FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2020

USCIRF Welcomes Decision to Prevent Federal Retirement Savings from Being Invested in Chinese Corporations

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board’s decision to prevent funds from the federal government employee retirement savings programs from being invested in Chinese corporations. The board had proposed to allow investments in an international fund that included several Chinese companies, including Hikvision, credibly implicated in serious religious freedom violations. In requesting the change, the U.S. National Security Advisor cited religious freedom concerns in addition to the national security and economic factors.

“The board’s decision should reassure federal employees that their hard-earned retirement savings won’t fund religious freedom violations in China,” noted USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “We should never sacrifice our values for profit.”

In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF called upon the administration to use its authority under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and the International Religious Freedom Act to impose targeted sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for severe religious freedom violations, especially Chen Quanguo, the current Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang. In September 2019, USCIRF released a report documenting the Chinese government uses surveillance technology provided by companies like Hikvision to monitor religious communities.

“The Chinese government has created a dystopian surveillance state and uses advanced camera systems to monitor Uighur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, and other religious groups,” USCIRF Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee added. “Religious freedom is an illusion without the right to pray in privacy.”

In February 2020, USCIRF released a factsheet explaining how the Chinese government’s new Regulation for Religious Groups could further restrict religious freedom.

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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 Danielle Ashbahian at [email protected].

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2020

USCIRF Reiterates Call for Appointment of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today reiterated its call for the State Department to fill the vacancy for the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. The appointment of the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues is mandated by the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, however, this position has been vacant since January 20, 2017. Previous Special Coordinators have been crucial to raising the profile of religious freedom issues in Tibet and mobilizing government resources to address the issue.

“The Chinese Communist Party is attempting to erase the unique identity of Tibetan Buddhism,” noted USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “We need to utilize all of the policy tools available, including the position of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, to confront this grave threat to religious freedom.”

“Chinese authorities have sinicized Tibetan Buddhism by interfering in the reincarnation successions of His Holinesses Panchen Lama and Dalai Lama, introducing ‘Ethic Unity Laws’ to micromanage Tibetan monasteries, and using high tech surveillance to suppress Tibetan religious freedom and human rights,” USCIRF Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee added. “Henceforth, it’s high time to appoint the Special Coordinator for Tibet issues.”

In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF called upon the administration to use its authority under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and the International Religious Freedom Act to impose targeted sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for severe religious freedom violations, especially Chen Quanguo, the current Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang and former Secretary of Tibet. In February 2020, USCIRF released a factsheet explaining how the Chinese government’s new Regulation for Religious Groups could further restrict religious freedom.

USCIRF has also called for the release of  Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama and one of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience.

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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 Danielle Ashbahian at [email protected].

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
May 11, 2020

USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Bangladesh

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new country update on religious freedom conditions in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Factsheet - This report provides an overview of religious freedom conditions in Bangladesh in recent years. Despite constitutional protections for religious freedom, the country’s religious minorities, including Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians, have continued to face various challenges to their freedom of religion or belief. Among them are the introduction and enforcement of the Digital Security Act with provisions that criminalize blasphemy; ongoing problems with the legacy of the Vested Property Act; and challenges posed by the rise of religious extremism and local law enforcement.

Last month, USCIRF released its 2020 Annual Report, documenting significant developments in the past year and making recommendations to enhance the U.S. government’s promotion of freedom of religion or belief abroad.  

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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.