IV
House Calendar No. 14
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 73
[Report No. 107–40]
Expressing the sense of Congress that the 2008 Olympic Games should
not be held in Beijing unless the Government of the People’s Republic
of China releases all political prisoners, ratifies the International Cov-
enant on Civil and Political Rights, and observes internationally recog-
nized human rights.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 21, 2001
Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. COX, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr.
BROWN of Ohio, Mr. BLAGOJEVICH, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. WOLF, Mr. HORN,
Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. HOYER, Mr. EVANS,
Mr. FRANK, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. WYNN, Mr. HOEFFEL,
Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. WAMP, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. DELAY, Mr.
FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania,
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. PALLONE,
Mr. BONIOR, Ms. BERKLEY, Ms. LEE, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. JONES of
North Carolina, Mr. STARK, Mr. KIRK, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. SLAUGH-
TER, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. GEPHARDT, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. GOODE,
Mr. SOUDER, Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. DEMINT, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. SCHAF-
FER, Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. DOOLITTLE,
Mr. SHADEGG, and Mr. PENCE) submitted the following concurrent reso-
lution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations
APRIL 4, 2001
Additional sponsors: Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. KING, Mr.
BLUMENAUER, Mr. BARR of Georgia, Mr. PLATTS, Mrs. NORTHUP, Mr.
GILMAN, and Mr. LIPINSKI
APRIL 4, 2001
Reported with amendments, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered to
be printed
•HCON 73 RH
[Strike out the preamble and insert the part printed in italic]
[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic]
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress that the 2008 Olympic
Games should not be held in Beijing unless the Govern-
ment of the People’s Republic of China releases all polit-
ical prisoners, ratifies the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights, and observes internationally recog-
nized human rights.
Whereas the International Olympic Committee is in the proc-
ess of determining the venue of the Olympic Games in
the year 2008 and is scheduled to make that decision at
the IOC meeting scheduled for Moscow in July 2001;
Whereas the city of Beijing has made a proposal to the Inter-
national Olympic Committee that the summer Olympic
Games in the year 2008 be held in Beijing;
Whereas the Olympic Charter states that Olympism and the
Olympic ideal seek to foster ‘‘respect for universal funda-
mental ethical principles’’;
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly Resolution
48/11 (October 25, 1993) recognized ‘‘that the Olympic
goal of the Olympic Movement is to build a peaceful and
better world by educating the youth of the world through
sport, practiced without discrimination of any kind and
the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding,
promoted by friendship, solidarity and fair play’’;
Whereas United National General Assembly Resolution 50/13
(November 7, 1995) stressed ‘‘the importance of the
•HCON 73 RH
principles of the Olympic charter, according to which any
form of discrimination with regard to a country or a per-
son on grounds of race, religion, politics, sex or otherwise
is incompatible with the Olympic Movement’’;
Whereas the Department of State’s Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices for 2000 reports the following:
(1) ‘‘The [Chinese] government continued to commit
widespread and well-documented human rights abuses, in
violation of internationally accepted norms.’’.
(2) ‘‘Abuses included instances of extra judicial
killings, the use of torture, forced confessions, arbitrary
arrest and detention, the mistreatment of prisoners,
lengthy incommunicado detention, and denial of due proc-
ess.’’.
(3) ‘‘The Government infringed on citizens’ privacy
rights.’’.
(4) ‘‘The Government maintained tight restrictions
on freedom of speech and of the press, and increased its
efforts to control the Internet; self-censorship by journal-
ists continued.’’.
(5) ‘‘The Government severely restricted freedom of
assembly and continued to restrict freedom of associa-
tion.’’.
(6) ‘‘The Government continued to restrict freedom
of religion and intensified controls on some unregistered
churches.’’.
(7) ‘‘The Government continued to restrict freedom
of movement.’’.
(8) ‘‘The Government does not permit independent
domestic nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to mon-
itor publicly human rights conditions.’’.
(9) ‘‘[The Government has not stopped] violence
against women (including coercive family planning prac-
•HCON 73 RH
tices—which
sometimes
include
forced
abortion
and
forced sterilization).’’.
(10) ‘‘The Government continued to restrict tightly
worker rights, and forced labor in prison facilities re-
mains a serious problem. Child labor exists and appears
to be a growing problem in rural areas as adult workers
leave
for
better
employment
opportunities
in
urban
areas.’’.
