Condemning the Escalating Levels of Religious Persecution in the People's Republic of China

CONDEMNING THE ESCALATING LEVELS OF RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

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Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 608 condemning the escalating levels of religious persecution in the People's Republic of China, and I thank my colleague from Michigan, Mr. McCotter, for authoring this important legislation. I am very proud, along with many of my colleagues, to be a cosponsor of the resolution.

Despite China's repression of religion as arguably among the most despotic in the world, despite China's entrance in the world economy, its government refuses to grant its citizens universally recognized rights to freedom of religion and thought.

The People's Republic of China permits religious practice only for government-sanctioned organizations and registered locations of worship. Those who practice other faiths as their consciences demand risk disappearing into one of hundreds of Laogai, the forced education through labor system established by Mao Tse-tung decades ago.

Not only is religious persecution of numerous groups and movements ongoing, but it is actually worsening. In February, the BBC reported that China had warned Hong Kong's newly appointed cardinal, Joseph Zen, a well-known critic of China's suppression of religious freedoms, to remain quiet on political issues.

I have personally known some of the remarkable people that the Chinese Government targets for persecution. In the early 1990s, and I mentioned this earlier when we considered Mr. English's resolution, I met with Bishop Su of Baoding Province, a man who celebrated mass for our small delegation. I was amazed by his lack of animosity, by his lack of anything that even comes close to hate. He actually loved those who persecuted him and said he spent a considerable amount of time praying for his persecutors. He has now spent some 30 years of his life in prison and has suffered time and time again the ravages of torture by his persecutors. What kind of barbaric regime hurts a man like this?

Last summer, our Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations heard compelling testimony from Mr. Chen Yonglin, formerly a diplomat for the Chinese Government who said, ``According to my knowledge, the persecution of the Falun Gong by the Chinese Government is a systematic campaign.''

To my horror, we have heard reports of the Chinese government targeting the Falun Gong for organ harvesting. According to the State Department's 2005 International Religious Freedom Report, the China Government's respect for freedom of religion and freedom of conscience remains poor, especially for many unregistered religious groups and spiritual movements.

Members of unregistered groups, including Protestants and Catholics, are subject to restrictions including intimidation, harassment, detention, arrest, and add to that torture.

Those who perhaps read the scathing report that was written by the rapporteur for the United Nations on torture that was released last December cannot help but be repelled by the ongoing systematic use of torture against those who are trying to promote either worker's rights, basic fundamental human rights, but especially those who espouse religious freedom and religious liberty.

Given all of these disturbing facts, Madam Speaker, Mr. McCotter's resolution condemning the government of China's systematic persecution of religious freedom is both appropriate and timely.

Let me also say, Madam Speaker, and I do hope the press takes some notice, today we are considering an unprecedented three resolutions on China. Each and every one of these is bipartisan. Mr. Lantos, as Mr. Wolf said a moment ago, has been a great champion of human rights all over the world, including in China, has joined with Henry Hyde, the chairman of the committee, and myself, along with Mr. Wolf and Mr. English. This is bipartisan. We talk a lot about bipartisanship or lack of it in recent weeks and months in this Chamber, but when it comes to human rights, especially as it relates to China, we are together.

Now that we know what the problem is, we need to speak more about solutions. Hopefully as we move forward in this congressional session, we will talk more about what we need to be doing to try to get this government to roll back its repression.

President Hu's visit was an opportunity. I would respectfully submit that it was a missed opportunity to raise these issues in a powerful way. He went back home to China thinking he had won over the American people. He has not. His record is deplorable, especially as it relates to religious persecution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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