FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2019

USCIRF Welcomes Passage of the Tibetan Policy and Support Act in House of Representatives

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today commended the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2019 (H.R.4331), which USCIRF previously endorsed, by  a vote of 392 to 22. If enacted, the bill would establish an official U.S. policy supporting the selection of Tibetan religious leaders, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, by the Tibetan Buddhist community -- free of Chinese government interference. In addition, it would require the U.S. State Department to seek to open a consulate in Lhasa. The companion bill (S.2539) still needs to be passed by the Senate and signed by the President before the law would go into effect.

“The Chinese government has attempted to cut off Tibet from the outside world, but this bill makes it crystal clear that the U.S. government remains committed to advocating on behalf of the Tibetan people,” said USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “We urge the Senate to pass the companion bill swiftly, the President to sign it, and his administration to robustly implement all of its provisions.”

“We want to thank Representative Jim McGovern and Senator Marco Rubio for their leadership on this important legislation in Congress, as well as Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s strong floor statement and all the Members of the House who supported it,” added Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee. “We urge the Trump administration to build on this milestone by filling as soon as possible the vacancy for the Special Coordinator for Tibet at the State Department.”

In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF called upon the administration to use its authority under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and International Religious Freedom Act to enact targeted sanctions against Chinese officials responsible for severe religious freedom violations, especially Chen Quanguo, the former Communist Party Secretary of Tibet and current Secretary of Xinjiang. In September 2019, USCIRF released a report documenting how the Chinese government uses surveillance cameras, biometric technology and artificial intelligence to monitor and harass Tibetan Buddhists and other religious minorities.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or 202-523-3240.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2019

USCIRF Condemns Iranian Government Measures Targeting Baha’is

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today condemned an Iranian court order allowing authorities to confiscate properties owned by Baha’is in the village of Ivel in Mazandaran Province. The Iranian government also changed Iran’s national ID cards to remove the option to list “other” as a religion. This change forces Iranian Baha’is to either lie about their religious identity by registering falsely as Muslim, Christian, Jewish or Zoroastrian, or else not be granted new ID cards—which is necessary for one to obtain a driver’s license, to open a bank account, and to conduct other basic official transactions.

“The Iranian government’s relentless persecution of Baha’is is a severe violation of religious freedom and must cease immediately,” said USCIRF commissioner Gary Bauer. “It is outrageous for Iran to claim that Baha’i families who have lived in Ivel since the 1800s have no claim to their land or possessions. Additionally, the changes to Iran’s national identity cards have no other purpose than to repress Baha’is and other religious minorities. We urge the Trump administration to impose targeted sanctions, freeze assets, and bar travel to the United States for government officials responsible for such discriminatory policies.”

“I am deeply concerned by the downward spiral of the Iranian government’s treatment of Baha’is,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Gayle Manchin. “Iran’s government denies Baha’is matriculation and entrance to universities, shutters their businesses, and targets them with hateful propaganda. The United States must never cease to speak on behalf of Baha’is and other religious minorities, and to continue to push for pathways to their resettlement and safety.”

As reported in USCIRF’s 2019 Annual Report chapter on Iran, that country’s government considers the Baha'i faith a heretical “deviant sect” whose members are de facto apostates. USCIRF has documented a trend of deteriorating conditions for Baha’is in Iran coinciding with increased domestic and international pressure on the government. During recent protests in Iran, government authorities arrested Baha’is and confiscated their property.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or call 202-523-3240.