[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2332]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1220
                            CHEN GUANGCHENG

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, today, Capitol Hill is hosting a great 
Chinese defender of human rights, blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng. A few 
moments ago, I had the honor of again meeting with Chen as he continues 
to advocate for the freedom of the Chinese people. His amazing story of 
escape from house arrest is a great encouragement for all in China 
suffering under political persecution. The authorities could not 
silence him as he sought justice for victims of forced abortions and 
environmental abuse.
  The story of China's rise is not about the success of an autocratic 
government. It is instead the story of a people whose ingenuity and 
vigor have finally been unleashed after decades of repression. China 
has developed not because of smart planning, but because the people 
have used a relatively small amount of economic freedom to transform 
their nation. Given more freedom, I believe there's no limit to how 
China will grow and how her people will impact the world. We must 
support Chen and other human rights defenders as they seek justice for 
their people.

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