US Congresswoman Introduces Concurrent Resolution (H. CON. RES. 304)

Concurrent Resolution Expressing
the Sense of Congress Regarding Oppression by the Government of the People’s
Republic of China of Falun Gong in the United States and in China

On October 16, 2003, US Congresswoman Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself and Ms.
Woolsey) submitted the H. CON. RES. 304 to the 108^th Congress, 1^st
Session to express the Sense of Congress Regarding Oppression by the Government
of the People’s Republic of China of Falun Gong in the United States and
in China.

Resolution 304 says that it is the sense of Congress that the Government of
the People’s Republic of China should cease using the diplomatic missions
in the United States to spread falsehoods about the nature of Falun Gong and
release from detention all prisoners of conscience, including practitioners
of Falun Gong.

Resolution 304 suggests that the President should work more closely with Chinese
human rights activists to identify Chinese authorities who have been personally
responsible for acts of violence and persecution in the People’s Republic
of China. The Attorney General should investigate reports that Chinese consular
officials in the United States have committed illegal acts while attempting
to intimidate or inappropriately influence Falun Gong practitioners or local
elected officials, and, in consultation with the Secretary of State, determine
an appropriate legal response

108th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. CON. RES. 304

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding oppression by the Government of
the People’s Republic of China of Falun Gong in the United States and in
China.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 16, 2003

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself and Ms. WOOLSEY) submitted the following concurrent
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations,
and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding oppression by the Government of
the People’s Republic of China of Falun Gong in the United States and in
China.

Whereas Falun Gong is a peaceful spiritual movement that originated in the
People’s Republic of China but has grown in popularity worldwide and is
now accepted and practiced by thousands in the United States;

Whereas demonstrations by Falun Gong practitioners in the People’s Republic
of China and the United States have been peaceful, meditative sessions;

Whereas the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China provides to
the citizens of that country freedom of speech, assembly, association, and religious
belief;

Whereas members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, members of Chinese pro-democracy
groups, and advocates of human rights reform in the People’s Republic of
China have been harassed, libeled, imprisoned, and beaten for demonstrating
peacefully inside that country;

Whereas the Chinese Government has also attempted to silence the Falun Gong
movement and Chinese prodemocracy groups inside the United States;

Whereas on June 12, 2003, 38 Members of Congress filed an Amended Brief of
Amicus Curiae in support of the Falun Gong at the United States District Court,
Northeastern District of Illinois, Eastern Division;

Whereas Chinese consular officials have pressured local elected officials in
the United States to refuse or withdraw support for the Falun Gong spiritual
group;

Whereas Dr. Charles Lee, a United States citizen, has reportedly been mentally
and physically tortured since being detained by Chinese authorities in early
2003;

Whereas the apartment of Ms. Gail Rachlin, the Falun Gong spokeswoman in the
United States, has been broken into 5 times by agents of the Chinese regime
since the regime banned Falun Gong in 1999 in China;

Whereas over the past 5 years China’s diplomatic corps has been actively
involved in harassing and persecuting Falun Gong practitioners in the United
States;

Whereas on June 23, 2003, Falun Gong practitioners were attacked outside a
Chinese restaurant in New York City by local United States-based individuals
with reported ties to the Chinese Government;

Whereas 5 Falun Gong practitioners were assaulted outside of the Chinese Consulate
in Chicago on September 7, 2001, while exercising their constitutionally protected
rights to free speech, leading to battery convictions in Cook County Criminal
Court of Jiming Zheng on November 13, 2002, and Yujun Weng on December 5, 2002,
both assailants being members of a Chinese-American organization in Chicago,
the Mid-USA Fujian Township Association, which maintains close ties with the
Chinese Consulate;

Whereas individuals that physically harassed Falun Gong practitioners in San
Francisco on October 22, 2000, were later seen at anti-Falun Gong meetings and
the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco;

Whereas San Francisco City Supervisor Chris Daly, after receiving complaints
that Chinese officials were intimidating his constituents, authored a resolution
condemning human rights violations and persecution of Falun Gong members by
the Chinese Government;

Whereas Mr. Daly and the other members of the San Francisco City Council subsequently
received a letter from the Chinese Consul General in San Francisco, claiming
that Falun Gong was an ‘evil cult’ that was undermining the ‘normal
social order’ in the People’s Republic of China, and that Mr. Daly’s
resolution should therefore be rejected, which it subsequently was;

Whereas in November 2000, the former Mayor of Saratoga, California, Stan Bogosian,
issued a proclamation honoring the contributions of Falun Gong practitioners
to the Saratoga community, which prompted the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco
to write to Mr. Bogosian urging him to retract his support for local Falun Gong
activities;

Whereas many local and national media organizations have reported that other
local officials across the United States, including the mayors of several major
cities, have been pressured by Chinese consular officials to recant statements
of support for the Falun Gong;

Whereas journalists have cited fear of hurting trade relationships as the motivation
for some local United States officials to recant their support for Falun Gong
after receiving pressure from Chinese consular officials; and

Whereas the Constitution of the United States guarantees freedom of religion,
the right to assemble, and the right to speak freely, and the people of the
United States strongly value protecting the ability of all people to live without
fear and in accordance with their personal beliefs: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is
the sense of Congress that–

1. the Government of the People’s Republic of China should–

(A) immediately stop interfering in the exercise of religious and political
freedoms within the United States, such as the right to practice Falun Gong,
that are guaranteed by the United States Constitution;

(B) cease using the diplomatic missions in the United States to spread falsehoods
about the nature of Falun Gong;

(C) release from detention all prisoners of conscience, including practitioners
of Falun Gong, who have been incarcerated in violation of their rights as
expressed in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China;

(D) immediately end the harassment, detention, physical abuse, and imprisonment
of individuals who are exercising their legitimate rights to freedom of religion,
including the practices of Falun Gong, freedom of expression, and freedom
of association as stated in the Constitution of the People’s Republic
of China; and

(E) demonstrate its willingness to abide by international standards of freedom
of belief, expression, and association by ceasing to restrict those freedoms
in the People’s Republic of China;

(2) the President should, in accordance with section 401(a)(1)(B) of the International
Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401(a)(1)(B)), and with the intention
of dissuading the Chinese Government from attempting to stifle religious freedom
in the People’s Republic of China and the United States, take action such
as–

(A) issuing an official public demarche, a formal protest, to the Chinese
Foreign Ministry in response to the repeated violations by the Chinese Government
of basic human rights protected in international covenants to which the People’s
Republic of China is a signatory; and

(B) working more closely with Chinese human rights activists to identify
Chinese authorities who have been personally responsible for acts of violence
and persecution in the People’s Republic of China;

(3) the Attorney General should investigate reports that Chinese consular officials
in the United States have committed illegal acts while attempting to intimidate
or inappropriately influence Falun Gong practitioners or local elected officials,
and, in consultation with the Secretary of State, determine an appropriate legal
response; and

(4) officials of local governments in the United States should–

(A) in accordance with local statutes and procedures, recognize and support
organizations and individuals that share the goals of all or part of the local
community, including Falun Gong practitioners; and

(B) report incidents of pressure or harassment by agents of the People’s
Republic of China to Members of Congress, the Attorney General, and the Secretary
of State.

Posting date: 31/Oct/2003
Original article date: 30/Oct/2003
Category: World News