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Congressional Record—House H2293 May 27, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2293 will postpone further proceedings tonomous Region Party Secretary Chen (8) In 2019, the Congressional-Executive today on motions to suspend the rules Quanguo to be Party Secretary of Xinjiang Commission on China concluded that, based on which the yeas and nays are or- Uyghur Autonomous Region accelerated the on available evidence, the establishment and dered. crackdown across the region. Scholars, actions committed in the internment camps in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region may The House will resume proceedings human rights organizations, journalists, and think tanks have provided ample evidence constitute ‘‘crimes against humanity’’. on postponed questions at a later time. substantiating the establishment by the (9) On December 31, 2018, President Donald f Government of the People’s Republic of J. Trump signed into law the Asia Reassur- ance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public Law 115– UYGHUR HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY China of internment camps. Since 2014, the Government of the People’s Republic of 409), which— ACT OF 2020 China has detained more than 1,000,000 (A) condemns the People’s Republic of Chi- Mr. SHERMAN. Madam Speaker, I Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and mem- na’s ‘‘forced disappearances, extralegal de- move to suspend the rules and pass the bers of other Muslim minority groups in tentions, invasive and omnipresent surveil- bill (S. 3744) to condemn gross human these camps. The total ethnic minority pop- lance, and lack of due process in judicial pro- rights violations of ethnic Turkic Mus- ulation of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Re- ceedings’’; (B) authorizes funding to promote democ- lims in Xinjiang, and calling for an end gion was approximately 13,000,000 at the time of the last census conducted by the People’s racy, human rights, and the rule of law in to arbitrary detention, torture, and Republic of China in 2010. the People’s Republic of China; and harassment of these communities in- (3) The Government of the People’s Repub- (C) supports sanctions designations against side and outside China. lic of China’s actions against Uyghurs, eth- any entity or individual that— The Clerk read the title of the bill. nic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and members of other (i) violates human rights or religious free- The text of the bill is as follows: Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang Uyghur doms; or (ii) engages in censorship activities. S. 3744 Autonomous Region violate international SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- human rights laws and norms, including— resentatives of the United States of America in (A) the International Convention on the It is the sense of Congress that— Congress assembled, Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimi- (1) the President should— nation, to which the People’s Republic of (A) condemn abuses against Uyghurs, eth- SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. China has acceded; nic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, members of other Mus- (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as (B) the Convention against Torture and lim minority groups, and other persons by the ‘‘Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treat- authorities of the People’s Republic of 2020’’. ment or Punishment, which the People’s Re- China; and (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of con- public of China has signed and ratified; (B) call on such authorities to imme- tents for this Act is as follows: (C) the International Covenant on Civil diately— Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. and Political Rights, which the People’s Re- (i) close the internment camps; Sec. 2. Statement of purpose. public of China has signed; and (ii) lift all restrictions on, and ensure re- Sec. 3. Findings. (D) the Universal Declaration of Human spect for, human rights; and Sec. 4. Sense of Congress. Rights. (iii) allow people inside the People’s Re- Sec. 5. Updating statement of United (4) Senior Chinese Communist Party offi- public of China to reestablish contact with States policy toward the People’s Re- cials, including current Xinjiang Uyghur Au- their loved ones, friends, and associates out- public of China. tonomous Region Party Secretary Chen side the People’s Republic of China; Sec. 6. Imposition of sanctions. Quanguo, who executes Chinese government (2) the Secretary of State should consider Sec. 7. Report on human rights abuses in policy in the region, and former Xinjiang strategically employing sanctions and other Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Uyghur Autonomous Region Deputy Party tools under the International Religious Free- Sec. 8. Report on protecting citizens and Secretary Zhu Hailun, who crafted many of dom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.), in- residents of the United States from in- the policies implemented in the region, bear cluding measures resulting from the designa- timidation and coercion. direct responsibility for gross human rights tion of the People’s Republic of China as a Sec. 9. Report on security and economic violations committed against Uyghurs, eth- country of particular concern for religious implications of repression in Xinjiang nic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and members of other freedom under section 402(b)(1)(A)(ii) of such Uyghur Autonomous Region by the Muslim minority groups. These abuses in- Act (22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1)(A)(ii)), that directly Government of the People’s Republic of clude the arbitrary detention of more than address particularly severe violations of reli- China. 1,000,000 Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, gious freedom; Sec. 10. Classified report. and members of other Muslim minority (3) the Secretary of State should— SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. groups, separation of working age adults (A) work with United States allies and The purpose of this Act is to direct United from children and the elderly, and the inte- partners and through multilateral institu- States resources to address human rights gration of forced labor into supply chains. tions to condemn the mass arbitrary deten- violations and abuses, including gross viola- (5) Those detained in internment camps in tion of Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, tions of human rights, by the Government of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region have and members of other Muslim minority the People’s Republic of China through the described forced political indoctrination, groups in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Re- mass surveillance and internment of over torture, beatings, food deprivation, and de- gion; and 1,000,000 Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, nial of religious, cultural, and linguistic (B) coordinate closely with the inter- and members of other Muslim minority freedoms. These victims have confirmed that national community on targeted sanctions groups in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Re- they were told by guards that the only way and visa restrictions; gion. to secure their release was to demonstrate (4) the journalists of the Uyghur language SEC. 3. FINDINGS. sufficient political loyalty. Poor conditions service of Radio Free Asia should be com- Congress makes the following findings: and lack of medical treatment at such facili- mended for their reporting on the human (1) The Government of the People’s Repub- ties appear to have contributed to the deaths rights and political situation in Xinjiang lic of China has a long history of repressing of some detainees, including the elderly and Uyghur Autonomous Region despite efforts Turkic Muslims and other Muslim minority infirm. by the Government of the People’s Republic groups, particularly Uyghurs, in Xinjiang (6) Uyghurs and ethnic Kazakhs who have of China to silence or intimidate their re- Uyghur Autonomous Region. In recent dec- obtained permanent residence or citizenship porting through the detention of family ades, central and regional Chinese govern- in other countries report being subjected to members and relatives in China; ment policies have systematically discrimi- threats and harassment from Chinese offi- (5) the United States should expand the nated against these minority groups by de- cials. At least 5 journalists for Radio Free availability of and capacity for Uyghur lan- nying them a range of civil and political Asia’s Uyghur service have publicly detailed guage programming on Radio Free Asia in rights, including the freedom of expression, abuses their family members in Xinjiang Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; religion, and movement, and the right to a Uyghur Autonomous Region have endured in (6) the Federal Bureau of Investigation and fair trial. response to their work exposing the Govern- appropriate United States law enforcement (2) In May 2014, the Government of the ment of the People’s Republic of China’s abu- agencies should take steps to hold account- People’s Republic of China launched its lat- sive policies. able officials from the People’s Republic of est ‘‘Strike Hard Against Violent Extre- (7) In September 2018, United Nations High China or individuals acting on their behalf mism’’ campaign, using wide-scale, inter- Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle who harass, threaten, or intimidate persons nationally-linked threats of terrorism as a Bachelet noted in her first speech as High within the United States; and pretext to justify pervasive restrictions on Commissioner the ‘‘deeply disturbing allega- (7) United States companies and individ- and serious human rights violations of mem- tions of large-scale arbitrary detentions of uals selling goods or services or otherwise bers of ethnic minority communities in Uighurs and other Muslim communities, in operating in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Xinjiang
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