(11) ‘‘Some minority groups, particularly Tibetan
Buddhists and Muslim Uighurs, came under increasing
pressure as the Government clamped down on dissent
and ‘separatist’ activities.’’;
Whereas the egregious human rights abuses committed by
the Government of the People’s Republic of China are in-
consistent with the Olympic ideal;
Whereas 119 Chinese dissidents and relatives of imprisoned
political prisoners, from 22 provinces and cities, issued
an open letter on January 16, 2001, signed at enormous
political risk which expresses the ‘‘grief and indignation
for each of China’s political prisoners and their families’’,
asks the Chinese Government to release all of China’s po-
litical prisoners, and asserts that the release of China’s
political prisoners will improve ‘‘Beijing’s stature in its
bid for the 2008 Olympics’’; and
Whereas, although the Government of the People’s Republic
of China signed the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights in 1998, but has failed to ratify the trea-
ty, and has indicated that it will not fully implement the
recently ratified International Covenant on Economic, So-
cial and Cultural Rights: Now, therefore, be it
Whereas the International Olympic Committee is in the proc-
ess of determining the venue of the Olympic Games in the
•HCON 73 RH
year 2008 and is scheduled to make that decision at the
IOC meeting scheduled for Moscow in July 2001;
Whereas the city of Beijing has made a proposal to the Inter-
national Olympic Committee that the summer Olympic
Games in the year 2008 be held in Beijing;
Whereas the Olympic Charter states that Olympism and the
Olympic ideal seek to foster ‘‘respect for universal funda-
mental ethical principles’’;
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 48/
11 (October 25, 1993) recognized ‘‘that the Olympic goal
of the Olympic Movement is to build a peaceful and better
world by educating the youth of the world through sport,
practiced without discrimination of any kind and the
Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding,
promoted by friendship, solidarity and fair play’’;
Whereas United National General Assembly Resolution 50/13
(November 7, 1995) stressed ‘‘the importance of the prin-
ciples of the Olympic charter, according to which any form
of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on
grounds of race, religion, politics, sex or otherwise is in-
compatible with the Olympic Movement’’;
Whereas the Department of State’s Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices for 2000 reports the following:
(1) ‘‘The [Chinese] government continued to commit
widespread and well-documented human rights abuses, in
violation of internationally accepted norms.’’.
(2) ‘‘Abuses included instances of extra judicial
killings, the use of torture, forced confessions, arbitrary ar-
rest and detention, the mistreatment of prisoners, lengthy
incommunicado detention, and denial of due process.’’.
•HCON 73 RH
(3) ‘‘The Government infringed on citizens’ privacy
rights.’’.
(4) ‘‘The Government maintained tight restrictions on
freedom of speech and of the press, and increased its efforts
to control the Internet; self-censorship by journalists con-
tinued.’’.
(5) ‘‘The Government severely restricted freedom of
assembly and continued to restrict freedom of associa-
tion.’’.
(6) ‘‘The Government continued to restrict freedom of
religion and intensified controls on some unregistered
churches.’’.
(7) ‘‘During the year, there were numerous credible
reports of abuse of Falun Gong practitioners by the police
and other security personnel, including police involvement
in beatings, detention under extremely harsh conditions,
and torture (including by electric shock and by having
hands and feet shackled and linked with crossed steel
chains).’’.
(8) ‘‘The Government continued to restrict freedom of
movement.’’.
(9) ‘‘The Government does not permit independent do-
mestic nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to monitor
publicly human rights conditions.’’.
(10) ‘‘[The Government has not stopped] violence
against women (including coercive family planning prac-
tices—which sometimes include forced abortion and forced
sterilization).’’.
(11) ‘‘The Government continued to restrict tightly
worker rights, and forced labor in prison facilities remains
a serious problem. Child labor exists and appears to be a
growing problem in rural areas as adult workers leave for
better employment opportunities in urban areas.’’.
