Congressional Record—House H3684
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H3684 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 2, 2004 b 1832 Whereas the Communist Government of Whereas June 4, 2004, is the 15th anniver- So (two-thirds having voted in favor China declared martial law the next day and sary of the date of the Tiananmen Square troops backed by tanks crushed the student massacre: Now, therefore, be it thereof) the rules were suspended and movement on June 3–4, 1989; Resolved, That the House of Representa- the bill, as amended, was passed. Whereas the demonstrations in Tiananmen tives— The result of the vote was announced Square were the manifestation of a demo- (1) expresses sympathy to the families of as above recorded. cratic movement that had begun to spread those killed, tortured, and imprisoned as a The title of the bill was amended so across China following the death of the result of their participation in the democ- as to read: ‘‘A bill to allow seniors to former General Secretary of the Communist racy protests of June 3–4, 1989, in Tiananmen file their Federal income tax on a new Party of the People’s Republic of China on Square, Beijing, in the People’s Republic of Form 1040S.’’. April 15, 1989, and that had given rise to China, and to all those persons who have suf- A motion to reconsider was laid on peaceful protests throughout China calling fered for their efforts to keep that struggle for the establishment of a dialogue with gov- the table. alive during the past 15 years, and to all the ernment and party leaders on democratic re- people of China who lack fundamental f forms, including freedom of expression, free- human rights; ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER dom of assembly, and the elimination of cor- (2) commends all persons who are peace- ruption by government officials; PRO TEMPORE fully advocating for democracy and human Whereas after that date thousands of pro- rights in China; The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. democracy demonstrators continued to pro- (3) calls upon those nations participating SIMPSON). Pursuant to clause 8 of rule test peacefully in and around Tiananmen in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing to use XX, the Chair will postpone further Square in Beijing until June 3 and 4, 1989, opportunities created by the Games to urge proceedings today on the remaining when Chinese authorities ordered the Peo- China to fully comply with the United Na- ple’s Liberation Army and other security tions Declaration on Human Rights; motion to suspend the rules on which a forces to use lethal force to disperse dem- recorded vote or the yeas and nays are (4) calls upon the Communist Government onstrators in Beijing, especially around of China, its National People’s Congress, and ordered or on which a vote is objected Tiananmen Square; any other groups appointed by the Com- to under clause 6 of rule XX. Whereas the report of the Chinese Red munist Government of China to honor its Any record vote on the postponed Cross on June 7, 1989, and the United States pledge of a ‘‘high degree of autonomy’’ made question will be taken tomorrow. Department of State Country Reports on at the time of the Hong Kong reversion in Human Rights Practices for 1989, gave var- f 1997, by permitting immediate elections for ious estimates of the numbers of people the Legislative Council of Hong Kong ac- CONDEMNING THE CRACKDOWN ON killed and wounded in 1989 by the People’s cording to rules approved by the Hong Kong DEMOCRACY PROTESTORS IN Liberation Army soldiers and other security people through an election-law convention, TIANANMEN SQUARE, BEIJING, forces, and it is now believed by many that referendum, or both, and by leaving all revi- thousands were killed; sions of Hong Kong law to a legislature IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF Whereas 20,000 people nationwide suspected elected by universal suffrage; and CHINA ON THE 15TH ANNIVER- of taking part in the democracy movement (5) condemns the ongoing and egregious SARY OF THAT TRAGIC MAS- were arrested and sentenced without trial to human rights abuses by the Communist Gov- SACRE prison or reeducation through labor, and ernment of China and calls on that Govern- many were reportedly tortured; Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. ment to— Whereas the Communist Government of (A) reevaluate the official verdict on the Speaker, I move to suspend the rules China continues to suppress dissent by im- June 4, 1989, Tiananmen pro-democracy ac- and agree to the resolution (H. Res. prisoning pro-democracy activists, journal- tivities and order formal investigations into 655) condemning the crackdown on de- ists, labor union leaders, religious believers, the reported killing, torture, and imprison- mocracy protestors in Tiananmen and other individuals in China and Tibet who seek to express their political or religious ment of democracy activists with the goal of Square, Beijing, in the People’s Repub- bringing those responsible to justice; lic of China on