IA
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. J. RES. 225
Designating the third week of July 1993 as ‘‘Captive Nations Week’’, and
for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 1, 1993
Mr. GILMAN introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service
JOINT RESOLUTION
Designating the third week of July 1993 as ‘‘Captive Nations
Week’’, and for other purposes.
Whereas the greatness of the United States is in a large part
attributable to its having been able, through the demo-
cratic process, to achieve a harmonious national unity of
its people, even though they stem from the most diverse
of racial, religious, and ethnic backgrounds;
Whereas this harmonious unification of the diverse elements
of our free society has led the people of the United States
to possess a warm understanding and sympathy for the
aspirations of peoples everywhere for democracy and to
recognize the interdependency of the nations of the world;
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Whereas the continuing oppression of a substantial part of
the world’s population under Communism constitutes a
detriment to the natural bonds of understanding between
the people of the United States and other peoples;
Whereas Communist oppression and imperialism led to the
subjugation of the national independence of Russia, Lith-
uania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Geor-
gia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhastan, Turkmenistan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Hungary,
Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, and
other states, and continues to oppress the peoples of
China, Tibet, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, and Laos;
Whereas nations oppressed by Communism look to the
United States as a citadel of democracy and freedom for
leadership in bringing about their liberation and restoring
to them the enjoyment of their religious freedoms and of
their individual liberties; and
Whereas it is fitting that we clearly manifest to such peoples
through an appropriate and official means the fact that
the people of the United States share with them their as-
pirations for the recovery of their freedom and independ-
ence: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL POLICY STATEMENTS.
The Congress—
(1) praises and commends the peoples of those
nations of Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia,
formerly held captive by the Soviet Union and its
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Warsaw Pact alliance, who have liberated themselves
from their captivity;
(2) encourages those newly liberated nations in
their efforts to build democracy and market-based
economies; and
(3) calls upon the peoples of those newly liber-
ated nations to refrain from following the leadership
of those who would seek to follow an aggressive or
authoritarian relationship with either the citizens of
those countries or with their neighboring states.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF CAPTIVE NATIONS WEEK.
The third week of July 1993 is designated as ‘‘Cap-
tive Nations Week’’, and the President is authorized and
requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people
of the United States to observe such week with appro-
priate ceremonies and activities. The President is further
authorized and requested to issue a similar proclamation
each year until such time as freedom and independence
shall have been achieved for all the captive nations of the
world.
SEC. 3. REPEAL.
Public Law 86–90 is repealed.
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