•HCON 73 RH
(12) ‘‘Some minority groups, particularly Tibetan
Buddhists and Muslim Uighurs, came under increasing
pressure as the Government clamped down on dissent and
‘separatist’ activities.’’;
Whereas the egregious human rights abuses committed by the
Government of the People’s Republic of China are incon-
sistent with the Olympic ideal;
Whereas 119 Chinese dissidents and relatives of imprisoned po-
litical prisoners, from 22 provinces and cities, issued an
open letter on January 16, 2001, signed at enormous polit-
ical risk which expresses the ‘‘grief and indignation for
each of China’s political prisoners and their families’’,
asks the Chinese Government to release all of China’s polit-
ical prisoners, and asserts that the release of China’s polit-
ical prisoners will improve ‘‘Beijing’s stature in its bid for
the 2008 Olympics’’; and
Whereas, although the Government of the People’s Republic of
China signed the International Covenant on Civil and Po-
litical Rights in 1998, but has failed to ratify the treaty,
and has indicated that it will not fully implement the re-
cently ratified International Covenant on Economic, So-
cial and Cultural Rights: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) acknowledges and supports the January 16,
2001, open letter released by Chinese dissidents and
the families of imprisoned Chinese political prisoners
stating that the release of China’s political prisoners
would improve Beijing’s stature in its bid to host the
2008 Olympic Games;
•HCON 73 RH
(2) expresses the view that, consistent with its
stated principles, the International Olympic Com-
mittee should not award the 2008 Olympics to Bei-
jing unless the Government of the People’s Republic
of China releases all of China’s political prisoners,
ratifies the International Covenant on Civil and Po-
litical Rights without major reservations, fully imple-
ments the International Covenant on Economic, So-
cial and Cultural Rights, and observes internation-
ally recognized human rights;
(3) calls for the creation of an international
Beijing Olympic Games Human Rights Campaign in
the event that Beijing receives the Olympics to focus
international pressure on the Government of the
People’s Republic of China to grant a general am-
nesty for all political prisoners prior to the com-
mencement of the 2008 Olympics as well as to ratify
the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights;
(4) calls on the Secretary of State to endorse
publicly the creation of the Beijing Olympic Games
Human Rights Campaign in the event that Beijing
receives the Olympics, and to utilize all necessary
diplomatic resources to encourage other nations to
endorse and support the campaign as well, focusing
•HCON 73 RH
particular attention on member states of the Euro-
pean Union and the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), Japan, Canada, Australia, the
Nordic countries, and all other countries engaged in
human rights dialogue with China;
(5) requests that the President, during his ex-
pected participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit in Shanghai
in October 2001, call for the release of all Chinese
political prisoners and Chinese ratification of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
(6) recommends that the Congressional-Execu-
tive Commission on the People’s Republic of China,
established under title III of the U.S.-China Rela-
tions Act of 2000 (Public Law 106–286), devote sig-
nificant resources to monitoring any violations of the
rights of political dissidents and political prisoners,
or other increased abuses of internationally-recog-
nized human rights, in the preparation to the 2008
Olympic Games and during the Olympic Games
themselves; and
(7) directs the Clerk of the House of Represent-
atives to transmit a copy of this resolution to the
senior International Olympic Committee representa-
•HCON 73 RH
tive in the United States with the request that it be
circulated to all members of the Committee.
That the Congress—
(1) acknowledges and supports the January 16,
2001, open letter released by Chinese dissidents and
the families of imprisoned Chinese political prisoners
stating that the release of China’s political prisoners
would improve Beijing’s stature in its bid to host the
2008 Olympic Games;
(2) expresses the view that, consistent with its
stated principles, the International Olympic Com-
mittee should not award the 2008 Olympics to Bei-
jing unless the Government of the People’s Republic of
China releases all of China’s political prisoners, rati-
fies the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights without major reservations, fully implements
the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights, and observes internationally recog-
nized human rights;
(3) calls for the creation of an international Bei-
jing Olympic Games Human Rights Campaign in the
event that Beijing receives the Olympics to focus
international pressure on the Government of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China to grant a general amnesty
for all political prisoners prior to the commencement
•HCON 73 RH
of the 2008 Olympics as well as to ratify the Inter-
national Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
(4) calls on the Secretary of State to endorse
publicly the creation of the Beijing Olympic Games
Human Rights Campaign in the event that Beijing
receives the Olympics, and to utilize all necessary
diplomatic resources to encourage other nations to en-
dorse and support the campaign as well, focusing
particular attention on member states of the Euro-
pean Union and the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), Japan, Canada, Australia, the
Nordic countries, and all other countries engaged in
human rights dialogue with China;
(5) requests that the President, during his ex-
pected participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit in Shanghai
in October 2001, call for the release of all Chinese po-
litical prisoners and Chinese ratification of the Inter-
national Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
(6) recommends that the Congressional-Executive
Commission on the People’s Republic of China, estab-
lished under title III of the U.S.-China Relations Act
of 2000 (Public Law 106–286), devote significant re-
sources to monitoring any violations of the rights of
political dissidents and political prisoners, or other
•HCON 73 RH
increased abuses of internationally-recognized human
rights, in the preparation to the 2008 Olympic Games
and during the Olympic Games themselves; and
(7) directs the Clerk of the House of Representa-
tives to transmit a copy of this resolution to the sen-
ior International Olympic Committee representative
in the United States with the request that it be cir-
culated to all members of the Committee.
House Calendar No. 14
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 14
[Report No. 107–40]
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress that the 2008
Olympic Games should not be held in Beijing un-
less the Government of the People’s Republic of
China releases all political prisoners, ratifies the
International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, and observes internationally recognized
human rights.
APRIL 4, 2001
Reported with amendments, referred to the House
Calendar, and ordered to be printed