[House Hearing, 114 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
REGARDING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF DEMOCRACY IN MONGOLIA; CONCERN
REGARDING PERSISTENT AND CREDIBLE REPORTS OF SYSTEMATIC, STATE-
SANCTIONED ORGAN HARVESTING FROM NON-CONSENTING PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA; AND RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
OF SINGAPOREAN INDEPENDENCE AND REAFFIRMING SINGAPORE'S CLOSE
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES
=======================================================================
MARKUP
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON
H. Res. 339, H. Res. 343 and H. Res. 374
__________
JANUARY 12, 2016
__________
Serial No. 114-146
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
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COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida BRAD SHERMAN, California
DANA ROHRABACHER, California GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey
JOE WILSON, South Carolina GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida
TED POE, Texas BRIAN HIGGINS, New York
MATT SALMON, Arizona KAREN BASS, California
DARRELL E. ISSA, California WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts
TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island
JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina ALAN GRAYSON, Florida
MO BROOKS, Alabama AMI BERA, California
PAUL COOK, California ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas GRACE MENG, New York
SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania LOIS FRANKEL, Florida
RON DeSANTIS, Florida TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas
TED S. YOHO, Florida ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois
CURT CLAWSON, Florida BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania
SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee
REID J. RIBBLE, Wisconsin
DAVID A. TROTT, Michigan
LEE M. ZELDIN, New York
DANIEL DONOVAN, New York
Amy Porter, Chief of Staff Thomas Sheehy, Staff Director
Jason Steinbaum, Democratic Staff Director
------
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
MATT SALMON, Arizona Chairman
DANA ROHRABACHER, California BRAD SHERMAN, California
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio AMI BERA, California
TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
MO BROOKS, Alabama GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania GRACE MENG, New York
SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee
C O N T E N T S
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Page
MARKUP OF
H. Res. 339, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives
regarding the 25th anniversary of democracy in Mongolia........ 2
Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 339 offered
by the Honorable Matt Salmon, a Representative in Congress
from the State of Arizona, and chairman, Subcommittee on Asia
and the Pacific.............................................. 6
Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to
H. Res. 339 offered by the Honorable Matt Salmon......... 10
H. Res. 343, Expressing concern regarding persistent and credible
reports of systematic, state-sanctioned organ harvesting from
non-consenting prisoners of conscience in the People's Republic
of China, including from large numbers of Falun Gong practition 11
Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 343 offered
by the Honorable Gerald E. Connolly, a Representative in
Congress from the Commonwealth of Virginia................... 17
H. Res. 374, Recognizing the 50th anniversary of Singaporean
independence and reaffirming Singapore's close partnership with
the United States.............................................. 22
Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 374 offered
by the Honorable Matt Salmon................................. 26
Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.
Res. 374 offered by the Honorable Brad Sherman, a
Representative in Congress from the State of California...... 34
APPENDIX
Markup notice.................................................... 38
Markup minutes................................................... 39
Markup summary................................................... 40
REGARDING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF DEMOCRACY IN MONGOLIA; CONCERN
REGARDING PERSISTENT AND CREDIBLE REPORTS OF SYSTEMATIC, STATE-
SANCTIONED ORGAN HARVESTING FROM NON-CONSENTING PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA; AND RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
OF SINGAPOREAN INDEPENDENCE AND REAFFIRMING SINGAPORE'S CLOSE
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES
----------
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:24 p.m., in
room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Matt Salmon
(chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
Mr. Salmon. The subcommittee will come to order. We meet
today pursuant to notice to mark up three bipartisan measures.
As your offices have been notified, it is the intent of the
Chair to consider en bloc the following items, which were
previously provided to members and are in your folders: First,
House Resolution 339, expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives regarding the 25th anniversary of democracy in
Mongolia; the Salmon amendment 104 in the nature of a
substitute to H. Res. 339; and the Salmon second degree
amendment 105 to amendment 104.
We also have House Resolution 343, expressing concern
regarding persistent and credible reports of systematic state-
sanctioned organ harvesting from non-consenting prisoners of
conscience in the People's Republic of China, including from
large numbers of Falun Gong practitioners and members of other
religious and ethnic minority groups. With that, we will be
voting on the Connolly amendment No. 66 in the nature of a
substitute to H. Res. 343.
