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Congressional Record—Senate S3508

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Congressional Record—Senate S3508 S3508 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 26, 2021 learning, and extends a strong commitment dom to hold opinions without interference (5) journalists around the world have been to gender equality and inclusion across all and to seek, receive and impart information targeted by sophisticated spyware products workings of the partnership, including a new and ideas through any media and regardless that pose a severe risk to their safety and funding window that will raise an additional of frontiers.’’; the safety of their sources; and $250,000,000 for girls’ education; and Whereas, in 1993, the United Nations Gen- (6) the world’s most censored countries in- Whereas with support from donors, GPE eral Assembly proclaimed the third day of clude Eritrea, North Korea, Turkmenistan, will enable 175,000,000 primary-age children May of each year to be ‘‘World Press Free- Saudi Arabia, China, Vietnam, Iran, Equa- to learn, reach 140,000,000 students with pro- dom Day’’— torial Guinea, Belarus, and Cuba; fessionally trained teachers, get 88,000,000 (1) to celebrate the fundamental principles Whereas the Government of China has un- more children in school, more than half of of freedom of the press; leashed an onslaught of attacks on press them girls, and save $16,000,000,000 through (2) to evaluate freedom of the press around freedom in China and Hong Kong, including more efficient spending: Now, therefore, be it the world; through— Resolved, That the Senate— (3) to defend the media against attacks on (1) state-sponsored censorship and (1) affirms the leadership and commitment its independence; and disinformation campaigns limiting access to of the United States Government to improv- (4) to pay tribute to journalists who have information about the novel coronavirus, in- ing access to quality, inclusive public edu- lost their lives while working in their profes- cluding through its censorship of virus-re- cation and improved learning outcomes for sion; lated keywords on social media platforms; the poorest and most marginalized children Whereas the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the (2) attacks on press freedom in Hong Kong, and adolescents worldwide, which promotes Press Act of 2009 (Public Law 111–166) ex- including the passage of the National Secu- global stability, economic prosperity, and panded the examination of the freedom of rity Law, which poses an existential threat poverty elimination; the press around the world in the annual to the city’s tradition of press freedom, and (2) supports the vision, mission, and goals Country Reports on Human Rights Practices the arrest and subsequent conviction of of GPE 2025 to appropriately mobilize part- published by the Department of State; Jimmy Lai, owner of Hong Kong’s largest nerships and investments that transform Whereas, on December 18, 2013, and Decem- media outlet, Apple Daily, and an outspoken education systems in developing countries, ber 18, 2019, the United Nations General As- democracy advocate; (3) arrests or other repressive actions leaving no one behind; sembly adopted Resolution 68/163 and Resolu- against independent journalists and others (3) recognizes that United States Govern- tion 74/157, respectively, on the safety of in mainland China attempting to share un- ment investments in bilateral basic edu- journalists and the problem of impunity, un- censored news or opinion about the COVID– cation are complemented by GPE’s edu- equivocally condemning all attacks on, and 19 outbreak, including the detention of cit- cation systems-level approach and partner- violence against, journalists and media workers, including torture, extrajudicial izen journalist Chen Qiushi, who remains in- ship building; communicado; and (4) calls on the United States to engage in killing, enforced disappearance, arbitrary de- tention, and intimidation and harassment in (4) the detention of journalists critical of multiyear pledges to allow GPE to maximize the Government of China, including Chen its impact in supporting governments to pro- conflict and nonconflict situations; Whereas the First Amendment to the Jieren, who was sentenced to 15 years in 2020, vide quality, inclusive public education to following 2 years of incommunicado deten- children around the world and to leverage United States Constitution and various State constitutions protect freedom of the tion, after blogging about allegations of cor- contributions from other countries and do- rupt local officials; press in the United States; nors; and Whereas Afghanistan remains one of the Whereas the United States Government (5) calls on the Secretary of State and the most dangerous countries for journalists, has used the Global Magnitsky Human Administrator of the United States Agency with— Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of for