IV

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 99

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the human

rights situation in Cuba.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 9, 1999

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. GILMAN, Mr.

MENENDEZ, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey, Mr.

DEUTSCH, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. ROTHMAN, Mr. BURTON of Indiana,

Mr. WEXLER, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, and Mr. SHERMAN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

International Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives

regarding the human rights situation in Cuba.

Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights

in Geneva, Switzerland, provides a forum for discussing

the human rights situation throughout the world, for condemning abuses and gross violations of these liberties,

and for establishing an international mechanism to express support for the protection and defense of these inherent natural rights;

Whereas the actions taken by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights establish precedents for further

courses of action and send messages to the international
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community that the protection and promotion of human

rights is a priority;

Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which

guides global human rights policy asserts that all human

beings are born free and live in dignity with rights;

Whereas international human rights organizations, the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights, and the Department of State all concur that the Government of

Cuba continues to systematically violate the fundamental

civil and political rights of its citizens;

Whereas it is carefully documented that the Government of

Cuba propagates and encourages the routine harassment,

intimidation, arbitrary arrest, detention, imprisonment,

and defamation of those who voice their opposition

against the government;

Whereas the Government of Cuba engages in torture and

other cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment or punishment against political prisoners including the use of

electroshock, intense beatings, and extended periods of

solitary confinement without nutrition or medical attention, to force them into submission;

Whereas the Government of Cuba suppresses the right to

freedom of expression and freedom of association and recently enacted legislation which carries penalties of up to

30 years for dissidents and independent journalists;

Whereas religious freedom in Cuba is severely circumscribed

and clergy and lay people suffer sustained persecution by

the Cuban State Security apparatus;

Whereas the Government of Cuba continues to violate the

rights of the child by engaging in child labor and the exploitation of child prostitution;
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Whereas the Government of Cuba routinely restricts workers’

rights including the right to form independent unions;

Whereas the Government of Cuba denies its people equal protection under the law, enforcing a judicial system which

infringes upon fundamental rights while denying recourse

against the violation of human rights and civil liberties;

Whereas in recent weeks the Government of Cuba has carried

out a brutal crackdown of the brave internal opposition

and independent press, arresting scores of peaceful opponents without cause or justification;

Whereas the internal opposition in Cuba is working intensely

and valiantly to draw international attention to Cuba’s

deplorable human rights situation and continues to

strengthen and grow in its opposition to the Government

of Cuba;

Whereas at this time of great repression, the internal opposition requires and deserves the firm and unwavering support and solidarity of the international community;

Whereas the Congress of the United States has stood, consistently, on the side of the Cuban people and supported

their right to be free: Now therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) condemns in the strongest possible terms

3 the repressive crackdown by the Government of

4 Cuba against the brave internal opposition and the

5 independent press;

6 (2) expresses its profound admiration and firm

7 solidarity with the internal opposition and independ8 ent press of Cuba;
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1 (3) demands that the Government of Cuba re2 lease all political prisoners, legalize all political par3 ties, labor unions, and the press, and schedule free

4 and fair elections;

5 (4) urges the Administration, at the 55th Ses6 sion of the United Nations Human Rights Commis7 sion in Geneva, Switzerland, to take all steps nec8 essary to secure international support for, and pas9 sage of, a resolution which condemns the Cuban

10 Government for its gross abuses of the rights of the

11 Cuban people and for continued violations of all

12 international human rights standards and legal prin13 ciples, and calls for the reinstatement of the United

14 Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in

15 Cuba;

16 (5) declares the acts of the Castro regime, in17 cluding its widespread and systematic violation of

18 human rights, to be in violation of the charter of the

19 United Nations and the Universal Declaration of

20 Human Rights;

21 (6) urges the President to nominate a special

22 envoy to advocate, internationally, for the establish23 ment of the rule of law for the Cuban people;

24 (7) urges the President to actively seek support

25 from individual nations, as well as the United Na-
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1 tions, the Organization of American States, the Eu2 ropean Union, and all other international organiza3 tions to call for the establishment of the rule of law

4 for the Cuban people; and

5 (8) declares that the rule of law for the Cuban

6 people should guarantee each and every fundamental

7 and inalienable right.

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