Uyghur Policy Act of 2021
Floor Speech
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Ms. JACOBS of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4785) to support the human rights of Uyghurs and members of other minority groups residing in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and safeguard their distinct identity, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4785
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Uyghur Policy Act of 2021''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The People's Republic of China (PRC) continues to repress the distinct Islamic, Turkic identity of Uyghurs and members of other minority groups of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwestern China and other areas of their habitual residence.
(2) Uyghurs, and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities historically making up the majority of the XUAR population, have maintained throughout their history a distinct religious and cultural identity.
(3) Human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, and respect for the Uyghurs' unique Muslim identity are legitimate interests of the international community.
(4) The People's Republic of China has ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and is thereby bound by its provisions. The PRC has also signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Article One of both covenants state that all peoples have the right to self-determination.
(5) An official campaign to encourage Han Chinese migration into the XUAR has placed immense pressure on those who seek to preserve the ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic traditions of the Uyghur people. Chinese authorities have supported an influx of Han Chinese economic immigrants into the XUAR, implemented discrimination against Uyghurs in hiring practices, and provided unequal access to healthcare services.
(6) The authorities of the People's Republic of China have manipulated the strategic objectives of the international war on terror to mask their increasing cultural and religious oppression of the Muslim population residing in the XUAR.
(7) Following unrest in the region, in 2014, Chinese authorities launched their ``Strike Hard against Violent Extremism'' campaign, in which dubious allegations of widespread extremist activity were used as justification for gross human rights violations committed against members of the Uyghur community in the XUAR.
(8) PRC authorities have made use of the legal system as a tool of repression, including for the imposition of arbitrary detentions and for torture against members of the Uyghur community and other populations.
(9) Uyghurs and Kazakhs who have secured citizenship or permanent residency outside of the PRC have attested to repeated threats, harassment, and surveillance by PRC officials.
(10) Reporting from international news organizations has found that over the past decade, family members of Uyghurs living outside of the PRC have gone missing or been detained to force Uyghur expatriates to return to the PRC or silence their dissent.
(11) Credible evidence from human rights organizations, think tanks, and journalists confirms that more than 1,000,000 Uyghurs and members of other Muslim ethnic minority groups have been imprisoned in ``political reeducation'' centers.
(12) Independent accounts from former detainees of ``political reeducation'' centers describe inhumane conditions and treatment including forced political indoctrination, torture, beatings, rape, forced sterilization, and food deprivation. Former detainees also confirmed that they were told by guards the only way to secure release was to demonstrate sufficient political loyalty to the PRC Government and the Chinese Communist Party.
(13) Popular discourse surrounding the ongoing atrocities in the XUAR and advocacy efforts to assist Uyghurs remains muted in most Muslim majority nations around the world.
(14) Both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo have stated that the PRC government has committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in the XUAR.
(15) Government bodies of multiple nations have also declared that PRC government atrocities against such populations in the XUAR constitute genocide, including the parliaments of the United Kingdom, Belgium, Czechia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Canada. SEC. 3. DECLARATIONS OF POLICY.
Congress--
(1) calls upon the Government of the People's Republic of China to open the XUAR to regular, transparent, and unmanipulated visits by members of the press, Members of Congress, congressional staff delegations, the United States Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues under section 4, and members and staff of the Congressional-Executive Commission on the People's Republic of China;
(2) calls upon the Government of the People's Republic of China to recognize, and seek to ensure the preservation of, the distinct ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identity of Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in the XUAR;
(3) calls upon the Government of the People's Republic of China to cease all government-sponsored crackdowns, imprisonments, and detentions of people throughout the XUAR aimed at those involved in the peaceful expression of their ethnic, cultural, political, or religious identity;
(4) commends countries that have provided shelter and hospitality to Uyghurs in exile, including Turkey, Albania, and Germany; and
(5) urges countries with sizeable Muslim populations, given commonalities in their religious and cultural identities, to demonstrate concern over the plight of Uyghurs. SEC. 4. UNITED STATES SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR UYGHUR ISSUES.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be within the Department of State a United States Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues (in this section referred to as the ``Special Coordinator''), to be designated by the Secretary of State in accordance with subsection (b).
(b) Consultation.--The Secretary of State shall consult with the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives prior to the designation of the Special Coordinator.
(c) Central Objective.--The Special Coordinator should seek to promote the protection and preservation of the distinct ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identities of the Uyghurs.
(d) Duties and Responsibilities.--The Special Coordinator should, as appropriate--
(1) coordinate United State Government policies, programs, and projects concerning the Uyghurs;
(2) vigorously promote the policy of seeking to protect the distinct ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic identity of the Uyghurs and seek improved respect for human rights in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR);
(3) maintain close contact with Uyghur religious, cultural, and political leaders, including seeking regular travel to the XUAR and to Uyghur populations in Central Asia, Turkey, Albania, Germany, and other parts of Europe;
(4) lead coordination efforts for the release of political prisoners in the XUAR who are being detained for exercising their human rights;
(5) consult with the United States Congress on policies relevant to the XUAR and the Uyghurs;
(6) coordinate with relevant Federal agencies to administer aid to Uyghur rights advocates; and
(7) make efforts to establish contacts with foreign ministries of other countries, especially in Europe, Central Asia, and members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, to pursue a policy of promoting greater respect for human rights and religious freedom for Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups persecuted in the PRC.
(e) Support.--The Secretary of State shall ensure the Special Coordinator has adequate resources, staff, and administrative support to carry out this section.
(f) Deadline.--If the Secretary of State has not designated the Special Coordinator by the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report detailing the reasons for the delay.
(g) Termination.--This section shall terminate on the date that is five years after the designation of the Special Coordinator. SEC. 5. PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD ON THE UYGHUR SITUATION.
(a) Funding for Human Rights Advocates.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for the U.S. Speaker Program in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State, $250,000 for each of fiscal years 2022, 2023, and 2024 is authorized to be available for human rights advocates on behalf of the Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups persecuted in the PRC, whose names may be provided by the Department of State and the United States Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues in consultation with representatives of the global Uyghur community, to speak at public diplomacy forums in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries and other regions on issues regarding the human rights and religious freedom of Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups persecuted in the PRC.
(b) United States Agency for Global Media.--It is the sense of Congress that the United States Agency for Global Media should facilitate the unhindered dissemination of information to Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries on issues regarding the human rights and religious freedom of Uyghurs and members of other minority groups in the XUAR. SEC. 6. ACCESS TO DETENTION FACILITIES AND PRISONS AND THE RELEASE OF PRISONERS.
(a) Sense of Congress on Political Reeducation and Detention Facilities.--It is the sense of Congress that the United States Government should, in cooperation with other like-minded countries, develop a strategy to--
(1) pressure the People's Republic of China to immediately close all detention facilities and ``political reeducation'' camps housing Uyghurs and members of other ethnic minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR); and
(2) support the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights and numerous United Nations Special Rapporteurs' urgent calls for immediate and unhindered access to detention facilities and ``political reeducation'' camps in the XUAR by independent international organizations and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for a comprehensive assessment of the human rights situation.
(b) Sense of Congress on Prison Access and Prisoner Release.--It is the sense of Congress that the President and Secretary of State, in meetings with representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China, should--
(1) request the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners detained for their ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identities, or for expressing their political or religious beliefs in the XUAR;
(2) seek access for international humanitarian organizations, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to prisoners in the XUAR to ensure such prisoners are not being mistreated and are receiving necessary medical care; and
(3) seek the immediate release of all prisoners who have been arbitrarily detained and sentenced without due process, including Ekpar Asat, who participated in the Department of State's International Visitors Leadership Program in 2016, was incarcerated after returning to the XUAR, and is now serving a 15 year prison sentence on charges of ``inciting ethnic hatred and ethnic discrimination''. SEC. 7. REQUIREMENT FOR UYGHUR LANGUAGE TRAINING.
The Secretary of State shall ensure that Uyghur language training is available to Foreign Service officers as appropriate, and that every effort is made to ensure that a Uyghur-speaking member of the Foreign Service (as such term is described in section 103 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3903)) is assigned to United States diplomatic and consular missions in China. SEC. 8. UYGHUR CONSIDERATIONS AT THE UNITED NATIONS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States Government should oppose any efforts to prevent consideration of the issues related to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in any body of the United Nations;
(2) the United States Government should oppose any efforts to prevent the participation of any Uyghur human rights advocates in nongovernmental fora hosted by or otherwise organized under the auspices of any body of the United Nations; and
(3) the Secretary of State should instruct the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations to support the appointment of a special rapporteur or working group for the XUAR for the purposes of monitoring human rights violations and abuses in the XUAR, and for making reports available to the High Commissioner for Refugees, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human Rights Commission, the General Assembly, and other United Nations bodies.
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Ms. JACOBS of California. 4785.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4785, the Uyghur Policy Act of 2021, sponsored by my committee colleague, Representative Young Kim.
The world has watched in horror as the People's Republic of China has continued its genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and members of other religious and ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region.
The size and scale of the PRC's human rights abuses is horrific. As many as 1.8 million people have been arbitrarily detained in mass internment camps, prisons, and detention centers. They have shown no limits to their cruelty and depravity--subjecting people to forced labor, torture, political indoctrination, suppression of religious practices, forced sterilizations and abortions, family separation, sexual abuse, and so much more.
While we have seen graphic images and heard testimony revealing the truth of these camps, the PRC continues to hide behind disinformation.
We know that the PRC is actively trying to stamp out the unique ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic traditions of minorities in the Xinjiang region.
Despite outrage from the global community, these gross atrocities have only increased in their severity and cruelty.
Evidence collected from journalists, human rights defenders, and scholars, as well as harrowing firsthand accounts from survivors and their families, point to the continued oppression of Uyghurs and Muslims.
During this Congress, this body has taken multiple steps to condemn these atrocities and hold the PRC accountable for perpetrating these heinous crimes. But we need to do more to protect the millions of Uyghurs and their way of life.
By passing this important bipartisan legislation, we would strengthen U.S. Government efforts to protect and promote the distinct ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic identity of the Uyghur people.
This legislation furthers a whole-of-government approach to combat the PRC's egregious human rights violations. It also takes steps to bolster international support towards promoting greater respect for human rights in the Xinjiang region.
Most importantly, this legislation signals that the U.S. Congress unequivocally stands with the Uyghur people and will continue speaking out until this genocide and crimes against humanity ends.
I thank Representative Kim for authoring this important bipartisan legislation, which I was proud to vote for in the Foreign Affairs committee.
I support swift passage of this timely and urgent bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
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Ms. JACOBS of California. Pelosi), the distinguished Speaker of the House.
Mr. Speaker, passing H.R. 4785, the Uyghur Policy Act of 2021, would send a message loud and clear that the PRC's inhumane policies to dilute and destroy the identity of the Uyghur people have no place in today's world.
The United States stands firmly with the Uyghur people and we will continue pushing to end the PRC's horrific and inhumane behavior.
We need to show strong bipartisan House support to the administration to use its tools to help protect the Uyghur culture and identity and promote respect for human rights and religious freedom of Uyghurs and members of other minority groups in China.
The House also stands in strong solidarity with the Chinese people protesting all over China in recent days.
Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4785, the Uyghur Policy Act of 2021, a bill that addresses the human rights issues concerning the Uyghurs and other minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China.
The Uyghur Policy Act would authorize the establishment of a Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues position within the Department of State.
The bill would also allow the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs make certain funds available to human rights advocates working on behalf of Uyghurs and members of other minority groups.
The funds, if made available, shall be used to facilitate the presence of such human rights advocates at public diplomacy forums to speak on issues related to the human rights and religious freedoms of minority groups in Xinjiang.
Mr. Speaker, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, the Government of the People's Republic of China has, since 2017, arbitrarily detained as many as 1.8 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and members of other Muslim minority groups in a system of extrajudicial mass internment camps.
Additionally, the Chinese government has arbitrarily detained many in formal prisons and detention centers, and has subjected detainees to forced labor, torture, political indoctrination, and other severe human rights abuses.
Forced labor exists within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region's system of mass internment camps, and throughout the region.
These assertions have been confirmed by the testimony of former camp detainees, satellite imagery, official media reports, publicly available documents, official statements, and official leaked documents from the Government of the People's Republic of China as part of a targeted campaign of repression of Muslim ethnic minorities.
These atrocious acts are indicative of a state sponsored systematic effort to eradicate the ethnic and cultural identity and religious beliefs of religious minorities in China.
Recent reports have also indicated that the Chinese Government is aiming to prevent the births of, Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and Kyrgyz, and members of religious minority groups.
Recent data has shown a significant drop in birth rates among Uyghurs due to enforced sterilization and enforced abortion.
Indeed, the birth rate in the Xinjiang region fell by 24 percent in 2019 compared to a 4.2 percent decline nationwide.
In addition, there are credible reports of the Peoples Republic of China's Government campaigns to promote marriages between Uyghurs and Han and to reduce birth rates among Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims.
It has also been reported that many Uyghurs have been assigned to factory employment under conditions that indicate forced labor, and some former detainees have reported food deprivation, beatings, suppression of religious practices, family separation, and sexual abuse.
Reporting from international news organizations has found that over the past decade, family members of Uyghurs living outside of China have gone missing or been detained to force their return to China or silence dissent.
Mr. Speaker, on January 19, 2021, the Department of State determined the Peoples Republic of China's Government, under the direction and control of the Chinese Communist Party, has committed crimes against humanity and genocide against Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.
The Chinese government must answer for the barbaric acts of terror they have afflicted on their own people.
H.R. 4785 the Uyghur Policy Act of 2021 call for the Government of the People's Republic of China to open the XUAR to regular visits by United States Members of Congress, Congressional staff delegations, the United States Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues under section 4, and members and staff of the Congressional-Executive Commission on the People's Republic of China to monitor the human rights violations and abuses occurring in Xuar.
As members of the United States Congress, we must use our voice to condemn, monitor and oppose the atrocities occurring in China.
I and this chamber stand with the Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and Kyrgyz, and members of other religious minority groups in China being terrorized by their own governments.
I encourage all my colleagues to support H.R. 4785--Uyghur Policy Act of 2021 to promote justice globally.
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