International Development to commit to (1) militant groups targeting at least 4 title XII of Public Law 114–328) to place tar- promoting children and adolescents attend- journalists for murder in retaliation for ing school and learning throughout the geted visa and economic restrictions on indi- their work in 2020; and world in accordance with the 2021 to 2025 viduals, including for their roles in the tar- (2) at least 4 media workers killed in early GPE strategic period. geted killings of journalists; 2021; Whereas, in an effort to combat attacks f Whereas Belarus has witnessed sweeping against journalists, Secretary of State attacks against the press since Alexander SENATE RESOLUTION 241—WID- Antony J. Blinken recently announced a new Lukashenka’s fraudulent election in August ENING THREATS TO FREEDOM policy allowing the Department of State to 2020, where since the beginning of 2020, near- OF THE PRESS AND FREE EX- impose visa restrictions on individuals who, ly 550 journalists and media workers have PRESSION AROUND THE WORLD, acting on behalf of a foreign government, are been harassed, assaulted, imprisoned, or oth- believed to have been directly engaged in se- AND REAFFIRMING THE VITAL erwise retaliated against for their work, in- rious, extraterritorial counter-dissident ac- cluding— ROLE THAT A FREE AND INDE- tivities, including those that suppress, har- (1) Katsiaryna Barysevich, a physician, and PENDENT PRESS PLAYS IN IN- ass, surveil, threaten, or harm journalists, Artsyom Sarokin, a journalist, who were re- FORMING LOCAL AND INTER- activists, or other persons perceived to be spectively charged with 6 months and 2 years NATIONAL AUDIENCES ABOUT dissidents for their work; in a penal colony (on charges of disclosing PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES, COUN- Whereas the 2021 World Press Freedom medical data and instigating a crime, respec- TERING MISINFORMATION AND Index, compiled by Reporters Without Bor- tively) for disclosing information about a DISINFORMATION, AND FUR- ders, warns that the COVID–19 pandemic ‘‘il- protestor who was killed during a crackdown lustrates the negative factors threatening THERING DISCOURSE AND DE- on demonstrations against President the right to reliable information’’ and ampli- Lukashenka; BATE TO ADVANCE HEALTHY fies the many crises that threaten media (2) Katerina Borisevich, a journalist DEMOCRACIES IN COMMEMORA- freedom and pluralism; charged with 6 months in prison after con- TION OF WORLD PRESS FREE- Whereas the Freedom in the World 2021 re- tradicting official statements about the DOM DAY ON MAY 3, 2021 port, published by Freedom House, noted cause of death of a protester; and that 2020 was an especially hazardous year (3) Katsiaryna Andreyeva and Daria Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. for democracy, during which ‘‘less than 20 Chultsova, journalists sentenced to 2 years RUBIO, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. COONS, Mr. percent of the world’s population [then lived] in prison (on charges of violating public KAINE, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. in a Free country, the smallest proportion order) for filming live coverage of the violent SCHATZ, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. VAN HOL- since 1995’’; dispersal of a protest against President LEN, Mr. CASEY, Mr. CRAMER, and Mr. Whereas, according to the Committee to Lukashenka; BOOZMAN) submitted the following res- Protect Journalists— Whereas Reporters Without Borders as- olution; which was referred to the (1) at least 30 journalists were killed in serts that ‘‘press freedom in [Burma] has Committee on Foreign Relations.: 2020, 21 of whom were singled out in retalia- been set back ten years in ten days’’ after tion for their work, an increase from 10 mur- the February 2021 military coup, during S. RES. 241 ders in 2019; which— Whereas, Thomas Jefferson, who cham- (2) Mexico, Afghanistan, and the Phil- (1) at least 40 journalists were arrested, in- pioned the necessity of a free press for a ippines had the most retaliatory killings in cluding BBC journalist Aung Thura and As- thriving democratic society, wisely declared, 2020; sociated Press journalist Thein Zaw; ‘‘Our liberty depends on the freedom of the (3) at least 274 journalists were behind bars (2) media workers were forced into hiding press, and that cannot be limited without in relation to their work on December 1, and confronted censorship, harassment, being lost.’’; 2020, marking the fifth consecutive year that internet blocks, beatings, interrogations, Whereas Article 19 of the United Nations at least 250 journalists were imprisoned glob- threats, and injuries at the hands of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ally; military; and adopted in Paris on December 10, 1948, states, (4) China, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia (3) multiple independent media outlets had ‘‘Everyone has the right to freedom of opin-
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