Congressional Record—House H5359
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June 29, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5359 were never expected to win, but they In mainland China, Mr. Speaker, the CLOSE defeated the number 1, the number 2, Chinese Government continues to jail In Mainland China, the Chinese government and the number 4 seed teams by a com- journalists, human rights lawyers, continues to jail journalists, human rights law- bined score of 25–2. those fighting to practice their own re- yers, those fighting to practice their own reli- So, Mr. Speaker, once again, I would ligion, and democracy activists at an gion and democracy activists at an alarming just like to congratulate this hard- alarming rate. And the Chinese Gov- rate. working team of student athletes, their ernment is brutally trying to erase the And the Chinese Government is brutally try- coaches, and their parents for their religion, culture, and language of the ing to erase the religion, culture and language State Championship win. This really Tibetan people. of the Tibetan people. does go to show that perseverance and America has a moral duty to speak America has a moral duty to speak out in hard work pay off. out in defense of the legitimate polit- defense of the legitimate political aspirations f ical aspirations of the people of Hong of the people of Hong Kong. RECOGNIZING THE 20TH ANNIVER- Kong. If we do not speak out for human If we do not speak out for human rights in SARY OF HONG KONG’S TRANS- rights in China because of economic China because of economic concerns, then FER TO CHINA concerns, then we lose all moral au- we lose all moral authority to talk about (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given thority to talk about human rights in human rights in any other place in the world. permission to address the House for 1 any other place in the world. As we mark this solemn anniversary, we minute and to revise and extend her re- As we mark this solemn 20th anniver- must stand up for all those who are demand- marks.) sary, we must stand up for all who are ing the promises of ‘one country, two systems’ Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, in 1984, be- demanding the promises of ‘‘one coun- be honored. fore the United Kingdom handed Hong try, two systems’’ be honored. Kong over to China, the Chinese Gov- INTRO—JOINT DECLARATION f ernment promised ‘‘a high degree of au- In 1984, before the United Kingdom handed tonomy’’ for the territory in the Joint over Hong Kong to China, the Chinese gov- THE LAST BATTLE FOR Declaration on the Question of Hong ernment promised ‘a high degree of autonomy’ DEMOCRACY IN VENEZUELA for the territory in the Joint Declaration on the Kong: providing for an independent ex- (Mr. FASO asked and was given per- Question of Hong Kong: ecutive, legislature, and judiciary; en- mission to address the House for 1 suring the freedom of speech, press, as- —providing for an independent executive, legislature and judiciary; minute and to revise and extend his re- sembly, and religion; prohibiting the marks.) central government from interfering —ensuring the freedom of speech, press, assembly and religion; Mr. FASO. Mr. Speaker, as we plan into the affairs that Hong Kong admin- to celebrate Independence Day on the isters on its own according to the Basic —prohibiting the central government from Fourth of July, it is important for us Law; and pledging a path to universal interfering in the affairs that Hong Kong ad- also to recognize a human rights trag- suffrage. ministers on its own according to the Basic In 1997, when the handover occurred, Law; edy and an abomination of democracy America was hopeful that the people of —and pledging a path to universal suffrage. as totalitarian rulers of Venezuela are Hong Kong would achieve the free, In 1997, when the handover occurred, suppressing their people in our south- democratic future they deserved. But 2 America was hopeful that the people of Hong ern hemisphere. decades later, we see China’s promise Kong would achieve the free, democratic fu- To call attention to this tragic situa- of ‘‘one country, two systems’’ is not ture they deserved. tion where thousands of people are being met. The Chinese have not hon- But two decades later, we see China’s being suppressed, where armed mobs ored that promise, and the British Gov- promise of ‘one country, two systems’ is not are running around the streets intimi- ernment has ignored it. being met. The Chinese have not honored that dating people, and where Venezuelans Since 2014’s ‘‘Umbrella Revolution,’’ promise, and the British have ignored it. cannot achieve the basic necessities of the people of Hong Kong have faced a RECENT CRACKDOWN life, I include in the RECORD an article barrage of unjust and harsh restric- Since 2014’s ‘Umbrella Revolution,’ the peo- that recently appeared in The Wall tions on their freedoms. Hong Kong’s ple of Hong Kong have