IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 156 

Supporting Charter 08 and the ideals of the Charter 08 movement. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 11, 2009 

Mr. MCCOTTER (for himself and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting Charter 08 and the ideals of the Charter 08 

movement. 

Whereas since seizing power in 1949, the Chinese Communist 

Party (CCP) has brutally ruled the Chinese people using 

murder, imprisonment, beatings, torture, confiscation of 

private property, and fear in its efforts to destroy Chinese culture, and the inherent dignity and religious faiths 

of the Chinese people; 

Whereas the CCP’s efforts to build and maintain a totalitarian Communist dictatorship have resulted in the 

deaths of tens of millions of Chinese citizens, egregious 

human rights violations, stifling corruption, and tremendous environmental damage; 

Whereas, on December 9, 2008, 303 Chinese signatories announced the creation of Charter 08; 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
2 

•HRES 156 IH 

Whereas Charter 08 documents the widespread failings of the 

CCP, calls for urgent and extensive political reforms in 

Communist China, enumerates and endorses the ideas 

and principles of freedom, human rights, equality, Republicanism, democracy, and constitutional rule, and enumerates 19 recommendations for political reform within Communist China; 

Whereas the signatories of Charter 08 represent numerous 

strata of Chinese society, including former members of 

the CCP; 

Whereas despite detentions, interrogations, threats, job harassment, and confiscation of personal property by the 

Communist Chinese authorities to suppress the announcement of Charter 08, the CCP ultimately failed in 

its endeavor; 

Whereas the CCP has directed the Communist Chinese Government to censor references to Charter 08 in Communist Chinese media and on the Internet; 

Whereas Communist Chinese authorities have harassed and 

threatened over 100 of the 303 original signers of Charter 08 with the intent of coercing them to remove their 

names from Charter 08; and 

Whereas since December 9, 2008, more than 8,100 Chinese 

citizens have signed Charter 08: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports Charter 08 and the ideals of the 

3 Charter 08 movement; 

4 (2) commends and respects the courage and 

5 bravery of the framers and signers of Charter 08; 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
3 

•HRES 156 IH 

1 (3) supports the Chinese people in their ongo2 ing efforts to secure liberty, justice, the rule of law, 

3 representative government, political parties separate 

4 and independent from the CCP, and the protection 

5 of human rights through political reforms which 

6 would necessarily undermine the CCP’s totalitarian 

7 authority over all aspects of Communist China’s so8 ciety; 

9 (4) notes the concern demonstrated by the CCP 

10 over the spread of the Charter 08 movement; 

11 (5) notes CCP efforts to destroy the Charter 08 

12 movement, underscore the necessity of the reforms 

13 contained in the Charter 08, and highlight the grow14 ing influence of the Charter 08 movement in China; 

15 (6) calls upon the CCP to release Liu Xiaobo, 

16 an original signer of Charter 08 who has been de17 tained since December 8, 2008; and 

18 (7) calls upon the CCP to cease its efforts to 

19 intimidate and coerce signers of Charter 08, end its 

20 state-enforced censorship of Charter 08 in Chinese 

21 media, and enter into negotiations with the leaders 

22 of the Charter 08 movement to adopt the principles 

23 and enact the political reforms contained in Charter 

24 08. 

Æ 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS