
leadership of the Catholic Church can be. It is truly unique that in 
all the world there is a government that will tell them who their 
bishops are and who will run their church. If they worship outside of 
that setting, they are persecuted.
  There are others, of course, such as the Tibetan Buddhists whom I 
mentioned before. Here is a report that talks about that. It is not 
just the religious believers who are facing persecution in China. This 
is from the report:

       The Chinese government also continues to harass, detain, 
     intimidate, disbar, and forcibly disappear attorneys who 
     defend vulnerable religious groups.

  Again, we need to understand that we are not talking about the people 
of China; we are talking about the government of China which is aiding, 
abetting, and allowing this religious persecution to go on. We hope 
with the change in leadership in China that has taken place there will 
be a change in attitude.
  The truth is that China has much to offer the world. We hope for a 
peaceful, prosperous rise for the people of China. We look forward to 
working together with them to make the world a better place. But China 
cannot assume that role as long as there is no respect for religious 
liberties as far as these practices that are happening in that country 
with the direction of its government.
  Of course Egypt has been in the headlines lately. I think it has been 
well documented that violence particularly against orthodox Christians 
has been high. This is from the report:

       In 2011, violent sectarian attacks, targeting primarily 
     Coptic Orthodox Christians, have resulted in nearly 100 
     deaths, surpassing the death toll of the previous 10 years 
     combined.

  I think the Arab spring has a lot of promise, but I think it also 
brings with it some warning flags. One of those warning flags is the 
persecution of religious minorities in places such as Egypt. So as 
Egypt works its way forward--and we know it has problems it is facing 
in its own society with regard to what kind of government and powers it 
needs and should have--we should keep an eye on how the new 
constitution, the new laws, and the new government treat religious 
minorities, particularly Coptic Orthodox Christians who suffered the 
death of 100 of their members.
  Iran does not have a sterling record on human rights. Its treatment 
of religious minorities is particularly egregious. The violations of 
religious freedoms in Iran include prolonged detention, torture, and 
executions based primarily or entirely upon the religion of the 
accused. All religious minorities in Iran are at risk, but even the 
recognized non-Muslim religious minorities that are supposedly 
protected under their so-called Constitution, including Jews, Armenian, 
and Assyrian Christians, face increasing discrimination, arrests, and 
imprisonment, according to the report. So too are dissenting Muslims. 
They are basically Muslims who are not following the Shia line. They 
are being intimidated, harassed, and detained. That is the record of 
Iran, which has a terrible human rights record, but in particular with 
the issues of religious liberty.
  Saudi Arabia bans any non-Muslim worship. Even private religious 
activities are suppressed if they are discovered. I think it is 
important to point that out as well.
  Closer to home is the island of Cuba, which is a place, of course, 
because of my heritage which is close and near to our heart so we keep 
a close eye on what is happening there as well.
  The report finds:

       Serious religious freedom violations continue in Cuba . . . 
     Violations by the Cuban government include: detention, 
     sporadic arrests, and harassment of clergy and religious 
     leaders, as well as interference in church affairs. The Cuban 
     government also controls and monitors religious belief and 
     practices through surveillance and legal restrictions.

  In Russia the report finds:

       The government increasingly used its anti-extremist law 
     against peaceful religious groups and individuals, 
     particularly Jehovah's Witnesses and Muslim readers of the 
     works of Turkish theologian Said Nursi.

  Russia is a country that is beginning to backslide on religious 
liberty as well.
  Finally, here in this hemisphere, just as in Cuba, Venezuela. The 
report finds that violations of religious liberty include:

       The government's failure to investigate and hold 
     accountable perpetrators of attacks on religious leaders and 
     houses of worship, and virulent rhetoric president Hugo 
     Chavez, government officials, state media, and pro-Chavez 
     media directed at the Venezuelan Jewish and Christian 
     communities.

  I think sometimes we take for granted the religious liberties we have 
in this country, and we should never do so. The fact is we may have 
some cultural divisions in America when it comes to religion, and that 
is not tolerable either. But one of the great things we have had in 
this country since its inception is the belief in religious liberty and 
religious freedom enshrined in our governing Constitution. It is 
something that is the exception rather than the rule around the world. 
I think our example should inspire the world in that regard, but I 
think we should always use our voice, our power, and our example to 
lead the way around the world on this Human Rights Day on the issue of 
religious liberty.
  Last but not least, the cause for women around the world is something 
that bears watching as well. Some of these issues are interrelated. 
When I talk about human trafficking and human slavery, a 
disproportionate number of those held in bondage around the world are 
young women and young girls.
  On the issue of human rights with regard to women, there are a couple 
of parts of the world that are very troubling. Afghanistan comes to 
mind because just today we got the report that a senior advocate for 
women in Afghanistan was shot down by unknown gunmen on Monday. It is 
the latest assassination against women's rights activists in the 
country. Najia Seddiqi was headed to her office in the eastern Laghman 
province when she was shot and killed. She was the head of the Women's 
Affairs Department for the Laghman province. Her predecessor in that 
post was killed just 4 months ago. The Taliban, which many hold 
responsible for the attack, has not yet had a comment, but it comes 
just a week after a teenage girl who was volunteering at an anti-polio 
drive was fatally shot northeast of Kabul. The Taliban has targeted 
senior female officials in the past for working in the U.S.-backed 
Afghan Government. That is just one issue of a coordinated attack to go 
after women who dare to participate in the political life of the 
country. It goes beyond that.
  There is this very troubling law in Afghanistan which the government 
claims to have tried to clear up. It is called running away. Basically 
some judges have interpreted running away as a crime. It has been used 
against young girls and women who run away from home because it is a 
home where they are being abused or a home where

[[Page 16604]]

they are being forced to marry somebody.
  There are some sad stories I want to share. A 17-year-old leapt from 
her roof to the streets of Kabul in an effort to avoid marriage 
ordained by her grandfather when she was only 9 years old. The judge 
who heard the case mentioned that Farima ruined her life. The judge 
stated in a court that the court is a place where a woman can plead for 
divorce or custody of her children only if and when she has five male 
witnesses and a husband or a fiance who condones the separation.
  This is the 21st century we are talking about. We are not reading 
something from history. This is happening right now. Of course we all 
know the story of the brave little girl in Pakistan who was shot. We 
hear these cases every single day. It goes on and on. I could be here 
for 3 hours highlighting abuses against women, against religious 
liberty, the abuses of human trafficking and human slavery around the 
world. I think what is important today on December 10, Human Rights 
Day, is to take a moment and understand that the cause of human rights 
is not a partisan cause; it is not even a nationalist cause. It is a 
human cause that requires each and every one of us to raise our voice 
and to call attention to any time and any place where human rights are 
violated.
  I want to congratulate the leading role this government has played in 
calling attention to those abuses around the world and in being honest 
with ourselves when these things are happening here at home. Of course, 
like anything else, we have to first set the example before we can 
lead, and that is why I think it is so important that on the issue of 
human trafficking and modern-day slavery that the United States have 
cutting-edge legislation which deals with an emerging problem that 
keeps changing and so the laws have to adapt to it. I hope we will take 
the first step in doing that by authorizing the Trafficking Victims 
Protection Act as soon as possible.
  I suggest the absence a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Blumenthal). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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