IV

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 601

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that without improvement in human rights the Olympic Games in the year 2008 should

not be held in Beijing in the People’s Republic of China.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 28, 2000

Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. COX, Mr. WOLF, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey,

Ms. PELOSI, Mr. PORTER of Illinois, and Mr. ROHRABACHER) submitted

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that

without improvement in human rights the Olympic

Games in the year 2008 should not be held in Beijing

in the People’s Republic of China.

Whereas the International Olympic Committee is now in the

process of determining the venue of the Olympic Games

in the year 2008 and is scheduled to make that decision

at the IOC meeting scheduled for Moscow in July 2001;

Whereas the city of Beijing has made a proposal to the International Olympic Committee that the summer Olympic

Games in the year 2008 be held in Beijing;
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Whereas the Olympic Charter states that ‘‘Olympism’’ and

the Olympic ideal seek to foster ‘‘respect for universal

fundamental ethical principles’’;

Whereas the United Nations General Assembly; in resolution

48/11 adopted on October 25, 1993, recognized ‘‘that the

Olympic goal of the Olympic Movement is to build a

peaceful and better world by educating the youth of the

world through sport, practiced without discrimination of

any kind and the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual

understanding, promoted by friendship, solidarity and

fair play’’;

Whereas United National General Assembly in resolution 50/

13 of November 7, 1995, stressed ‘‘the importance of the

principles of the Olympic charter, according to which any

form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, sex or otherwise

is incompatible with the Olympic Movement’’;

Whereas the State Department’s Country Reports on Human

Rights Practices for 1999 reports that:

(1) ‘‘The [Chinese] government continued to commit

widespread and well-documented human rights abuses, in

violation of internationally accepted norms.’’

(2) ‘‘Abuses included instances of extra judicial

killings, torture and mistreatment of prisoners, forced

confessions, arbitrary arrest and detention, lengthy incommunicado detention, and denial of due process.’’

(3) ‘‘The Government infringed on citizens’ privacy

rights.’’

(4) ‘‘The Government tightened restrictions on freedom of speech and of the press, and increased controls

on the Internet; selfcensorship by journalists also increased.’’
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(5) ‘‘The Government severely restricted freedom of

assembly and continued to restrict freedom of association.’’

(6) ‘‘The Government continued to restrict freedom

of religion and intensified controls on some unregistered

churches.’’

(7) ‘‘The Government continued to restrict freedom

of movement.’’

(8) ‘‘The Government does not permit independent

domestic nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to monitor publicly human rights conditions.’’

(9) ‘‘Violence against women, including coercive

family planning practices—which sometimes include

forced abortion and forced sterilization; prostitution; discrimination against women; trafficking in women and

children; abuse of children; and discrimination against

the disabled and minorities are all problems.’’

(10) ‘‘The Government continued to restrict tightly

worker rights, and forced labor in prison facilities remains a serious problem. Child labor persists.’’

(11) ‘‘Particularly serious human rights abuses persisted in some minority area, especially in Tibet and

Xingjiang, where restrictions on religion and other fundamental freedoms intensified.’’;

Whereas, according to press reports, Liu Qi, the Mayor of

Beijing, told a rally called to promote Beijing’s bid to

host the Olympic Games that the government would ‘‘resolutely smash and crack down on Falun Gong and other

evil cults’’ in preparation for hosting the games;

Whereas the egregious human rights abuses committed by

the Government of China are inconsistent with the Olympic ideal; and
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Whereas on July 26, 1993, the House of Representatives

adopted House Resolution 188 in the 103rd Congress

which expressed the sense of the House of Representatives that the Olympics in the year 2000 should not be

held in Beijing or elsewhere in the People’s Republic of

China: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) welcomes the participation of Chinese ath3 letes in the Olympic Games, notes the outstanding

4 competitive effort of Chinese athletes in the games

5 in Sydney, Australia, where Chinese athletes placed

6 third in the number of medals earned, and in At7 lanta, Georgia, and Barcelona, Spain, where Chinese

8 athletes also placed third in the number of medals

9 earned, and wholeheartedly welcomes the support of

10 the Chinese people for the Olympic Games;

11 (2) acknowledges that the Chinese people and

12 thousands of Chinese Olympic athletes have shown

13 their strong support for the Olympic spirit through

14 their commitment to excellence, energy, skill, sports15 manship, and good will towards their fellow athletes;

16 (3) expresses the sense of the House of Rep17 resentatives that the Olympic Games in the year

18 2008 should not be held in Beijing in the People’s

19 Republic of China because the deplorable human

20 rights record of the People’s Republic of China vio21 lates international human rights standards which
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1 that Government has pledged to uphold and its ac2 tions are inconsistent with the Olympic ideal;

3 (4) expresses the view that the House looks for4 ward to the day when the House can support a pro5 posal of the People’s Republic of China to host the

6 Olympic Games at a time when the Chinese people

7 openly enjoy the tolerance and freedoms espoused by

8 the high ideals of the Olympic tradition; and

9 (5) directs the Clerk of the House of Represent10 atives to transmit a copy of this resolution to the

11 Chairman of the International Olympic Committee

12 and to the United States representative to the Inter13 national Olympic Committee with the request that it

14 be circulated to all members of the Committee.

Æ