FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2003

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON - U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Chair Michael K. Young, Vice Chair Felice D. Gaer, and Commissioner Preeta Bansal will travel to Kabul, Afghanistan, August 8-13, for discussions with senior officials in the government of President Karzai, members of the Constitutional, Human Rights, and Judicial Commissions, representatives of NGOs, religious and human rights organizations, and the diplomatic community.

Afghanistan is in the midst of an historic transition. The United States and other donors must continue to play a critical role in that country's transformation. Respect and protection of human rights, including freedom of religion, is essential for the successful reconstruction of Afghanistan. An Afghanistan that respects the human rights of all, including ethnic and religious minorities and women, will be a more stable, responsible member of the international community - and less likely to become a terrorist haven.

"President Bush has made strong public statements affirming the U.S. commitment to freedom in Afghanistan. The Commission is, however, seriously concerned about U.S. policies in Afghanistan and their impact on its future. There are troubling indications that Afghanistan is being reconstructed, without serious U.S. opposition, as a state in which an extreme interpretation of Sharia would be enforced by a government which the United States supports and with which our nation is closely identified," said USCIRF Chair Michael K. Young.

Commission recommendations for U.S. policy include the following:

• Because Afghans must be protected so that they can exercise their human rights, the U.S. government and other donors should enhance their efforts to enable the Karzai Administration to exercise its authority throughout the country and support expansion of international security presence beyond Kabul. The international community must end their support for warlords operating independently of central authority.

• Human rights must be fully guaranteed in the new constitution, consistent with international human rights standards. The new constitution should guarantee that the religious freedom of all Afghans is protected, that women and members of religious minorities have equal rights, that non-Muslims will not be subject to Sharia, and that punishments such as flogging, amputations, and stoning are banned.

• In order to establish the rule of law, which is essential for the protection of human rights, including religious freedom, the U.S. government and other donors should continue to support efforts by the Transitional Administration, and specifically the Judicial Reform Commission, to re-build the justice system in accordance with international standards.

• The United States and other influential external parties, including the United Nations, should urge the Karzai administration to abolish religious police or similar organizations and exclude the use of accusations of blasphemy or offending Islam to stifle public debate or the freedom of expression.

• The United States and other donors should expand programs to inform Afghans about human rights, including freedom of religion and belief, through exchange programs, broadcasting and print sources, school curricula, and teacher training.

• The United States should appoint a high-ranking official to the American diplomatic mission in Afghanistan to advance human rights, including freedom of religion, particularly in connection with reconstruction and recovery programs and the establishment of the new constitution, judiciary, and legal system.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2003

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent and bipartisan federal agency, is disappointed that a scheduled visit to China in early August 2003 could not proceed as planned due to unacceptable last-minute conditions imposed upon the Commission's visit by the Chinese government.

Since its inception, the Commission has made several formal requests for an official invitation to visit China. In December 2002, at the U.S.-China bilateral human rights dialogue in Beijing, the Commission was informed that Chinese officials conveyed to Assistant Secretary of State Lorne Craner the Chinese government's decision to invite the USCIRF to visit China. The Commission believes that a successful visit is in the mutual interests of the United States and China, and should have gone forward with the full access to relevant areas and people as was promised to Assistant Secretary Craner.

Since February 2003, when the Commission began negotiations with the Chinese government regarding the parameters of a visit, the Commission made it clear that Hong Kong was an integral part of the visit. The Chinese government has always assured the United States that Hong Kong is an open city not requiring special access. The USCIRF was also given assurances by Chinese Embassy staff that Hong Kong would not be a problematic part of our itinerary. The Commission proceeded with that assumption until two weeks ago when it was informed that the Chinese government "strongly discouraged" our visit to Hong Kong. The Chinese government's position then moved from discouragement to "insistence" that the Commission drop Hong Kong from its itinerary.

"This action on the part of the Chinese government suggests a degree of Chinese control over foreign access to Hong Kong that is unprecedented and in contradiction to the concept of ‘one country, two systems.' It further raises the concern that just six years after the handover, Hong Kong's autonomy is already seriously in doubt. As a commission concerned with religious freedom and related rights, we cannot possibly accede to such a condition," said USCIRF Chair Michael K. Young.

In addition, the Commission is deeply concerned that just one week before the Commission delegation's scheduled arrival in China, the Chinese government did not provide the Commission with an itinerary of confirmed meetings with government and Communist Party officials responsible for religious policy and its implementation in each of the places the Commission requested. Nor did the Commission receive assurances it would be able to visit prominent religious houses of worship and meet privately with religious leaders. Instead, the Commission was simply told that there would be meetings appropriate to the important nature of its visit.

In light of the circumstances and last-minute limitations that the Chinese government imposed, the Commission could not accede to the conditions and the trip was postponed.

"The Commission fully anticipates and hopes that the Chinese government will honor its commitment to Assistant Secretary Craner and allow the trip to proceed as originally promised," said Young.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2003

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240, ext. 27

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Vice Chair Felice D. Gaer testified today at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China's hearing on "Will Religion Flourish under China's New Leadership." "As China continues its political and economic transformation, the United States must consistently remind the Chinese government that the protection of human rights, including religious freedom, is critical to a strong and vibrant society and economy. The rights of the Chinese people must be protected, and the United States should be prepared to assist in this regard," said USCIRF Vice Chair Gaer.

To that end, the Commission makes the following recommendations:

• First, the Secretary of State has designated China as a "country of particular concern" (CPC) under IRFA for its egregious violations of religious freedom. The State Department should use the full range of policy tools available under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) to take additional actions with respect to China.

• Second, the State Department should provide to the Congress its evaluation of the impact that current U.S. rule of law and democracy programs have on the promotion of religious freedom and other human rights in China. A recent State Department report mentions multi-million dollar programs but does not assess their impact.

• Third, the U.S. government should enhance its public diplomacy efforts, focusing serious attention on the plight of the Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists. This includes the expansion of broadcasts by Radio Free Asia and the Voice of America.

• Fourth, the United States must be consistent in our message that religious freedom will remain a priority in U.S. foreign policy and in our assessment of progress in China's human rights practices. The United States should propose and promote a resolution to censure China at the UN and its Commission on Human Rights. The U.S. stands virtually alone in striving to focus world attention on China's specific violations of human rights.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.