U.S. Dept. of State - IIP: The United States and China

Texts: Rep. Lantos on 2008 Olympics Site Selection
(42 lawmakers oppose China's bid because of rights record)

Representative Tom Lantos (Democrat from California), the highest-ranking Democrat on the House International Relations Committee and co-chairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, has introduced a House resolution opposing the possible selection of China as the site for the 2008 Olympics.

In a March 21 press release announcing the resolution, Lantos said he had introduced the legislation because "China's abominable human rights record violates the spirit of the games and should disqualify Beijing from consideration."

The three original co-sponsors of the resolution are Christopher Cox (Republican from California), the fourth-highest ranking member of the House leadership after the Speaker of the House; Nancy Pelosi (Democrat from California), chairperson of the Congressional Working Group on China; and Frank Wolf (Republican from Virginia) co-chairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

Other Representatives who have signed on to the bill include Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt, Majority Whip Tom Delay, and Democratic Whip David Bonior, for a current total of 41 co-sponsors. Senators Jesse Helms (Republican from North Carolina), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Paul Wellstone (Democrat from Minnesota) also plan to introduce companion legislation in the Senate soon, the release says.

Tom Lantos
House Committee on International Relations
Ranking Democratic Member
LANTOS INTRODUCES RESOLUTION
OPPOSING CHINA'S 2008 OLYMPIC BID,
LEADS BI-PARTISAN COALITION SUPPORTING MEASURE

Congressman Tom Lantos (D-California), Ranking Democratic Member of the House International Relations Committee, today introduced a House Resolution opposing China's 2008 Olympic bid on human rights grounds. He announced the resolution at a press conference this morning, and was joined by Congressman Christopher Cox (R-California) and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-California), two original co-sponsors of the resolution. Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Virginia) is also an original co-sponsor.

"The International Olympics Committee should not grant the Chinese regime the privilege of hosting the 2008 Olympic Summer Games. Its repressive regime does not deserve the international legitimacy this honor bestows," Congressman Lantos said.

He cited China's human rights record as the reason for his opposition. "China's abominable human rights record violates the spirit of the games and should disqualify Beijing from consideration. As the State Department asserted in its annual Human Rights Report last month, China's human rights record has 'worsened' in the last year as the regime continues to commit 'numerous serious abuses.' Just when you thought that China's human rights situation could not get any worse, it has," he said.

Congressman Lantos drew a comparison with the 1936 Olympics held in Nazi Germany. "History shows that Olympic hosts gain immeasurably in international esteem. This goes for dictatorships as well as democracies. In 1936, for example, Germany was selected to host the Olympics. Jesse Owens' heroics notwithstanding, Hitler basked in the international limelight the games afforded him." A native of Hungary, Mr. Lantos is the first Holocaust survivor ever elected to the United States Congress.

Congressman Lantos also praised the Chinese people and expressed his hope that the Olympics would be held in Beijing someday. "I look forward to the day when the Olympics will be held in Beijing. China is one of the world's great civilizations, rich in history and culture. I have the deepest admiration and respect for the people of China. The Chinese people deserve the games. China's repressive regime, however, does not."

The resolution enjoys bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, with 41 co-sponsors total, including Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt, Majority Whip Tom Delay, and Democratic Whip David Bonior. Senators Jesse Helms (R-North Carolina) and Senator Paul Wellstone (D-Minnesota) plan to introduce companion legislation in the Senate soon.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 21, 2001 FOR INFORMATION CALL: Matt Gobush - (202) 225-6735

TEXT OF RESOLUTION SUBMITTED TODAY (March 21, 2001) (no bill number assigned yet):

Expressing the sense of Congress that the 2008 Olympic Games should not be held in Beijing unless the Government of the People's Republic of China releases all political prisoners, ratifies the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and observes internationally recognized human rights.

Whereas the International Olympic Committee is in the process of determining the venue of the Olympic Games in the year 2008 and is scheduled to make that decision at the IOC meeting scheduled for Moscow in July 2001;

Whereas the city of Beijing has made a proposal to the International Olympic Committee that the summer Olympic Games in the year 2008 be held in Beijing;

Whereas the Olympic Charter states that Olympism and the Olympic ideal seek to foster "respect for universal fundamental ethical principles";

Whereas the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 48/11 (October 25, 1993) recognized "that the Olympic goal of the Olympic Movement is to build a peaceful and better world by educating the youth of the world through sport, practiced without discrimination of any kind and the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding, promoted by friendship, solidarity and fair play";

Whereas United National General Assembly Resolution 50/13 (November 7, 1995) stressed "the importance of the principles of the Olympic charter, according to which any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, sex or otherwise is incompatible with the Olympic Movement";

Whereas the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2000 reports the following:

(1) "The [Chinese] government continued to commit widespread and well-documented human rights abuses, in violation of internationally accepted norms.".