And, finally, House Resolution 374, recognizing the 50th
anniversary of the Singaporean independence and reaffirming
Singapore's close partnership with the United States. And, with
that, Salmon amendment 103 in the nature of a substitute to H.
Res. 374.
And, without objection, these items are considered as read
and will be considered en bloc.
[The information referred to follows:]H. Res.
339 deg.
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Mr. Salmon. I now recognize members to speak on these items
beginning with myself and the ranking member.
Today we consider three resolutions: Resolution 339, on
Mongolia's 25 years of democracy; Resolution 343, on the
People's Republic of China state-sanctioned organ harvesting;
and Resolution 374, reaffirming Singapore's partnership with
the United States.
First, we turn to H. Res. 339, sponsored by Representative
Joe Pitts from Pennsylvania. This resolution recognizes
Mongolia's success as a young democracy and free market system
which has emerged from the fall of the Soviet Union. Mongolia
evolved from a one-party Communist state to a democracy upon
the introduction of its Constitution in 1992. Since then,
Mongolia has held six Presidential and parliamentary elections,
each deemed generally free and fair by the State Department.
The United States strongly supports democracy promotion around
the Globe and will continue to work with Mongolia to promote
peace, stability, and other good things in the region.
This legislation encourages the U.S. Government to expand
academic, cultural, and people-to-people partnerships with
Mongolia to ensure this beacon of democracy in Asia endures.
I offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute that
gives the recognition to Mongolia's open government initiative
and substantial U.N. peacekeeping efforts.
I have an additional amendment to offer that recognizes
Mongolia's eligibility for the Millennium Challenge Corporation
Fiscal Year 2015 compact assistance.
I urge my colleagues to support both of these amendments
and the underlying resolution.
Next, I would like to express my support for the
consideration of H. Res. 343, condemning Chinese state-
sanctioned forced organ harvesting. This legislation, sponsored
by our colleague Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida,
has the support of 152 cosponsors. Reports allege that tens of
thousands of Chinese detainees, largely associated with the
Falun Gong, fell victim to nonconsensual organ harvesting while
still alive. H. Res. 343 encourages China to end the practice
of organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience and calls on
the Department of State to provide an analysis of these
activities.
Representative Gerry Connolly from Virginia will offer an
amendment in the nature of a substitute that provides further
information on the practice of organ harvesting in China, and I
encourage my colleagues to support this measure as well.
Finally, we consider H. Res. 374, which reaffirms the
United States' important economic and security partnership with
Singapore. I would like to recognize and welcome the attendance
of Mr. Denny Heck of Washington. Mr. Heck, along with Mr.
Bradley Byrne of Alabama, introduced this resolution and are
the co-chairs of the Congressional Singapore Caucus.
Since the Republic of Singapore gained independence in
1965, this city-state has been a critical regional partner of
the United States. The United States-Singapore economic
relationship has been vibrant, especially since the U.S.-
Singapore Free Trade Agreement was signed in 2004, the first
bilateral trade agreement between the United States and an
Asian country.
In 2014, Singapore was the United States' 18th largest
trading partner, and we are pleased that Singapore is part of
the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. The United
States welcomes it broadening military partnership with
Singapore based on the 1990 memorandum of understanding for a
continued security presence and the 2015 defense cooperation
agreement. This resolution also underscores Singapore's
commitment to peaceful resolution of disputes, such as those in
the South China Sea. As the United States works to implement
the rebalance to Asia, Singapore will undoubtedly play an
incredibly important partner in that process.
Given the storied history of the United States-Singapore
relationship, it is important to recognize this relationship,
especially on the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic
relations.
I offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute that
reflects additional U.S.-Singapore cooperative efforts. In the
face of a deteriorating security environment in Asia-Pacific,
reaffirming this partnership is critical. This resolution is an
important part of this affirmation. I encourage my colleagues
to support the measure.
These measures will be considered en bloc, and I urge the
subcommittee's support for all three measures.
I now recognize the ranking member for his comment on
today's procedures.
Mr. Sherman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the
bipartisan approach you are taking.
There are two, I think, noncontroversial--completely
noncontroversial--bills. The first deals with Mongolia. I will,
of course, support the bill and your amendment to it as well.
Democracy has been thriving in Mongolia for 25 years. This bill
recognizes the 25th anniversary of that democracy, and
recommends the U.S. Government expand academic, cultural, and
other people-to-people partnerships between Mongolia and the
United States. It advocates and urges Mongolia to further
develop democratic institutions, promote transparency,
accountability, and community engagement. This is a country
with a truly amazing history, and I join you in supporting the
bill.
