25 May 1999
TEXT: MAY 25 HOUSE RESOLUTION ON TIANANMEN 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
(House raps China for human rights abuses/Tiananmen) (1120) Washington -- The U.S. House of Representatives on May 25 voted 418-0 for a resolution condemning ongoing human rights abuses in China, and called on the People's Republic of China (PRC) to launch an investigation into governmental abuses related to the killing of peaceful Chinese demonstrators in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989. House Resolution 178 says the House of Representatives "condemns the ongoing and egregious human rights abuses by the Government of the People's Republic of China." The resolution calls on the PRC to "reevaluate the official verdict on the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen pro-democracy activities and order relevant procuratorial organs to open formal investigations on the June fourth event with the goal of bringing those responsible to justice." It urges the Chinese government to "establish a June Fourth Investigation Committee to make a just and independent inquiry into all matters related to June 4, 1989," with those findings being available to the general public. The non-binding resolution calls for the release of all prisoners of conscience in China, including those who were jailed for their participation in the Tiananmen demonstration a decade ago. The House resolution also calls for compensation for families of protesters killed in various crackdowns on pro-democracy protesters by PRC security forces and asks the Chinese government to allow "those exiled on account of their activities in 1989 to return and live in freedom in the People's Republic of China," and to put an "immediate end to harassment, detention, and imprisonment of Chinese citizens exercising their legitimate rights to the freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of religion." The lawmakers also call on the PRC to demonstrate "its willingness to respect the rights of all Chinese citizens by proceeding quickly to ratify and implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights." Following is the text of the resolution: (begin text) HRES 178 IH 106th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 178 Concerning the tenth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre of June 4, 1989, in the People's Republic of China. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 18, 1999 Ms. PELOSI (for herself, Mr. WOLF, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. PORTER, Mr. GEPHARDT, Mr. COX, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. WU, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. SCHAFFER, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. WAXMAN, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. HORN, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. CLAY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RESOLUTION Concerning the tenth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre of June 4, 1989, in the People's Republic of China. Whereas the United States was founded on the democratic principle that all men and women are created equal and entitled to the exercise of their basic human rights; Whereas freedom of expression and assembly are fundamental human rights that belong to all people and are recognized as such under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; Whereas the death of the former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the People's Republic of China, Hu Yaobang, on April 15, 1989, gave rise to peaceful protests throughout China calling for the establishment of a dialogue with government and party leaders on democratic reforms, including freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and the elimination of corruption by government officials; Whereas after that date thousands of prodemocracy demonstrators continued to protest peacefully in and around Tiananmen Square in Beijing until June 3 and 4, 1989, until Chinese authorities ordered the People's Liberation Army and other security forces to use lethal force to disperse demonstrators in Beijing, especially around Tiananmen Square; Whereas nonofficial sources, a Chinese Red Cross report from June 7, 1989, and the State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1989, gave various estimates of the numbers of people killed and wounded in 1989 by the People's Liberation Army soldiers and other security forces, but agreed that hundreds, if not thousands, of people were killed and thousands more were wounded; Whereas 20,000 people nationwide suspected of taking part in the democracy movement were arrested and sentenced without trial to prison or reeducation through labor, and many were reportedly tortured; Whereas human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch, Human Rights in China, and Amnesty International have documented that hundreds of those arrested remain in prison; Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China continues to suppress dissent by imprisoning prodemocracy activists, journalists, labor union leaders, religious believers, and other individuals in China and Tibet who seek to express their political or religious views in a peaceful manner; and Whereas June 4, 1999, is the tenth anniversary of the date of the Tiananmen Square massacre: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) expresses sympathy to the families of those killed as a result of their participation in the democracy protests of 1989, as well as to the families of those who have been killed and to those who have suffered for their efforts to keep that struggle alive during the past decade; (2) commends all citizens of the People's Republic of China who are peacefully advocating for democracy and human rights; and (3) condemns the ongoing and egregious human rights abuses by the Government of the People's Republic of China and calls on that government to-- (A) reevaluate the official verdict on the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen prodemocracy activities and order relevant procuratorial organs to open formal investigations on the June fourth event with the goal of bringing those responsible to justice; (B) establish a June Fourth Investigation Committee, the proceedings and findings of which should be accessible to the public, to make a just and independent inquiry into all matters related to June 4, 1989; (C) release all prisoners of conscience, including those still in prison as a result of their participation in the peaceful prodemocracy protests of May and June 1989, provide just compensation to the families of those killed in those protests, and allow those exiled on account of their activities in 1989 to return and live in freedom in the People's Republic of China; (D) put an immediate end to harassment, detention, and imprisonment of Chinese citizens exercising their legitimate rights to the freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of religion; and (E) demonstrate its willingness to respect the rights of all Chinese citizens by proceeding quickly to ratify and implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which it signed on October 5, 1998. (end text)
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