the 15th anniversary of views in a peaceful manner; Whereas credible sources estimate that the (B) establish a June Fourth Investigation that tragic massacre. Committee, the proceedings and findings of The Clerk read as follows: Communist Government of China continues to imprison as many as 2,000 Tiananmen which should be accessible to the public, to H. RES. 655 Square activists, such as Yang Jianli, and make a just and independent inquiry into all Whereas the United States was founded on denies such activists their basic human matters related to June 4, 1989; the principle that all men and women are rights, such as access to legal counsel, con- (C) release all prisoners of conscience, in- created equal and entitled to the exercise of tact with their families, and trials within cluding those persons still in prison as a re- their basic human rights; reasonable times; sult of their participation in the peaceful Whereas freedom of expression, assembly, Whereas security agents of the People’s pro-democracy protests of 1989, provide just association, and religion are fundamental Republic of China have detained Chinese compensation to the families of those killed human rights that belong to all people and citizens who were planning activities to in those protests, and allow those exiled on are recognized as such under the United Na- commemorate the 15th anniversary of the account of their activities in 1989 to return tions Declaration of Human Rights and the Tiananmen Square massacre, including the and live in freedom in China; and International Covenant on Civil and Polit- preparation of a video for presentation at (D) release Dr. Yang Jianli, an organizer of ical Rights; this year’s United Nations Human Rights the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, who Whereas the horrific events of June 3–4, Commission meeting in Geneva on the has been illegally detained incommunicado 1989, in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in the deaths of their relatives and other victims by the Communist Government of China People’s Republic of China, reminded the who perished in Tiananmen Square; since April 26, 2002, and whose wife and 2 world that these universal human rights are Whereas coincident with the 15th anniver- children are United States citizens, and put denied to the citizens of the most populous sary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, the an immediate end to the harassment, deten- nation on earth by the Communist Party Communist Government of China has frus- tion, and imprisonment of all Chinese citi- that rules in China; trated the efforts of Chinese citizens in Hong zens exercising their legitimate freedoms of Whereas in recent days the Communist Kong to establish a gradual and orderly proc- expression, association, and religion. Government of China has stepped up harass- ess toward universal suffrage and the demo- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- ment of the relatives of people who lost their cratic election of the legislature and chief ant to the rule, the gentleman from lives in the 1989 crackdown on democracy executive in Hong Kong as promised at the New Jersey (Mr. SMITH) and the gen- protestors in Tiananmen Square, in an ap- time of the reversion of Hong Kong to China tleman from California (Mr. LANTOS) parent effort to control dissent ahead of the in 1997 and as envisioned by the Basic Law of 15th anniversary of that tragic massacre; the Hong Kong Special Administrative Re- each will control 20 minutes. Whereas in recent weeks China’s Com- gion; The Chair recognizes the gentleman munist Party leaders have been working to Whereas despite an unprecedented public from New Jersey (Mr. SMITH). eliminate the residual influence of Zhao protest in Hong Kong on July 1, 2003, remi- Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Ziyang, who was purged as Communist Party niscent of protests in Beijing shortly before Speaker, I yield myself such time as I chief for opposing the 1989 crackdown on the June 4, 1989, the Standing Committee of the may consume. Tiananmen protests, and are trying to erase National People’s Congress of the People’s Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support his name from history; Republic of China declared on April 26, 2004, of the resolution. Whereas Zhao was last seen in public on that universal suffrage would not apply to May 19, 1989, when he tearfully begged stu- the selection of the Chief Executive in Hong Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of dent protesters to leave Tiananmen Square, Kong in 2007 or to the selection of members my time. and was then promptly put under house ar- of the Legislative Council in Hong Kong in Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield rest and purged; 2008; and such time as she may consume to the VerDate May 21 2004 03:10 Jun 03, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00078 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K02JN7.130 H02PT1 June 2, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H3685 gentlewoman from California (Ms.