The other noncontroversial bill deals with Singapore. I
commend Mr. Heck for being here and for offering this
resolution. Singapore was established in its independence 50
years ago. The country's history began in a unique way, being
expelled from Malaysia in August 1965. After that separation,
the fledgling nation had to become self-sufficient and faced
problems, including mass unemployment, housing shortages, lack
of land, and a lack of virtually all natural resources. Not
only does this resolution commemorate the 50th anniversary of
Singapore's independence, but it highlights the strong
bilateral cooperation between the United States and Singapore.
And I might add that Singapore is one of the very few
countries in Asia where we have a trade surplus, and I look
forward to looking at that trade relationship and seeing if we
can replicate it with others in Asia.
Turning to the third resolution dealing with the Falun
Gong, China's human rights record is abysmal. Its treatment of
religion and those who wish to practice religion is abysmal. It
appears that Beijing simply fears anything it does not control.
If they were providing open government in which all could
participate, they would have far less to fear. We should
specifically condemn China's treatment of Falun Gong members,
who have faced perhaps more discrimination and more retribution
and more mistreatment than any other religion in China; though,
there are many others that could argue that they, too, are
subject to that abuse.
But there are parts of this resolution that do give me
pause. In particular, the second full ``whereas'' clause on
page 3 of the amendment in the nature of a substitute, which
says: ``Whereas researcher and journalist Ethan Gutmann
estimates that approximately 65,000 Falun Gong adherents''--and
this is a strange phrase--``may have been''--and then it goes
on to say--``killed for their organs from 2000 to 2008.'' I
can't find anyone in the human rights community, any of the
established human rights organizations, to lend their
credibility to this as even a reasonable estimate.
It also gives me pause to say that a researcher determines
that a certain number may have been killed. The chairman points
out that he believes that people's organs were harvested when
they were alive. This clause talks about them being killed. I
think this resolution would be preferable if it simply deleted
this ``whereas'' clause, or--and I may offer this as an
amendment in the full committee; I will not offer an amendment
here--if we said: Okay, it is indeed true that Ethan Gutmann
has this estimate, but others concerned with human rights,
those who are focused on human rights in Asia and in China, do
not subscribe to that estimate.
Either way, I think that this resolution can be improved.
And it is factually true that Ethan Gutmann does put out this
estimate. But when you cite the estimate in a ``whereas''
clause in a resolution, you are not only making a statement of
fact; you are citing it and giving it credibility. And I think
that at a maximum, we should delete this. As a minimum, we
should qualify it by indicating that others who are very
concerned with human rights in China don't embrace this. Again,
that would be something for the full committee and not the
subcommittee.
And I will yield to the chairman.
Mr. Salmon. I am not particularly married to that
``whereas'' clause, and if that is something that is causing
the gentleman some concern, I would entertain a motion for that
clause being stricken or modified.
Mr. Sherman. I will make that motion. I will make the
motion that we simply delete that ``whereas'' clause beginning
with the word ``whereas'' and ending with the word ``targeted''
as it appears as the second full ``whereas'' clause on page 3
of the Connolly amendment in the nature of a substitute. That
is my motion.
[The information referred to follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Mr. Salmon. And I would be very, very supportive of that.
Without objection, then--if there is no objection on the
panel, then I am going to go ahead and strike that.
Without objection, so ordered.
Okay.
Anything else?
Mr. Sherman. That is it.
Mr. Salmon. We aim to please.
Mr. Sherman. I commend Mr. Heck.
Mr. Salmon. We did.
Mr. Sherman. But we didn't do it enough. You can never do
it enough.
Mr. Salmon. We could make it into a song.
No, I am very, very pleased that you are here. And trying
to observe the rules of the committee as far as speaking, but,
Mr. Heck, this wouldn't have come to the floor, this Singapore
resolution, without your great work, and we very, very much
appreciate it, and thanks for being here today.
Mr. Rohrabacher.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Thank you very much.
And I rise in support of these three pieces of legislation.
First and foremost, let us remember that Mongolia, the people
there have been courageous in their implementation of an
entirely new economic system at a time when they are in a
relatively isolated area of the world. There was great hardship
there in Mongolia while they were transitioning out of the
Soviet economy. And it is much to the credit of the people of
Mongolia that they were able to stick it out, and they actually
have maintained a Democratic government and were able to move
forward and now I think are exemplary in the way they have
conducted their own society, again, starting way behind the
curve 25 years ago.
