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Congressional Record—House H6040 H6040 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 2, 2009 a stress area where American soldiers Mr. KRATOVIL. Madam Speaker, I police, members of the armed forces and were trying to help those in need? object to the vote on the ground that a other citizens; Twenty percent of those who have quorum is not present and make the Whereas on May 20, 1989, martial law was fought, who have been on the front declared in Beijing after authorities had point of order that a quorum is not failed to persuade demonstrators to leave lines, whether in Iraq or Afghanistan, present. Tiananmen Square; have posttraumatic stress disorder. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Whereas during the late afternoon and Most are misdiagnosed, most are ant to clause 8 of rule XX and the early evening hours of June 3, 1989, ten- to undiagnosed, and the stigma is slowly Chair’s prior announcement, further fifteen thousand helmeted, armed troops car- peeling away. They need our help. proceedings on this motion will be rying automatic weapons and traveling in Their families need our help. postponed. large truck convoys moved into Beijing to So not only did we go into a war un- The point of no quorum is considered ‘‘clear the Square’’ and surrounding streets of demonstrators; prepared, but we did little for those withdrawn. Whereas on the night of June 3 and con- who put their lives on the front line f tinuing into the morning of June 4, 1989, sol- while we, supposedly gray men, decided diers in armored columns of tanks outside of where they would go and when they RECESS Tiananmen Square fired directly at citizens would return and how many times they The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- and indiscriminately into crowds, inflicting would return to the battlefield. We are high civilian casualties, killing or injuring ant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the Chair unarmed civilians who reportedly ranged in fools, to say the least. declares the House in recess subject to We need to think about what’s going age from 9 years old to 61 years old; and the call of the Chair. whereas tanks crushed some protesters and on. These brave men and women have Accordingly (at 4 o’clock and 25 min- onlookers to death; taken the entire burden while we act as utes p.m.), the House stood in recess Whereas after 20 years, the exact number if nothing happens. These senseless subject to the call of the Chair. of dead and wounded remains unclear; cred- deaths will not be forgotten. ible sources believe that a number much I ask all of us to vote for this legisla- f larger than that officially reported actually tion and remember their families b 1707 died in Beijing during the period of military God bless America. Thank you. control; credible sources estimate the AFTER RECESS wounded numbered at least in the hundreds; Mr. MCMAHON. Madam Speaker, the tragic detentions at the time were in the thou- events that occurred at Camp Liberty in Iraq The recess having expired, the House sands, and some political prisoners who were are a sad and prominent reminder that the was called to order by the Speaker pro sentenced in connection with the events sur- mental health needs of our service men and tempore (Ms. RICHARDSON) at 5 o’clock rounding June 4, 1989, still languish in Chi- women are simply not being met. and 7 minutes p.m. nese prisons; I have co-sponsored H. Res. 471 not only to Whereas there are Chinese citizens still f express my sympathy, but because I know imprisoned for ‘‘counter-revolutionary’’ of- that such a tragedy could have been avoided. COMMEMORATING 20TH ANNIVER- fenses allegedly committed during the 1989 demonstrations, even though, according to A month ago, 46 of my colleagues in the SARY OF THE TIANANMEN the 1997 revision of China’s Criminal Law, House and I sent a letter to Chairman MURTHA SQUARE SUPPRESSION the ‘‘offenses’’ for which they were convicted and Ranking Member YOUNG of the defense Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, I move are no longer crimes; appropriations subcommittee, supporting Sec- to suspend the rules and agree to the Whereas the Tiananmen Mothers is a group retary Gates’ recommendations to increase of relatives and friends of those killed in resolution (H. Res. 489) recognizing the June 1989 whose demands include the right mental health funding in the FY10 DOD budg- twentieth anniversary of the suppres- et by $300 million. to mourn victims publicly, to call for a full sion of protesters and citizens in and and public accounting of the wounded and I hold fast to this request and hope that this around Tiananmen Square in Beijing, dead, and the release of those who remain increase will contribute to an increase in men- People’s Republic of China, on June 3 imprisoned for participating in the 1989 pro- tal health professionals to treat the invisible and 4, 1989 and expressing sympathy to tests; wounds