III

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. RES. 217

Relating to the freedom of belief, expression, and association in the People’s

Republic of China.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

NOVEMBER 2, 1999

Mr. HUTCHINSON submitted the following resolution; which was referred to

the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Relating to the freedom of belief, expression, and association

in the People’s Republic of China.

Whereas the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human

Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights affirm the freedoms of thought, conscience,

religion, expression, and assembly as fundamental human

rights belonging to all people;

Whereas the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human

Rights is a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, including the People’s Republic of

China, a member of the United Nations;

Whereas the People’s Republic of China has signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights but has

yet to ratify the treaty and thereby make it legally binding;
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•SRES 217 IS

Whereas the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China

provides for the freedom of religious belief and the freedom not to believe;

Whereas according to the Department of State and international human rights organizations, the Government of

the People’s Republic of China does not provide these

freedoms but continues to restrict unregistered religious

activities and persecutes persons on the basis of their religious practice through measures including harassment,

prolonged detention, physical abuse, incarceration, and

police closure of places of worship;

Whereas under the International Religious Freedom Act, the

Secretary of State has designated the People’s Republic

of China as a country of special concern;

Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China

has issued a decree declaring a wide range of activities

illegal and subject to prosecution, including distribution

of Falun Gong materials, gatherings or silent sit-ins,

marches or demonstrations, and other activities to promote Falun Gong and has begun the trials of several

Falun Gong practitioners;

Whereas the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China on October 30, 1999, adopted a new law

banning and criminalizing groups labeled by the Government of the People’s Republic of China as cults; and

Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China

has officially labeled the Falun Gong meditation group a

cult and has formally charged at least four members of

the Falun Gong under this new law: Now, therefore, be

it
3

•SRES 217 IS

1 Resolved, That the Senate calls on the Government

2 of the People’s Republic of China to—

3 (1) release all prisoners of conscience and put

4 an immediate end to the harassment, detention,

5 physical abuse, and imprisonment of Chinese citizens

6 exercising their legitimate rights to free belief, ex7 pression, and association; and

8 (2) demonstrate its willingness to abide by

9 internationally accepted norms of freedom of belief,

10 expression, and association by repealing or amending

11 laws and decrees that restrict those freedoms and

12 proceeding promptly to ratify and implement the

13 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

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