On 1:30 p.m., February 13, 2002, the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights of US House Committee on International Relations held a hearing in #2172 Meeting Hall in the Rayburn Building. The committee listened to testimony from experts, organizations and witnesses on religious persecution in China and Vietnam. The goal of this hearing was to convey the people's concerns during President Bush's state visits to Asia, especially China, next week.
Ms. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairwoman of Subcommittee On International Operations and Human Rights, Congresswoman from Florida, presided over the hearing. In regard to China's persecution of human rights and religion, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen said that religious freedom abuses in China have worsened since Congress gave it Permanent Normal Trade Relation status, it won the bid for the 2008 Olympics and joined the WTO.
The persecution is totally against the principles of human rights and freedom that the United States and people around the world uphold. Ms. Ros-Lehtinen called upon the U.S. government not to keep silent on these issues but to send a strong message to China, "America proudly stands up against any persecution against any religions and beliefs."
Chairman of U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Dean of George Washington University Law School, Mr. Michael K. Young testified before the committee. He briefed the committee on the situation of persecution on human rights and religions conducted by Chinese government. On the subject of Falun Gong practitioners, Mr. Young said, "The Chinese government's respect for freedom of religion and belief has deteriorated in the past year. The Chinese government has used torture, detention, intimidating surveillance, discrimination, and other unconscionable practices against an untold number of these people (Falun Gong practitioners) simply because they don't want to give up their belief. We must be a voice for them." He also said, "The Chinese Government has committed numerous serious violations against members of many of China's religious and spiritual communities, including Evangelical Christians, Roman Catholics, Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, as well as Falun Gong and other groups. In October 2001, for the third straight year, the Secretary of State concluded that the Chinese government severely and systematically violates freedom of religion and belief, and therefore named China once again a 'country of particular concern' under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998."
Mr. Young said, "The Commission has adopted a new set of specific recommendations for the U.S. government that fall under four headings. It is this Commission's conclusion that, in order to protect freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and belief, the Chinese government must take effective steps in the following four critical areas. U.S. policy should encourage such steps and effectively respond, whether they are or are not taken.
- China must end its current crackdown on religious and spiritual groups.
- China must reform its repressive legal framework and establish an effective mechanism to hold officials accountable for religious-freedom and related human rights violations.
- China must affirm the universality of religious freedom and China's international obligations and must ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
- China must foster a culture of respect for human rights."
Five witnesses testified before the committee. Falun Gong practitioner Mrs. Chen told the committee and audience about the suppression of human rights and religion by Chinese government. Her son was detained and suffered numerous tortures because he refused to give up practicing Falun Gong. Mrs. Chen said that persecuting Falun Gong is against the will of the Chinese people. The Jiang regime has spared no effort and used all means to deceive the people with slanderous propaganda. "However, those who know us respect Falun Gong and understand that the propaganda is fabricated."
Mrs. Chen sincerely thanked Congress for inviting her to testify and expressed gratitude for their support in upholding justice on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners. She said that her personal and family suffering is just one example of the millions of Falun Gong practitioners who are being persecuted in China. Many practitioners and their families have suffered even more. They do not have the chance to talk about their experiences. The inhuman persecution has lasted too long, and the practitioners' and their families' rights are not safe until it stops.
New York Congressman Gilman, New Jersey Congressman Smith, Pennsylvania Congressman Pitts, Georgia Congresswoman McKinney and others were present at the hearing and gave speeches. As Chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Mr. Young said, "We have to do so. The persecution has to be made known to all the people through all channels until it stops."
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