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[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 121 Introduced in House (IH)]

107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 121

Expressing the sincerest condolences of the House of Representatives to 
  the families of the 42 people, including 37 children, killed in the 
March 6, 2001, explosion at the Fanglin elementary school in the Jianxi 
  province of the People's Republic of China, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 24, 2001

Mr. George Miller of California (for himself, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, 
  Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Bonior, Mr. Coyne, Mr. Evans, Mr. 
 Filner, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Kildee, Ms. McKinney, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Payne, 
    Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Shows, Ms. Solis, and Mr. Stark) submitted the 
     following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
 International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and 
 Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Expressing the sincerest condolences of the House of Representatives to 
  the families of the 42 people, including 37 children, killed in the 
March 6, 2001, explosion at the Fanglin elementary school in the Jianxi 
  province of the People's Republic of China, and for other purposes.

Whereas on March 6, 2001, an explosion at the Fanglin elementary school in the 
        Jianxi province of the People's Republic of China's killed at least 42 
        people, including 37 children;
Whereas the children, all between the ages of 9 and 11, were being forced by 
        elementary school officials to manufacture fireworks when this tragedy 
        occurred;
Whereas the parents of the deceased children report that the mandatory labor, 
        which involved mounting fuses and detonators into large firecrackers, 
        had been a daily practice at the school for years;
Whereas this systematic exploitation of children in the elementary school was 
        not only known about but actually organized by individuals holding 
        official responsibilities with the local Chinese Government;
Whereas this practice is a grave violation of the rights of children under the 
        International Labor Organization's Conventions 138 and 182, as well as 
        Convention 29 on Forced Labor; and
Whereas Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji has taken the important step of 
        acknowledging these violations of internationally recognized labor 
        standards: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses its sincerest condolences to the families of 
        the 42 people killed in the March 6, 2001, explosion at the 
        Fanglin elementary school in the Jianxi province of the 
        People's Republic of China, including to the parents and 
        families of the 37 young children who lost their lives as a 
        result of this dangerous and forced child labor;
            (2) expresses its gratitude to the Chinese and 
        international journalists who reported the true cause of the 
        explosion in response to the Chinese Communist Party's original 
        attempts to put forward an ``authorized'', but false, version 
        of the events; and
            (3) expresses its support for international trade 
        agreements and policies that will enforce the International 
        Labor Organization's core labor standards, which include 
        prohibition of child labor and forced labor.
                                 <all>
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