Sixteen U.S. Senators' Letter to Jiang Zemin last year

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

August 6, 1999

His Excellency

Jiang Zemin

President of the People's Republic of China

Beijing, China

Dear Mr. President:

As members of the United States Senate, we are deeply concerned about the official banning of Falun Gong and the arbitrary detention of some of its organizers and followers. While we do not necessarily endorse this group or its beliefs, we firmly support the fundamental human rights enumerated by the Chinese constitution and the international norms of freedom of belief, expression, and assembly. We therefore urge the immediate release of those detained and trust that none of them will be charged and tried for the peaceful expression of their beliefs.

There have also been disturbing reports of beatings and other mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners who were recently detained in cities across China, many of whom have since been released. We urge the Chinese government to thoroughly investigate these reports.

We are also concerned about the decree that the Ministry of Public Security issued on July 22, declaring a wide range of activities illegal and subject to prosecution, including distribution of Falun Gong materials, gatherings or silent sit-ins, marches or demonstrations, or other activities to promote Falun Gong. This decree seems to contradict the promises China made to protect basic human rights when it signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in October 1998.

China took positive steps by inviting the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance to visit China in 1994, and a high-level U.S. religious delegation to visit China and Tibet last March. However, these recent actions call into question China's willingness to accede to international norms by protecting rights of religious belief, freely and peacefully expressed.

A reversal of this ban and the release of those detained will help to improve the American public's view of China, as well as U.S.-China relations, and it will certainly help to enhance China's image in the international community. We hope that the Chinese government can take these affirmative steps.

We appreciate your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Tim Hutchinson (R-AR)

John Edwards (D-NC)

Russ Feingold (D-WI)

Herbert Kohl (D-WI)

Charles Schumer (D-NY)

Paul David Wellstone (D-MN)

Patrick Leahy (D-VT)

Edward Kennedy (D-MA)

Charles Robb (D-VA)

Jim Jeffords (R-VT)

J. Robert Kerrey (D-NE)

Charles Grassley (R-IA)

Don Nickles (R-OK)

Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)

Olympia Snowe (R-ME)

Susan Collins (R-ME)