III 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 363 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 14, 2004 
Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the con-
tinuing gross violations of human rights and civil lib-
erties of the Syrian and Lebanese people by the Govern-
ment of the Syrian Arab Republic. 
Whereas the Syrian Arab Republic is governed by an authori-
tarian regime which continues to commit serious human 
rights abuses, including the use of torture and arbitrary 
arrest and detention; 
Whereas the Department of State’s Country Reports on 
Human Rights Practices for 2003 states that Syria ‘‘sig-
nificantly restricts freedom of speech and of the press’’,
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that ‘‘freedom of assembly does not exist under the law’’, 
and that ‘‘the Government restricted freedom of associa-
tion’’; 
Whereas Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights states ‘‘Everyone has the right to freedom of opin-
ion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold 
opinions without interference and to seek, receive and im-
part information and ideas through any media and re-
gardless of frontiers.’’; 
Whereas Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights states ‘‘Everyone has the right to freedom of 
peaceful assembly and association.’’; 
Whereas Syria’s September 2001 press law permits the gov-
ernment to arbitrarily deny or revoke publishing licenses 
for vague reasons and compels media to submit all mate-
rial to government censors; 
Whereas Syrian authorities have arrested, or, in the case of 
foreigners, expelled two journalists for writing critically 
about Syria’s policies; 
Whereas Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International 
have reported that the security forces of Syria are tar-
geting emerging Syrian human rights organizations, as 
well as their attorneys, in an apparent attempt to intimi-
date those organizations; 
Whereas on March 8, 2004, Syrian security forces arrested 
more than 30 human rights dissidents and civilians at a 
sit-in in front of the parliament; 
Whereas a United States diplomat who was watching the 
peaceful demonstrations was also arrested and held for 
an hour in what the United States Government called an
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unacceptable violation of diplomatic practice and which 
the United States protested ‘‘in the strongest terms’’; 
Whereas Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights states ‘‘All are equal before the law and are enti-
tled without any discrimination to equal protection of the 
law.’’; 
Whereas the criminal law of Syria provides for reduced sen-
tences in cases of ‘‘honor’’ killings, and spousal rape is 
not illegal; 
Whereas the infringement by Syria on human rights and civil 
liberties extends into the Lebanese Republic, which it 
continues to occupy in violation of United Nations Secu-
rity Council resolutions; 
Whereas Human Rights Watch, in its 2003 World Report, 
stated that ‘‘political activists in Lebanon continued to 
demand the withdrawal of all Syrian forces from the 
country and organized demonstrations throughout the 
year, many of which the internal security forces dispersed 
forcibly’’; 
Whereas hundreds of Lebanese civilians are believed to have 
been killed or ‘‘disappeared’’ by Syrian occupation forces 
or its secret police; 
Whereas hundreds of Kurdish civilians were injured or killed 
in clashes with the Syrian authorities that began on 
March 12, 2004, in Qamishli, a city in northeastern 
Syria and, according to Syrian Kurdish sources, security 
forces used live ammunition against unarmed civilians; 
and 
Whereas human rights and democracy groups in Syria have 
sponsored a petition urging greater freedoms and the re-
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lease of all political prisoners, which has garnered more 
than 6,000 signatures: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) condemns the consistent pattern of gross 
violations of internationally recognized human rights 
by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic; 
(2) calls on the international community to 
adopt a resolution at the upcoming session of the 
United Nations General Assembly which details the 
dismal human rights record of Syria; 
(3) expresses its support for the people of Syria 
in their daily struggle for freedom, respect for 
human rights and civil liberties, democratic self-gov-
ernance, and the establishment of the rule of law; 
(4) encourages the President and the Secretary 
of State to reach out to dissidents, human rights ac-
tivists, and the nonviolent democratic opposition in 
Syria, and to assist them in their efforts; and 
(5) urges the adoption and pursuit of these and 
other policies to seek a democratic government in 
Syria that will— 
(A) bring freedom and democracy to the 
people of Syria; 
(B) cease the illegal occupation by Syria of 
the Lebanese Republic;
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(C) abandon support for terrorism by 
Syria; 
(D) not pursue research, development, ac-
quisition, production, transfer, or deployment of 
biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons, will 
provide credible assurances that such behavior 
will not be undertaken in the future, and will 
agree to allow United Nations and other inter-
national observers to verify such assurances; 
and 
(E) live in peace and security with the 
international community. 
Passed the House of Representatives September 13, 
2004. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.