FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 1999

Contact:
Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240

Steven T. McFarland, Executive Director of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, at the November 22nd meeting of the Commission announced the appointment of senior Commission staff:

• Lawrence J. Goodrich, director of communications. - Mr. Goodrich spent 11 years at The Christian Science Monitor, most recently as Washington-based editorial writer and as the newspapers' congressional correspondent from 1996 to 1998. Among his other positions at the Monitor were features editor, Page 1 coordinator, and assistant national news editor. From 1977 to 1988 he served as a foreign service officer in Romania, Canada, the Soviet Union, and at the State Department.

• T. Jeremy Gunn, director of research. Mr. Gunn comes from the U.S. Institute of Peace, where he worked on international religious-freedom issues. From 1994 to 1998, he served at the JFK Assassination Records Review Board, moving from associate director to general counsel and finally executive director. Gunn was an attorney at Covington & Burling from 1988 to 1994, during which time he earned a doctoral degree in religion from Harvard University.

• Christy Hines, director of governmental relations. Ms. Hines was director of public affairs from 1995 to 1999 at the Strategic Advocacy Group. From 1994 to 1995 she worked in the congressional office of Rep. Bill Thomas of California

• Tracy Shycoff, director of administration. Ms. Shycoff was most recently director of administration of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States. From 1994 to 1998, she was associate director for administration and finance and later deputy director of the JFK Assassination Records Review Board. She served as associate director for administration and finance of the National Commission on AIDS from 1991 to 1993.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and acts independently of the executive branch. Its purpose is to advise the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress and to make policy recommendations on issues of international religious freedom. It consists of nine commissioners named by the President and congressional leaders. The U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom serves as an ex-officio member.

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." src="https://www.uscirf.org/images/layout/subbottomtext1.gif" />

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 01, 1999

Contact:
Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240

WASHINGTON, November 1, 1999 - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is urging the Administration to ban the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and any affiliates from U.S. stock exchanges because CNPC intends to use the money it raises from its upcoming public stock offering to help finance Sudan's new oil pipeline. The Treasury Department is currently reviewing whether the 1997 Executive Order regarding sanctions against Sudan can be applied to deny such access to U.S. capital markets.

"Revenue from the pipeline would insulate the Khartoum government from the impact of economic sanctions, and thus undermine American policy and the peace process," notes Rabbi David Saperstein, Commission chair. The Sudan government has waged civil war against the south, resulting in two million deaths and four million displaced Sudanese.

CNPC reportedly will provide 40% of the financing for the Sudan pipeline, which opened in September.

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." 

Rabbi David Saperstein,Chair

• Dean Michael K. Young, Vice Chair, Hon. Elliott Abrams, Laila Al-Marayati, M.D.Hon. John R. Bolton, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick, Nina Shea, Justice Charles Z. Smith, Ambassador Robert Seiple, Ex-Officio, Steven T. McFarland, Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 19, 1999

Contact:
Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240

WASHINGTON, October 19, 1999 -- The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom met today at the White House with President Clinton, National Security Adviser Samuel Berger, and White House Chief of Staff John Podesta to urge action against religious persecution in Sudan and China.

On Sudan, the Commission called upon the President to apply his 1997 Executive Order imposing economic sanctions on that country to bar the Chinese government's China National Petroleum Corporation and other companies from using U.S. stock exchanges to finance Sudan's new oil pipeline. Revenues from the pipeline would, the Commission said, insulate Sudan's repressive regime from the impact of economic sanctions, and would perpetuate the 16 year old civil war which has already claimed the lives of 2 million Sudanese. The Commission also urged the President to meet with experts on Sudan to design future actions aimed at ending egregious religious persecution by that country's government, and to send Secretary of State Albright to a congressionally-sponsored "summit meeting" on the Sudan on November 9th. Finally, it asked the President to speak out more forcefully and frequently - -in public, in multilateral organizations, and in diplomatic exchanges - - against the violations of religious freedom in Sudan and to strengthen the hand of the U.S. special peace envoy.

On China, the Commission welcomed the State Department's designation of that country as a "country of particular concern" due to its severe violations of religious freedom. The Commission emphasized, however, that this designation must carry consequences if the International Religious Freedom Act is to be taken seriously. It urged the Administration to raise religious freedom issues as often and as prominently as possible in meetings with Chinese officials. The Commission emphasized the importance of cooperating with the Administration to devise strategies that would affect Chinese conduct. There was discussion as well of approaches to the U.S. business community on this issue.

On Russia, the regressive trend toward violations of religious freedom was discussed. It was agreed that the Commission and the Administration would seek to develop new policies to address this growing problem. The link between extreme nationalism and religious persecution was noted as a significant factor in designing an effective U.S. policy.

The President commended the Commission for its work to date and strongly encouraged its continuing efforts.

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." 

Rabbi David Saperstein,Chair

• Dean Michael K. Young,Vice Chair Hon. Elliott Abrams, Laila Al-Marayati, M.D.Hon. John R. Bolton, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick, Nina Shea, Justice Charles Z. Smith, Ambassador Robert Seiple,Ex-Officio Steven T. McFarland, Executive Director