May 28, 2014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H4851 are located. It is my hope that this res- I am so glad Ms. MENG is adding this I want to thank Congresswoman MENG for olution will help promote such preser- to the list, but the list itself and all of authoring this legislation and bringing this vation and greater tolerance, respect, the other violations need to be taken issue to Congress’ attention. and empathy around the world, as well seriously by the administration. Hope The SPEAKER pro tempore. The as honest assessments of history. I springs eternal. I hope they do it soon- question is on the motion offered by urge my colleagues to support H.R. er rather than later—like today—but I the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 4028. won’t hold my breath. ROS-LEHTINEN) that the House suspend I reserve the balance of my time. I say this because it is a very, very the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4028, as Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I serious issue, and that was brought for- amended. am proud to yield 3 minutes to the gen- ward at our hearing just the other day. The question was taken; and (two- tleman from New Jersey (Mr. SMITH), Finally, Mr. Speaker, there are other thirds being in the affirmative) the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Sub- groups, including the Ahmadi religious rules were suspended and the bill, as committee on Africa, Global Health, minority in Pakistan. We heard testi- amended, was passed. Global Human Rights, and Inter- mony on May 22 about how their grave- A motion to reconsider was laid on national Organizations. stones are being violated as well. the table. Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. By far, Jewish people have their f Speaker, I rise in strong support of cemeteries desecrated and others as URGING CHINA TO RESPECT THE H.R. 4028 introduced by my good friend well, and it is a terrible and despicable FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY, EX- and colleague, the gentlewoman from act of violence against individuals and PRESSION, AND RELIGION AND New York (Ms. MENG), which adds dese- religious freedom. cration of cemeteries as a violation of Ms. MENG. Seeing no other speakers, ALL FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN religious freedom identified in the I yield myself the balance of my time RIGHTS AND THE RULE OF LAW International Religious Freedom Act of to close. Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I 1998. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, anti- move to suspend the rules and agree to Sadly, such an addition is necessary Semitism and religious intolerance re- the resolution (H. Res. 599) urging the because we have seen repeated acts of main all too prevalent in our world. We Government of the People’s Republic of desecration of cemeteries occurring grapple with these issues in some form China to respect the freedom of assem- throughout the world, especially in Eu- every day. bly, expression, and religion and all rope, but also in the United States, in- This resolution will give American fundamental human rights and the rule cluding my own State of New Jersey. officials real tools with which to pro- of law for all its citizens and to stop Jewish cemeteries seem to be a par- mote not only religious tolerance, but censoring discussion of the 1989 ticular target of desecration. By some truth, truth in the form of preservation Tiananmen Square demonstrations and counts, attacks on Jewish cemeteries and recognition of the memories of their violent suppression. have been on the rise over the last sev- those who came before us, and only The Clerk read the title of the resolu- eral years. We have tried to document through truth can we realize a better tion. that again and again in our work at the world. The text of the resolution is as fol- OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the I yield back the balance of my time. lows: Organization for Security Cooperation Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I H. RES. 599 itself. yield myself such time as I may con- Whereas on June 4, 1989, peaceful dem- A number of Jewish organizations as sume. onstrations held in and around Beijing’s well have come forward with extraor- In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to, Tiananmen Square were brutally crushed by dinarily demoralizing numbers of again, thank Ms. MENG for her wonder- the People’s Liberation Army, carrying out cemeteries, as well as synagogues that ful leadership role in this and many the orders of China’s Communist Party lead- have been attacked, as there is a rising other pieces of legislation going ership; tide of anti-Semitism. through our Foreign Affairs Committee Whereas the peaceful demonstrations of 1989 called upon the Chinese Communist I chaired a hearing on May 22 on the and commend Mr. COLLINS, as well, for International Religious Freedom Act Party to eliminate corruption, accelerate this blow against hatred and intoler- economic and political reforms, and protect with a focus on the Commission on Re- ance and in favor of religious free exer- human rights, particularly the freedoms of ligious Freedom, and one of the things cise around the world. I strongly sup- expression and assembly; that was brought forward in vivid de- port the bill by Ms. MENG, H.R. 4028. Whereas by early May 1989, an estimated tail has been the lack of enforcement I yield back the balance of my time. 1,000,000 people joined the protests in and the lack of due diligence on the Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I Tiananmen Square and citizens in over 400 part of the administration when it rise in support of Congresswoman MENG’s leg- Chinese cities staged similar protests for comes to the International Religious islation. Including language that protects democratic reform, including not only stu- dents, but also government employees, jour- Freedom Act. Not since 2011 has there cemeteries is consequential as every culture been a designation of what we call nalists, workers, police officers, members of and faith hold final resting places as sacred the armed forces, and other citizens; country of particular concern, CPC sta- ground. Whereas on May 20, 1989, martial law was tus, or the dishonorable status that it Just two months ago in March vandals declared in Beijing, China, after authorities conveys ought to be done every year. broke into a Jewish cemetery in Hungary. The had failed to persuade demonstrators to Congressman FRANK WOLF, the au- vandals spray-painted swastikas and anti-Se- leave Tiananmen Square; thor of IRFA, the International Reli- mitic messages on the Jewish tombstones to Whereas during the late afternoon and gious Freedom Act, made it very clear show their hatred. early evening hours of June 3, 1989, thou- it is law, and I would point out for the This is a stark reminder of the travesties sands of armed troops, supported by tanks record that I chaired all of the hearings against personal freedoms abroad. These inci- and other armor, moved into Beijing to ‘‘clear the Square’’ and surrounding streets in the House as that bill was working dents are not isolated and often coincide with its way through the House. We have of demonstrators; other violations against religious freedom. Whereas on the night of June 3, 1989, and had, I believe, a dereliction of duty on Desecrating the cemetery of another reli- continuing into the morning of June 4, 1989, the part of the administration to do gious or ethnic group is a very defiant way to soldiers fired into crowds, inflicting high ci- what it has to do under IRFA. express hatred and inflict pain. The religious vilian casualties, killing or injuring un- There has been no designation since or ethnic groups that care for the cemeteries armed civilians; 2011. The commission pointed out that are having their religious rights trampled on. Whereas tanks crushed to death some pro- there are eight countries that ought to These prejudice acts are especially dev- testers and onlookers; be so designated, followed by eight oth- astating when tolerated or encouraged by the Whereas independent observers report that ers, including Vietnam, that needed to local or national government. hundreds, perhaps thousands, were killed and be added to the list, making a total of wounded by the People’s Liberation Army The final resting place for the deceased de- soldiers and other security forces; 16 countries that are then liable to serve the respect of all regardless of personal Whereas 20,000 people throughout China sanctions, the 18 or so sanctions that beliefs or religion and deserve to be added to suspected of taking part in the democracy are prescribed in the legislation, again, the list of violations to the International Reli- movement were reportedly arrested and sen- authored by Mr. WOLF. gious Freedom Act. tenced without trial to prison or reeducation VerDate Mar 15 2010 00:56 May 29, 2014 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 4636 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K28MY7.018 H28MYPT1 tjames on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H4852 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 28, 2014 through labor, and many were reportedly freedom’’, with conditions ‘‘worse now than freely commemorate and share information tortured, with many being imprisoned for at any time in the past decade’’ for religious about Tiananmen; decades; minorities, findings which again contributed (D) allow protest participants who escaped Whereas the Tiananmen Mothers is a group to the Commission recommending that to or are living in exile in the United States of relatives and friends of those killed in China be designated as a ‘‘country of par- and other countries, or who reside outside of June 1989 whose demands include the right ticular concern’’; China because they have been ‘‘blacklisted’’ to mourn victims publicly, to call for