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[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 434 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 434

   Condemning violence against religious minorities in the People's 
 Republic of China and any actions that limit the free expression and 
                 practice of faith by these minorities.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 11, 2017

 Mr. Jody B. Hice of Georgia (for himself, Mr. Franks of Arizona, Mr. 
Lamborn, Mr. Grothman, Mr. Roskam, Mr. King of Iowa, and Mr. Hultgren) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Condemning violence against religious minorities in the People's 
 Republic of China and any actions that limit the free expression and 
                 practice of faith by these minorities.

Whereas international law recognizes the right to religious liberty and the 
        right to worship and manifest one's faith of choice freely without fear 
        of discrimination;
Whereas Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that 
        ``everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; 
        this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and 
        freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or 
        private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, 
        worship and observance'';
Whereas the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) adopted 
        by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966 states that ``everyone 
        shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. 
        This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or 
        belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community 
        with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief 
        in worship, observance, practice and teaching . . . [and] no one shall 
        be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to 
        adopt a religion or belief of his choice'';
Whereas Article 36 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China of 1982 
        states that ``Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom 
        of religious belief. No state organ, public organization or individual 
        may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; 
        nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, any 
        religion.'';
Whereas the rights and safety of religious minorities in the People's Republic 
        of China have increasingly come under attack over the last several years 
        with many religious minorities being singled out and specifically 
        targeted because of their faiths;
Whereas Freedom House has labeled persecution of Christians in the People's 
        Republic of China as ``high'' on its spectrum of religious persecution;
Whereas there are nearly 90,000,000 Christians in the People's Republic of China 
        and the country is anticipated to have the largest group of Christians 
        in the world by the year 2030;
Whereas in 2015 China Aid reported an 11-percent increase in persecution cases 
        from 2014 and a 709-percent increase from 2008;
Whereas Chinese state officials have attempted to require that churches must be 
        state-approved Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) churches which must 
        submit all sermons for government approval, and whose religious services 
        must be monitored by the government's department of religion;
Whereas churches not designated as TSPM churches may be designated as an ``evil 
        cult'' by the Chinese government which maintains unmitigated powers to 
        imprison and physically interrogate any person found associated with a 
        group or church designated as an ``evil cult'';
Whereas the Chinese government arrested over 300 human rights lawyers in 2015, 
        subjecting many to months or years of detention;
Whereas 40 Christian parishioners of the Shuangmiao Christian Church in China's 
        Henan province were forcibly removed from their house of worship and 
        dragged into the street on May 5, 2017, and forced to watch as nearly 
        300 police officers and public officials razed the church building;
Whereas dozens of these parishioners were beaten and arrested by public 
        officials;
Whereas public officials branded the building an ``illegal structure'';
Whereas public officials confiscated parishioner's phones, laptops, money, 
        jewelry, and other personal property, and stole money found in the 
        churches locked offering box;
Whereas Congress unanimously passed the International Religious Freedom Act of 
        1998 (Public Law 105-292), making it the official policy of the United 
        States ``to condemn violations of religious freedom, and to promote, and 
        to assist other governments in the promotion of, the fundamental right 
        to freedom of religion'' and to ``[stand] for liberty and [stand] with 
        the persecuted, to use and implement appropriate tools in the United 
        States foreign policy apparatus, including diplomatic, political, 
        commercial, charitable, educational, and cultural channels, to promote 
        respect for religious freedom by all governments and peoples'';
Whereas the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 watch list designates 
        China as a ``country of particular concern'' due to ``particularly 
        severe violations of religious freedom'';
Whereas Congress unanimously passed the Frank R. Wolf International Religious 
        Freedom Act (Public Law 114-281) in 2016 to amend the International 
        Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to enhance the capabilities of the United 
        States to advance religious liberty globally through diplomacy, 
        training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance; and
Whereas the United States must show strong international leadership when it 
        comes to the advancement of religious freedoms, liberties, and 
        protections: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) strongly condemns violence against religious minorities 
        in the People's Republic of China and any actions that limit 
        the free expression and practice of faith by these minorities;
            (2) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to 
        promoting religious freedom and tolerance around the world and 
        helping to provide protection and relief to religious 
        minorities facing persecution and violence;
            (3) calls on the Government of the People's Republic of 
        China to uphold the Chinese Constitution in addition to the 
        internationally recognized human right to freedom from 
        religious persecution and to end all forms of violence and 
        discrimination against religious minorities; and
            (4) urges the President to take appropriate actions to 
        promote religious freedom of religious minorities in the 
        People's Republic of China, using the powers provided to the 
        President under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
        (Public Law 105-292) and the Frank R. Wolf International 
        Religious Freedom Act (Public Law 114-281).
                                 <all>
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