Subject: HQ NR #7066: The US Congress Concurrent Resolution on Mr. Wei Jingsheng Passed in House Asia & Pacific Subcommittee

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 1995 19:35:26 -0500

*  *  *    N E W S   R E L E A S E # 7066   *  *  *
             _________   December 6, 1995   __________

   [[[[[[  [[[[[[[[[[    [[[[[[       [[[[[[[      [[[[[[[
    [[[     [[[        [[[    [[[   [[[    [[[   [[[    [[[    ______
    [[[     [[[       [[[          [[[          [[[
   [[[     [[[[[[[[  [[[            [[[[[        [[[[[
   [[[     [[[       [[[               [[[[[        [[[[[    ______
  [[[     [[[        [[[                  [[[          [[[  ____
  [[[     [[[         [[[    [[[  [[[[   [[[   [[[[   [[[
[[[[[[  [[[[[[         [[[[[[[     [[[[[[[[     [[[[[[[[

&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^
IFCSS Foundation, Inc. 733 15th Street, NW  Suite 440 Washington,
     D.C. 20005   Tel: (202) 347-0017      Fax: (202) 347-0018
&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=&=

    The US Congress Concurrent Resolution on Mr. Wei Jingsheng 
       Passed in U.S. House Asia & The Pacific Subcommittee

A bill, designated as H.Con.Res 117 and regarding concerning writer,
political philosopher, human rights advocate,  and Nobel Peace Prize
nominee Wei Jingsheng,  was  introduced  by Smith of New Jersey, co-
sponsored by Gilman, Pelosi,  Wolf,  Solomon,  Lantos,  Cox, Berman, 
Rohrabacher, and Gejdenson),  and  adpoted  in  House Asia & Pacific
Subcommittee this afternoon.  It  is widely  estimated that the bill 
will pass the full Committee, reach the floor, and be finally appro-
ved by both House and Senate quickly.

The IFCSS Headquarters fully supports the bill.   And we hereby pre-
sent you, the full content of the resolution for your reference.

                        ___   ___   ___

           104th Congress 1st Session H. Con. Res. 117

                     Concurrent Resolution
                       December 6th, 1995

Whereas Wei Jingsheng is a writer, political philosopher,  and human 
rights advocate who is widely known and respected in China and thro-
ughout the world;

Whereas on November 21, 1995,  the Government of the People's Repub-
lic of China announced the arrest of Wei Jingsheng and its intention 
to try him for "attempting to overthrow the government";

Whereas prior to this announcement Wei had been detained since April
1994 without formal charges or the opportunity to  communicate  with 
his family or with legal counsel,     in violation of Article of the 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international stand-
ards prohibiting arbitary arrest and detention;

Whereas the government had previously imprisoned Wei from 1979 until 
1993 on a charge of "spreading counterrevolutionary propaganda"  for 
his peaceful participation in the Democracy Wall movement;

Whereas Wei's analysis of democracy in 1979 as  a  necessary  "fifth
modernization" was an important theoretical and practical  contribu-
tion to the movement for freedom and democracy in China and also  to modern
political philosophy;

Whereas during his long imprisonment  Wei  was  subjected to torture 
and other ill treatment which left him in extremely poor health;

Whereas after his release in 1993 Wei devoted his time to  humanita-
rian activities,    including visiting and assisting the families of victims
of the June 4, 1989, massacre at Tiananmen Square,   as well 
as the surviving victims themselves,    and   assisting the civilian 
efforts to secure compensation for damages  caused  to  the  Chinese 
people by the Japanese Government during World War II;

Whereas, far  from  advocating  an "overthrow"  of the Government of 
China, Wei has been a strong advocate of non-violence and a peaceful
transtion to democracy;

Whereas Wei was regarded as a leading contender for  the  1995 Nobel 
Peace Prize,   having  been nominated by parliamentarians throughout 
the world, including 58 members of the United States Congress,   and
endorsed by hundreds of prominent human  rights  advocates including 
past Nobel Laureates  Oscar  Arias Sanchez,   Elie Wiesel,   and His 
Holiness the Dalai Lama;

Whereas Wei was also the recipient of the 1995 Olaf Palme Foundation Award,
the 1994 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award,  and  the 1993 Gleitsman
Foundation International Activist Award; and

Whereas because of his great courage, the force of  his  ideas,  and 
his long unjust imprisonment Wei has come to embody the  aspirations 
of the people of  China  for democracy and for the enjoyment of free speech
and other universal and inalienable  human  rights,  and  his 
fate has come to symbolize their fate:

Now, therefore, be it

Reseloved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the United States Congress  --

(1). Urges the immediate and unconditional release of Wei Jingsheng
     and the dismissal of all charges against him;

(2). urges, in the event Wei Jingsheng is not immidiately released,
     that he be  afforded  all   internationally   recognized human 
     rights, including the right to consult freely with counsel  of 
     his choice,  to assist in the preparation of his defense,  and 
     to communicate with his family, and that his trial be open  to 
     the domestic and foreign press, to diplomatic observers,   and 
     to international human rights monitors;

(3). urges the United States Department of States to make the rele-
     ase of Wei Jingsheng and the protection of his internationally
recognized human rights among its primary objectives in  rela-
     tions with the Government of China,   and that it raise  these 
     issues forcefully and effectively in every available bilateral 
     and multilateral forum, and

(4). recommends that Wei Jingsheng once again be nominated and car-
     efully considered for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996.

*********************************************************************
* PBS-L is IFCSS's news distribution list for individuals. To sign  *
* on or off from the list, please send email to [email-masked]  *
* leave the subject line open and put in the mail body:             *
*    (For signing on)      sub PBS-L last name first name           *
*    (For signing off)     unsub PBS-L last name first name         *
* For more information about IFCSS, write to [email-masked]   *
*********************************************************************