104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 117

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Concerning writer, political philosopher, human

Wei Jingsheng.rights advocate, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee
104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 117

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas Wei Jingsheng is a writer, political philosopher, and

human rights advocate who is widely known and respected in China and throughout the world;

Whereas on November 21, 1995, the Government of the People’s Republic of China announced the arrest of Wei

Jingsheng and its intention to try him for ‘‘attempt[ing]

to overthrow the government’’;
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Whereas prior to this announcement Wei had been detained

since April 1994 without formal charges or the opportunity to communicate with his family or with legal counsel, in violation of Article 9 of the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights and other international standards prohibiting arbitrary arrest and detention;

Whereas the government had previously imprisoned Wei from

1979 until 1993 on a charge of ‘‘spreading

counterrevolutionary propaganda’’ for his peaceful participation in the Democracy Wall movement;

Whereas Wei’s analysis of democracy in 1979 as a necessary

‘‘fifth modernization’’ was an important theoretical and

practical contribution to the movement for freedom and

democracy in China and also to modern political philosophy;

Whereas during his long imprisonment Wei was subjected to

beatings and other severe ill treatment which left him in

extremely poor health;

Whereas after his release in 1993 Wei devoted his time to humanitarian activities, including visiting and assisting the

families of victims of the June 4, 1989, massacre at

Tiananmen Square, as well as the surviving victims themselves, and assisting the civilian effort to secure compensation for damages caused to the Chinese people by

the Japanese Government during World War II;

Whereas, far from advocating an ‘‘overthrow’’ of the Government of China, Wei has been a strong advocate of nonviolence and a peaceful transition to democracy;

Whereas Wei was regarded as a leading candidate for the

1995 Nobel Peace Prize, having been nominated by par-
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liamentarians throughout the world, including 58 members of the United States Congress;

Whereas Wei was also the recipient of the 1995 Olaf Palme

Foundation Award, the 1994 Robert F. Kennedy Human

Rights Award, and the 1993 Gleitsman Foundation

International Activist Award; and

Whereas because of his great courage, the force of his ideas,

and his long unjust imprisonment Wei has come to embody the aspirations of the people of China for democracy

and for the enjoyment of free speech and other universal

and inalienable human rights, and his fate has come to

symbolize their fate: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the United States Congress—

3 (1) urges the immediate and unconditional re4 lease of Wei Jingsheng;

5 (2) urges, in the event Wei Jingsheng is not im6 mediately released, that he be afforded all inter7 nationally recognized human rights, including the

8 right to consult freely with counsel of his choice, to

9 assist in the preparation of his defense, and to com10 municate with his family, and that his trial be open

11 to the domestic and foreign press, to diplomatic ob12 servers, and to international human rights monitors;

13 (3) urges the United States Department of

14 State to make the release of Wei Jingsheng and the

15 protection of his internationally recognized human

16 rights a particularly important objective in relations
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1 with the Government of China, and that it raise

2 these issues forcefully and effectively in every rel3 evant bilateral and multilateral forum; and

4 (4) recognizes that the efforts of Wei Jingsheng

5 once again merit careful consideration for the Nobel

6 Peace Prize in 1996.

Passed the House of Representatives December 12,

1995.

Attest:

Clerk.