faced a barrage of un- Street Journal, ‘‘The Last Battle for pro-Beijing government is slapping just and harsh restrictions on their freedoms. Democracy in Venezuela,’’ and to call democratically elected opposition law- Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing government is attention to the human rights tragedy makers with expensive lawsuits in a slapping democratically-elected opposition which is occurring in South America. backhanded attempt to disqualify lawmakers with expensive lawsuits in a back- [From The Wall Street Journal, June 23, them from their seats. handed attempt to disqualify them from their 2017] Peaceful activists are being rounded seats. THE LAST BATTLE FOR DEMOCRACY IN up and detained by the hundreds for ex- Peaceful activists are being rounded up and VENEZUELA ercising their right to protest the new detained by the hundreds for exercising their Under Nicola´ s Maduro, a county that had government. right to protest the new government. been one of Latin America’s wealthiest is Five booksellers were abducted, Five booksellers were abducted, smuggled having its democratic institutions shred- smuggled across the border to China across the border to China and forced to con- ded amid rising poverty and corruption and forced to confess—so-called con- fess their so-called crimes on national tele- (By David Luhnow and Jose´ de Cordoba) fess—their so-called crimes on national vision—simply because their employer sold Almost two decades after Venezuela’s late television, simply because their em- books critical of Beijing. president, Hugo Cha´ vez, came to power in an ployer sold books critical of Beijing. WONG ARREST electoral landslide, his country’s trans- And, just this week, the democracy And, just this week, the democracy activists formation seems to be taking an ominous activists and heroes of the ‘‘Umbrella and heroes of the ‘Umbrella Movement’, Josh- new turn. A country that was once one of Movement,’’ Joshua Wong and Nathan ua Wong and Nathan Law, were arrested one America’s wealthiest is seeing its demo- Law, were arrested while peacefully cratic institutions collapse, leading to levels while peacefully protesting the visit of Chinese of disease, hunger and dysfunction more protesting the visit of Chinese Presi- President Xi Jinping—where they unfurled a often seen in war-torn nations than oil-rich dent Xi Jinping, where they unfurled a banner in support of Liu Xiaobo. ones. banner in support of Liu Xiaobo. This egregious attempt at smothering free Mr. Cha´ vez’s successor, President Nicola´ s Mr. Speaker, I want to commend this speech is alarming, illegal and deserves the Maduro, has called for a National Constitu- body, especially our colleague, Con- swift condemnation of the international com- tional Assembly to be elected on July 30 to gressman CHRIS SMITH of New Jersey, munity. draft a new constitution, in which ill-defined for the resolution that he put forth We must honor the protestors’ chant—‘the communal councils will take the place of earlier, a resolution that recognized world is watching’—and condemn the arrest of Venezuela’s traditional governing institu- Liu Xiaobo’s contribution to demo- tions, such as state governments and the op- Wong and the other demonstrators. position-dominated Congress. The new as- cratic freedoms as a global hero, and Unfortunately, Beijing shows absolutely zero sembly appears to be rigged to heavily rep- urging the Chinese Government to signs of ceasing its aggressive campaign of resent groups that back the government. allow him to seek medical care wher- intimidation against democracy and human The Maduro government says that the new ever, including in the United States. rights activists. assembly will find a peaceful way forward for VerDate Sep 11 2014 07:15 Jun 30, 2017 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K29JN7.094 H29JNPT1 lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with HOUSE H5360 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 29, 2017 a country enduring an economic depression seized. ‘‘I’m a hostage in my own country,’’ tions of corruption, economic mismanage- and standing on the brink of civil conflict. he said. ment and repression as part of an ‘‘economic The government says it is building on the Amid the economic crisis and protests, the war’’ being waged by Venezuela’s private sec- legacy of Mr. Cha´ vez, a military man who government has headed down an increasingly tor, in cahoots with the U.S., to destabilize vowed to fight corruption, dismantle the authoritarian path. It has raised the number and overthrow the socialist government. venal old political establishment and be a of political prisoners over the past year to As in many petrostates, oil accounts for voice for millions of poor Venezuelans. But 391, according to the Venezuelan human- 95% of Venezuela’s foreign-currency earn- the opposition, which is boycotting the as- rights group Foro Penal—nearly four times ings.