Jan 5, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2018
USCIRF Mourns the Passing of Thomas S. Monson, Leader of the LDS Church
Chairman Mark calls Monson “the embodiment of a lifelong commitment to the church’s mission.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) was greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Thomas S. Monson, prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Before his passing on January 2, President Monson served the LDS Church as an Apostle for more than 54 years, spending his final decade as its 16th president.
Speaking to a church conference in 2013, Monson emphasized the importance of respecting the religious freedom of all people. He said, “I admonish you to be good citizens of the nations in which you live and good neighbors in your communities, reaching out to those of other faiths as well as to our own. May we be tolerant of, as well as kind and loving to, those who do not share our beliefs and our standards.”
USCIRF Chairman Daniel Mark described Monson as “the embodiment of a lifelong commitment to the church’s mission. He strongly believed in religious freedom and actively traveled the world, addressing tens of thousands of people in countless countries over his half-century of service. His passing is a great loss for the LDS Church and all people of good will.”
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, the first of its kind in the world. USCIRF reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations abroad and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the Congressional leadership of both political parties. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or John D. Lawrence, Director of Communications ([email protected]/ +1-202-786-0611).
Jan 4, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 4, 2018
State Department Names the World’s Worst Violators of Religious Freedom
Chairman Mark praises State’s designation of some countries but claims the “list falls short of what is needed”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed the State Department’s naming of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPCs) for severe religious freedom violations. This group comprises nations that violate religious freedom in a “systematic, ongoing, egregious” manner and includes Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The State Department announcement may be found here.
USCIRF’s Chairman Daniel Mark said that “The designation of these countries is a key step in ensuring continued U.S. engagement in support of international religious freedom. Although USCIRF agrees with the 10 countries on the State Department’s list, it does not go far enough. Secretary Tillerson should have also designated the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam.”
The State Department also, for the first time, announced its “Special Watch List” -- a new category created by the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016. The Special Watch List is for countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom but may not rise to the level of CPC. The department placed only Pakistan on this list.
Chairman Mark said that “Pakistan continues to harass its religious minorities, has state-sanctioned discrimination against groups such as the Ahmadis, and tolerates extra-judicial violence in the guise of opposing blasphemy. As USCIRF has said for many years, Pakistan should be designated by the State Department as a CPC. Given the strong stance that President Trump has taken on Pakistan recently, the failure to designate Pakistan as a CPC this year comes as a surprise and disappointment.”
USCIRF commends Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for the excellent statement he made accompanying the August release of the State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report. There, he stated that religious freedom is a “core American value…and universal human right,” commenting further that it is a “human rights priority” for the Trump Administration. USCIRF was highly encouraged by his words and urges the Secretary of State to make additional CPC designations consistent with that bold and forceful statement.
The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) mandated that the State Department make CPC designations and that USCIRF provide the department recommendations on which countries should be on the list. In April 2017, USCIRF recommended that 16 countries be designated CPCs: Burma, Central African Republic, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
The Frank Wolf Act also required designations for non-state actors engaged in particularly severe religious freedom violations as “entities of particular concern” (EPCs). In April 2017, USCIRF recommended that the Administration designate the following entities as EPCs: the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria; the Taliban in Afghanistan; and al-Shabaab in Somalia. The Administration did not make its EPC designations at this time, but USCIRF looks forward to working with the White House and the State Department on expeditiously identifying EPCs and the tools to use against them.
Read USCIRF’s 2017 Annual Report here.
[1/8/18: Read the Administration's transmittal materials to Congress here.]
[1/11/18: Read the official designations in the Federal Register here.]
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, the first of its kind in the world. USCIRF reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations abroad and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the Congressional leadership of both political parties. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or John D. Lawrence, Director of Communications ([email protected]/ +1-202-786-0611).
Jan 2, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 2, 2018
State Department Announces the First Global Magnitsky Sanctions
Chairman Mark states that “the United States should continue to be a leader in the fight against human rights abusers”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) praised the U.S. government for taking action pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. “Global Magnitsky sanctions against individuals who have committed gross human rights abuses are an important new tool in the U.S. government’s human rights toolbox,” said USCIRF’s Chairman Daniel Mark. “USCIRF congratulates the White House, the State Department, and the Treasury Department for working together to implement this first set of sanctions. Other countries are passing similar acts, and the United States should continue to be a leader in the fight against human rights abusers.”
USCIRF has long called for targeted sanctions against violators of religious freedom. In its 2017 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the Administration “use targeted tools against specific officials, agencies, and military units identified as having participated in or being responsible for human rights abuses, including particularly severe violations of religious freedom.” Tools that could be used include the Global Magnitsky Act, the Treasury Department’s “specially designated nationals” (SDN) list, and other provisions under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).
Specific to Burma, USCIRF praises the inclusion of General Maung Maung Soe in the list of sanctioned individuals. As the former head of the Burmese Army’s Western Command, he oversaw military operations in Rakhine State and myriad human rights abuses that resulted in more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing the country since 2016.
USCIRF Vice Chairwoman Kristina Arriaga traveled in November to Burma with Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee. “I applaud the Secretary of State for calling the situation in Rakhine State an ‘ethnic cleansing’,” stated Arriaga. “The systematic, methodical, and comprehensive campaign against the Rohingya, in particular, calls for action by the United States and the international community. Sanctioning General Maung Maung Soe for his responsibility as commander is well deserved.”
Read USCIRF’s 2017 Annual Report and the Burma chapter (Burmese translation).
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, the first of its kind in the world. USCIRF reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations abroad and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the Congressional leadership of both political parties. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected] or John D. Lawrence, Director of Communications ([email protected]/ +1-202-786-0611).