of our men and women in uniform. the families of those killed, tortured, Whereas members of the Tiananmen Moth- Mental Health screenings should be con- and imprisoned in connection with the ers group have faced arrest, harassment and fidential, mandatory and comfortable for those discrimination; the group’s Web site is democracy protests in Tiananmen blocked in China; and international cash do- who have witnessed the unimaginable on the Square and other parts of China on battlefield. H.R. 1308, The Veterans Mental nations made to the group to support fami- June 3 and 4, 1989 and thereafter. lies of victims reportedly have been frozen Health Screenings and Assessments Act, The Clerk read the title of the resolu- by Chinese authorities; which I have introduced with my colleague, tion. Whereas Chinese authorities censor infor- Congressman TOM ROONEY aims to do just The text of the resolution is as fol- mation that does not conform to the official this by eliminating the stigma of mental treat- lows: version of events surrounding the ment through mandating screenings for all re- Tiananmen crackdown, and limits or pro- H. RES. 489 turning service men and women. hibits information about the Tiananmen Again, my heart goes out to the families of Whereas freedom of expression and assem- crackdown from appearing in textbooks in bly are fundamental human rights that be- the victims of the Camp Liberty shootings. We, China; long to all people, and are recognized as such Whereas Chinese authorities continue to in the Congress, must act to ensure that such under the Universal Declaration of Human suppress peaceful dissent by harassing, de- a tragedy does not happen again. Rights and the International Covenant on taining, or imprisoning advocates for demo- Through granting Secretary Gates’ request Civil and Political Rights; cratic processes, journalists, advocates for and enacting H.R. 1308, we will ensure that Whereas June 4th, 2009, marks the 20th an- worker rights, religious believers, and other the victims of the awful Camp Liberty tragedy niversary of the day in 1989 when the Peo- individuals in China, including in Xinjiang will not be forgotten and hopefully, prevent ple’s Liberation Army and other security and in Tibet, who seek to express their polit- such catastrophes from occurring in the future. forces finished carrying out the orders of ical dissent, ethnic identity, or religious Ms. FALLIN. Madam Speaker, I yield Chinese leaders to use lethal force to dis- views peacefully and freely; and perse demonstrators in and around Beijing’s back the balance of my time. Whereas Chinese authorities continue to Tiananmen Square; harass and detain advocates for democratic Mr. KRATOVIL. Madam Speaker, I Whereas the death on April 15, 1989, of Hu processes, such as Mr. Liu Xiaobo, a yield back the balance of my time. Yaobang, former General Secretary of the Tiananmen Square protester, prominent in- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Communist Party of China, was followed by tellectual, dissident writer, and more re- question is on the motion offered by peaceful protests calling for the elimination cently a signer of Charter 08 (a call for the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. of corruption, acceleration of economic and peaceful political reform and respect for the KRATOVIL) that the House suspend the political reforms, especially freedom of ex- rule of law published on-line in December rules and agree to the resolution, H. pression and freedom of assembly; and call- 2008 by over 300 citizens, and subsequently ing for a dialogue between protesters and Res. 471, as amended. endorsed by thousands more), who remains Chinese authorities on these issues; under house arrest: Now, therefore, be it The question was taken. Whereas by early May 1989, citizens advo- Resolved, That the House of Representa- The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the cating publicly for democratic reform across tives— opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being China included not only students, but also (1) expresses sympathy to the families of in the affirmative, the ayes have it. government employees, journalists, workers, those killed, tortured, and imprisoned as a VerDate Nov 24 2008 03:13 Jun 03, 2009 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K02JN7.056 H02JNPT1 wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with HOUSE June 2, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H6041 result of their participation in the democ- sion and freedom of assembly are fun- counting of the events of June 4, 1989, racy protests in Tiananmen Square and else- damental human rights that belong to and to express support for those advo- where in China on June 3 and 4, 1989, and all people and are recognized as such cating for accountable and democratic thereafter, and to all those persons who have under the Universal Declaration of governance in China.
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