Next is Singapore, and let us note this about Singapore,
Singapore, too, also started with much of a handicap. If you
take a look at Singapore the people of Singapore had less land,
fewer resources, and more people than China, and so you have
what appears to be a country with a lot of liabilities and not
many assets. But they have turned that country--in a 50-year
period, Singapore has become exemplary to the world of a
society that works.
And it was my honor to meet President Lee in Singapore, the
first President Lee. I haven't met his son yet, but President
Lee was a dramatic leader who made that country work, as I say,
with few resources, lots of people. Unlike China, they never,
for example, went to a one-child policy, yet they established a
country in which, because of the prosperity level of their
people, you had basically a stable population without having to
have the draconian and antifreedom policies that we saw in
China, which the Chinese have just recently backed off on.
Lastly, about our friends in the Falun Gong and China,
talking about China, the Falun Gong, while I agree with Brad,
with my good friend, Mr. Sherman, that, yes, maybe there isn't
an exact reading on this, you can't get an exact reading from a
dictatorship, from a group of gangsters. You cannot get an
exact reading on how many people they have murdered in order to
sell their body parts.
Yeah, the only way we could express it is ``may,'' but we
can say, for the record--and I put it on the record now--there
have been many investigations into this, especially by
parliamentarians from Canada, who I have spoken to personally,
who went into China, documented how many prisoners, Falun Gong
prisoners, were taken to certain prisons and how many didn't
come out. And the fact that those very same prisons were the
prisons in which body parts were being sold to people from the
West and other places. So although, yeah, you can't say, ``No,
there may be body parts being sold there,'' because they are
not going to show you this, but when you have a dictatorship,
this is just about as proven as it gets.
The Falun Gong, by the way, are people who have no violent
threat to anybody. Falun Gong are people who believe in
meditation and yoga and are peaceful people. The fact that the
Chinese Communist leadership still feels compelled to murder
the Falun Gong to try to destroy it as an option for the
Chinese people speaks a lot about the nature of the Chinese
regime today. It is an evil regime that continues to put people
in jail, murder them, and sell their body parts because they
are part of a pacifist organization.
So all of this I think we should make sure we heed in these
three pieces of legislation.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership.
Mr. Salmon. Mr. Chabot, did you have an opening statement?
Mr. Chabot. Yes, it is very brief, Mr. Chairman. I want to
thank you, and I want to commend you and the ranking member for
bringing all three of these bills before the committee today.
And I will speak just briefly on H. Res. 343, a bill that
expresses concern, as my colleague indicated, in regards to
China's state-sanctioned harvesting of organs from prisoners,
particularly members of the Falun Gong and other religious and
ethnic minorities. And I know I have met with many Falun Gong
practitioners from my district in past years who have brought
me all kinds of horrific stories about what they either
experienced themselves in China or others that they know of or
relatives that are still there. And it is unbelievable that
this happens in the 21st century.
I brought similar legislation before this committee when I
was chair, and I am pleased to see that the subcommittee is
raising awareness of the issue by bringing this matter before
the subcommittee again. China's organ harvesting, it is
deplorable, and it is sad to me to think, again, that in 2016
this heinous practice is still occurring. China continues to
deny that organs are taken from prisoners without consent, but
there is still no independent verification of a state-sponsored
organ transplant system. And it is our duty as the leader of
the free world to continue to call on China to end this
disgraceful barbarism.
And I yield back.
Mr. Salmon. I thank the gentleman.
Do any other members on the panel seek any recognition for
opening statements?
If not, then the question occurs on the adopting the items,
as amended, en bloc.
All those in favor, say aye.
Those opposed, say no.
In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and the en
bloc items are approved.
Without objection, H. Res. 339, H. Res. 343, and H. Res.
374, as amended, will be reported favorably to the full
committee. And the staff is directed to make any technical and
conforming changes.
I would like to thank all members and staff for the
assistance and cooperation that went into today's markup, and I
would like now to move into the hearing side of the--I am
sorry. I will adjourn the markup, and I will go ahead and
convene the next meaning, which is a hearing dealing with human
rights in China, and I will allow the panelists time to take
the dais.
[Whereupon, at 2:44 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
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