August 22, 2001

(CNSNews.com) - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued a report recently with regards to nine countries that it has suggested to the State Department for designation as "countries of particular concern."

The commission selected Burma, China, Iran, Iraq, Laos, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Turkmenistan for review by the State Department. Its findings were reported in a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell on August 16.

"The Commission reviewed the evidence that it has at its disposal. This includes the State Department's report on religious freedom and human rights reports," said Lawrence J. Goodrich, director of Communications for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

"It includes our monitoring of news reports, religious organizations, human rights groups and objective groups," Goodrich said of the selection process.

Of the countries nominated this year, Burma, China, Iran, Iraq and Sudan were designated "countries of particular concern" previously by the State Department in 1999 and 2000.

"In China, numerous Falun Gong practitioners throughout the country have been subjected to psychiatric detention and abuse, as part of the government's crackdown on that group," the commission said.

It was also reported that more than 35 members of the underground Roman Catholic Church (including two bishops and 23 priests) were arrested within the year.

The commission noted that Sudan and China have seen an increase in severe violations of religious freedoms.

The Human Rights Watch reported in May that Sudan was included in the United Nation's Commission on Human Rights even though several human rights violations had been recorded.

The International Olympic Committee selected China to host the 2008 Olympics earlier this year.

"No country has the right to have the Olympics, so this would have been a golden opportunity to distance ourselves from China to point out what is happening," said Paul Marshall, senior fellow at the Center for Religious Freedom.

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The State Department will now deliberate and follow up with designations of these countries to its "countries of particular concern" list based on the commission's recommendation. "We expect to see by September, at least, the preliminary list," Goodrich said.

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If the State Department were to designate any of the countries to its "countries of particular concern" list, they would be subject to U.S. action under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

"The law provides for a full spectrum of actions that the president has as options. They can range anywhere from diplomatic demarches to fairly serious economic sanctions. Or, the president has the option under the law to not take actions for national security reasons," Goodrich said.

http://www.cnsnews.com/ForeignBureaus/archive/200108/For20010822f.html