FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2019

On Tiananmen Square Anniversary, USCIRF Calls for Sanctions on Officials Responsible for Religious Freedom Violations
 

WASHINGTON, DC – On the 30th anniversary of the Chinese government’s violent suppression of peaceful protests in and around Tiananmen Square, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called on the U.S. government to impose Global Magnitsky sanctions on Chinese officials and agencies who have perpetrated or tolerated severe religious freedom violations.

“Unfortunately, the events of June 4, 1989 proved to be a harbinger of the Chinese government’s willingness to trample on the rights of millions of its citizens, including religious believers,” said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “Today the Chinese government is detaining millions of mostly Uighur Muslims, imposing intrusive surveillance on houses of worship such as Tibetan monasteries, mosques, and churches, raiding hundreds of Christian house churches, and attempting to eradicate the Falun Gong and other religious groups it has banned." 

The 2016 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act allows the administration to sanction foreign government officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom through tools such as visa denials and asset freezes. In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF recommends using Global Magnitsky sanctions on Chinese officials including Chen Quanguo, the Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang and a member of the Politburo. Chen is also responsible for violations against Buddhists in Tibet, where he created a surveillance system similar to that used in Xinjiang today.

“These flagrant violations of the fundamental rights and dignity of millions of people cannot go unanswered,” continued Dorjee. “The Trump administration should avail itself of the tools at its disposal by imposing targeted sanctions on those Chinese officials and agencies responsible for these abuses.”

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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 Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2019
 

USCIRF Statement on UN’s Adoption of Resolution Establishing Day to Commemorate Victims of Violence Based on Religion
 

WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s adoption by consensus on Tuesday of a resolution designating August 22 as the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued the following statement:

“We applaud the UN General Assembly for adopting this resolution, which acknowledges and honors victims of violence based on religion or belief around the world,” said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “But we must not stop at condemnation. Like-minded governments must also increasingly work together to hold perpetrators accountable, whether they are state or nonstate actors responsible for the abuses.”

The resolution was co-sponsored by Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Nigerian, Pakistan, Poland, and the United States. This will be the first year that the UN and member states will observe a day commemorating victims and survivors of religious persecution.

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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 Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2019

USCIRF Statement on Senate Committee’s Holding China’s Human Rights Abusers Accountable
 

WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s unanimous vote to pass the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today issued the following statement:

“We commend the members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for upholding our country’s ideals about justice, human dignity, and religious freedom by passing this bill out of committee,” said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “In particular, we applaud Senators Rubio and Menendez for standing up to the Chinese government’s brutal assault on the fundamental freedoms and dignity of the millions who suffer in these camps. For almost two decades, USCIRF has been sounding the alarm on the flagrant violations of human rights taking place in Xinjiang, and we urge the full Senate and the House of Representatives to approve this bill so that the full weight of the U.S. government can be brought to bear on those who are perpetrating these shocking abuses.”

The bipartisan legislation takes steps to hold Chinese government officials accountable for the ongoing, brutal repression of Uighur and other Muslims in Xinjiang, where more than 800,000 to possibly more than two million people are believed to be held in internment camps. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the bill, which currently has 33 cosponsors.

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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 Kellie Boyle at [email protected] or +1-703-898-6554.