*EPF208 09/05/00
Albright Discusses Second U.S. International Religious Freedom Report
(Calls Report "Indispensable Tool") (670)
By David Pitts
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Proclaiming that religious freedom has a "central role" in U.S. foreign policy, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright announced in New York September 5 that the second annual report on international religious freedom was being released.

In brief remarks, Albright, who was in New York for a U.N. gathering of world leaders, called the report an "indispensable tool" for promoting religious freedom, saying the ability of people around the world "to choose and proclaim their religious identity" is not just an American ideal, but an international obligation under the 1948 U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The report makes "grim reading," Albright continued. Religious intolerance and persecution "continues in many parts of the world," and she added: "Religious intolerance remains far too common in far too many countries," although she noted progress in some places, which she did not name.

Harold Koh, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor -- the State Department bureau responsible for preparing the report -- noted that its purpose is "not to impose American values on the world" or to promote any particular religion. Religious tolerance is an international obligation under Article 18 of UDHR, he added.

Robert Seiple, the State Department's ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, said, "millions are suffering for their faith around the world," a clear reason why the report is needed. He noted that it covers 194 countries and that there have been a few changes following the release of the first report at this time last year.

"It is more user friendly," Seiple, who will be leaving his post next week, noted. There is now a section on religious demography, a section on improvements in religious freedom over the last year, and a brief history of the office he leads.

Seiple urged the nations of the world to see the abundance of religions "as a strength not a weakness." He stressed: "The legitimate religions of the world are not something to be feared," especially by governments committed to the democratic ideal. He reiterated previous remarks saying the United States is not asking governments elsewhere to guarantee religious freedom "the American way," but rather to meet "international standards" to which they have consented.

In their preparatory remarks, neither Albright, Koh nor Seiple went into specifics about the report, other than a very brief reference to China and Sudan by Seiple. But in questions from reporters, specific country situations did come up. Seiple fielded most of them after Albright left the briefing room.

On China, Seiple said the report notes that there has been "a marked deterioration of religious freedom in China" over the last year, referring to new legislation there that has resulted in more crackdowns on religious freedom. Asked if President Clinton will raise the religious freedom issue when he meets with the Chinese leader September 8, Seiple declined to go into specifics. But Koh noted that the religious freedom issue is routinely discussed in bilateral meetings with other nations.

Asked if reports of greater religious tolerance in Cuba, which the annual report acknowledges, should lead to a more positive conclusion about the status of religious freedom in that nation, Seiple replied that "if we can confirm them," that will be addressed in subsequent reports. On Russia, Seiple said that country took a "giant step backward" over the last year, due to 1997 legislation that led to greater restrictions on religious freedom there.

The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 created an ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom at the State Department and mandated a State Department report once a year. Today marks the release of the second annual report. A bipartisan U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom also was created by the act.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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