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 -- (House of Representatives - June 12, 2006)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. Nearly three decades after the normalization of relations, Beijing and Washington have a mature, evolving relationship. Our two countries are working cooperatively on a broad range of issues facing the world from North Korea to matters before the U.N. Security Council.

But in our effort to maintain this cooperative spirit, we must not sugar-coat the areas of intense disagreement between the United States and China. Beijing's systematic denial of religious liberty to the Chinese people is one of the darkest episodes in modern Chinese history.

Pushing for religious tolerance must remain at the core of our bilateral agenda with Beijing, regardless of China's Government's predictably negative reactions to our entreaties.

The leadership in Beijing must understand that we will never have a fully normal relationship with China until there is measurable progress on a broad range of human rights issues, including religious freedom.

As this resolution notes, an intolerably long list of religions and faiths are squarely in the cross-hairs of the Chinese Government. The treatment of Tibetans, Catholics, and the Falun Gong is emblematic of the broader Chinese campaign against those who worship in an unauthorized manner.

In the case of Tibetan Buddhists, Beijing has a perfect opportunity to demonstrate that it has opened a new chapter in an otherwise tragic story of the Chinese repression and marginalization of the Tibetans in their own land.

While we are pleased that China has held five rounds of discussions with representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama regarding the future of Tibet, the talks have not produced any concrete results, and our patience is wearing thin. If Beijing truly cares about preserving Tibet's unique religious and cultural heritage, it should invite the Dalai Lama to visit China and Tibet in the near future. Chinese leaders should also negotiate a deal with the Dalai Lama that allows His Holiness to return permanently to Tibet to manage the religious and cultural and economic affairs of the Tibetan people.

Religious freedom is a right due all Chinese, whether Tibetan, members of the Catholic Church or the Falun Gong spiritual movement. Tens of thousands of Falun Gong adherents have been locked away in psychiatric institutions. They have been tortured and jailed and even killed for refusing to renounce their faith. What a tragedy, Madam Speaker.

The resolution before us shines the spotlight on China's horrendous record of religious freedom. The words in our resolution will cause great discomfort in Beijing. But when dealing with friends, it is far better to lay the facts on the table than to sweep the bitter truth under the rug.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

http://thomas.loc.gov/