Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. SUOZZI. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman, the ranking member, and Congressman Smith for their good work and partnership on this issue.

I thank Chairman McGovern and Speaker Pelosi for their leadership on all issues of human rights.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bipartisan Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020, which holds the Chinese Communist Party accountable for the horrific treatment of Uyghur Muslim minorities, including forced labor camps in western China, over 1 million Uyghurs in mass internment who are subjected to systemized brainwashing, Big Brother-like surveillance, and gross violations of their religious freedom.

Since President Nixon went to China in 1971, most Americans have believed that with increased economic integration and exposure to our system of democracy and our way of life, that China would become more like us. Clearly, that has not happened.

Not only does the Chinese Communist Party reject any real steps toward democracy, withhold information from the world community regarding the coronavirus, continue its unfair trade practices, and cheat by stealing our intellectual property, but it continually violates human rights, as we have seen, not only in Xinjiang with the Uyghurs, but also in Tibet with the Buddhists, and in Hong Kong with the students and the journalists.

Representative Chris Smith and I originally introduced legislation regarding abuse of the Uyghurs in November of 2018 and, while it has taken too long, it is never too late to speak out for human rights and penalize China for its egregious violations.

Madam Speaker, Uyghur families are prohibited from practicing their faith. They are often separated from their family members and prohibited from reading the Koran and making their daily prayers and, in some instances, they are forced to eat pork during Ramadan.

The so-called ``re-education camps'' in China, where Uyghurs are forced to work in textile or manufacturing jobs in or near mass internment camps are not only repugnant to our values, but also taint global supply chains.

The brutal, religious-based persecution of the Uyghurs in China is alarming but not new. China has continued to repress anyone who does not conform to their system, including Tibetans, Christians, and the people of Hong Kong.

Just last week in Hong Kong, the Chinese Communist Party proposed national security legislation that would erode Hong Kong's autonomy and civil liberties. We must remain vigilant.

This bill holds the Chinese Communist Party and Politburo members like Chen Quanguo accountable for their abuses.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this important, bipartisan legislation.

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