(2) "Abuses included instances of extra judicial killings, the use of torture, forced confessions, arbitrary arrest and detention, the mistreatment of prisoners, lengthy incommunicado detention, and denial of due process.".

(4) "The Government maintained tight restrictions on freedom of speech and of the press, and increased its efforts to control the Internet; self-censorship by journalists continued.".

(5) "The Government severely restricted freedom of assembly and continued to restrict freedom of association.".

(6) "The Government continued to restrict freedom of religion and intensified controls on some unregistered churches.".

(8) "The Government does not permit independent domestic nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to monitor publicly human rights conditions.".

(9) "[The Government has not stopped] violence against women (including coercive family planning practices--which sometimes include forced abortion and forced sterilization).".

(10) "The Government continued to restrict tightly worker rights, and forced labor in prison facilities remains a serious problem. Child labor exists and appears to be a growing problem in rural areas as adult workers leave for better employment opportunities in urban areas.".

(11) "Some minority groups, particularly Tibetan Buddhists and Muslim Uighurs, came under increasing pressure as the Government clamped down on dissent and `separatist' activities.";

Whereas the egregious human rights abuses committed by the Government of the People's Republic of China are inconsistent with the Olympic ideal;

Whereas 119 Chinese dissidents and relatives of imprisoned political prisoners, from 22 provinces and cities, issued an open letter on January 16, 2001, signed at enormous political risk which expresses the "grief and indignation for each of China's political prisoners and their families", asks the Chinese Government to release all of China's political prisoners, and asserts that the release of China's political prisoners will improve "Beijing's stature in its bid for the 2008 Olympics"; and

Whereas, although the Government of the People's Republic of China signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1998, but has failed to ratify the treaty, and has indicated that it will not fully implement the recently ratified International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress--

(1) acknowledges and supports the January 16, 2001, open letter released by Chinese dissidents and the families of imprisoned Chinese political prisoners stating that the release of China's political prisoners would improve Beijing's stature in its bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games;

(2) expresses the view that, consistent with its stated principles, the International Olympic Committee should not award the 2008 Olympics to Beijing unless the Government of the People's Republic of China releases all of China's political prisoners, ratifies the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights without major reservations, fully implements the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and observes internationally recognized human rights;

(3) calls for the creation of an international Beijing Olympic Games Human Rights Campaign in the event that Beijing receives the Olympics to focus international pressure on the Government of the People's Republic of China to grant a general amnesty for all political prisoners prior to the commencement of the 2008 Olympics as well as to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

(4) calls on the Secretary of State to endorse publicly the creation of the Beijing Olympic Games Human Rights Campaign in the event that Beijing receives the Olympics, and to utilize all necessary diplomatic resources to encourage other nations to endorse and support the campaign as well, focusing particular attention on member states of the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Japan, Canada, Australia, the Nordic countries, and all other countries engaged in human rights dialogue with China;

(5) requests that the President, during his expected participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit in Shanghai in October 2001, call for the release of all Chinese political prisoners and Chinese ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

(6) recommends that the Congressional-Executive Commission on the People's Republic of China, established under title III of the U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-286), devote significant resources to monitoring any violations of the rights of political dissidents and political prisoners, or other increased abuses of internationally-recognized human rights, in the preparation to the 2008 Olympic Games and during the Olympic Games themselves; and

(7) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit a copy of this resolution to the senior International Olympic Committee representative in the United States with the request that it be circulated to all members of the Committee.

Lantos Cox Pelosi Wolf Gephardt DeLay Bonior Menendez Smith (NJ) Sherman Capuano Brown (OH) Blagojevich Horn DeFazio Woolsey Hoyer Evans Frank Abercrombie Payne Wynn Hoeffel Kaptur Wamp Rohrabacher Faleomavaega Brady (PA) George Miller Diaz-Balart Pallone Berkley Lee Strickland Jones (NC) Stark Kirk Gutierrez Slaughter Engel Lewis (GA)

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