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USCIRF Applauds Global Magnitsky Sanctions Against Senior Chinese Officials
July 09, 2020
Jul 9, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 9, 2020 USCIRF Applauds Global Magnitsky Sanctions Against Senior Chinese Officials Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today applauded the U.S. Department of Treasury’s designations under the Global Magnitsky Act and the Department of State’s imposition of visa restrictions on senior Chinese officials responsible for egregious religious freedom violations against Uyghur and other Muslims in Xinjiang. “For years, USCIRF has called on the administration to impose targeted sanctions against Chen Quanguo, Zhu Hailun, and other senior officials responsible for the Communist Party’s genocidal policies against the Uyghur people.” USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel stated. “Today’s announcements represent a major victory for religious freedom and an important step toward holding Communist China accountable for its crimes against humanity.” Since 2017, the Chinese government has detained millions of Uyghur, Kazakh, and other Muslims, often targeting individuals engaged in religious practices, such as growing beards or wearing veils. Last week, reports emerged that Chinese authorities had engaged in forced sterilizations and other repressive population control measures against Uyghurs, which USCIRF warned could meet the definition of genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. On July 9, the Treasury Department added the following to the Global Magnitsky Designations List: Chen Quanguo, Communist Party Secretary for Xinjiang; Zhu Hailun, former Political and Legal Affairs Commission Chief; Wang Mingshan, director of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau; Huo Liujun former deputy party secretary; and the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau. The State Department visa restrictions bar Chen, Zhu, and Wang, as well as their family members, from entry into the United States. These measures follow the enactment of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, which directs the administration to impose financial sanctions and visa bans against Chinese government officials responsible for the persecution of Uyghur and other Muslims. “The Trump administration’s actions today demonstrates that the United States is prepared to take concrete steps to protect Uyghurs and other religious groups in Communist China,” noted USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “We urge the administration to keep up the pressure by refusing to send U.S. officials to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing unless the Communist Chinese government ceases its war on faith.” In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF called for targeted sanctions against Chen and other Chinese officials. In February 2020, USCIRF released a factsheet explaining how the new Administrative Measures for Religious Groups could further restrict religious freedom. ###   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 media@uscirf.gov or Danielle Ashbahian at dashbahian@uscirf.gov.
USCIRF Applauds Global Magnitsky Sanctions Against Xinjiang Entity
August 25, 2020
Jul 31, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 31, 2020 USCIRF Applauds Global Magnitsky Sanctions Against Xinjiang Entity Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today applauded the U.S. Department of Treasury’s designation of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) under the Global Magnitsky Act for committing egregious religious freedom violations against Uyghur and other Muslims. “For years, we have advocated for sanctioning the XPCC. This announcement is a significant step even beyond the sanctions announced earlier this month against senior Communist Party officials,” USCIRF Commissioner Nury Turkel stated. “The XPCC is essentially a parallel government in Xinjiang and has been directly involved in implementing the surveillance, mass detention, and forced labor of Uyghurs.” The XPCC, also known as the Bingtuan, runs schools, hospitals, and even prisons in Xinjiang. The entity controls cotton fields that use forced labor. The latest Global Magnitsky designations also cover two senior XPCC officials, Jiarui Peng and Jinlong Sun. On July 9, the Treasury Department added four senior Chinese officials to the Global Magnitsky Designations List, including Chen Quanguo, Communist Party Secretary for Xinjiang. These measures follow the enactment of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, which directs the administration to impose financial sanctions and visa bans against Chinese government officials responsible for the persecution of Uyghur and other Muslims. “This latest round of sanctions show that the U.S. government is increasingly able to identify and target those Chinese entities most responsible for religious freedom abuses against Uyghur and other Muslims,” noted USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “Communist China can no longer hide its religious freedom abuses from the world.” In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF called for targeted sanctions against senior Chinese officials, included Chen Quanguo. Since 2017, the Chinese government has detained more than a million Uyghur, Kazakh, and other Muslims, often targeting individuals engaged in religious practices, such as growing beards or wearing veils. ### 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 media@uscirf.gov or Danielle Ashbahian at dashbahian@uscirf.gov.
2018 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom
August 28, 2020
Jul 25 WHEN: Jul 25th 5:00pm - Jul 25th 7:00pm During the week of the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) hosted the following events: 20th Anniversary of IRFA Reception United States Institute of Peace (USIP) 2301 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20037 Wednesday, July 25 from 5:00-7:00 pm   U.S. Government Grant Workshop Government Publishing Office 732 North Capitol Street, N.W. Harding Hall Washington, DC, 20401  Thursday, July 26 from 2:00-5:00pm  
USCIRF Events During 2019 Ministerial
August 28, 2020
Jul 16 WHEN: Jul 16th 4:00pm - Jul 18th 2:00pm During the week of the 2019 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, USCIRF participated through the following events:   Tuesday, July 16 The Mass Destruction and Desecration of Uyghur Mosques in China Sponsored by Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) Speaking: Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee 4:00 - 5:00 pm George Washington University* Marvin Center A Conversation with U.S. Lawmakers on Religious Persecution Sponsored by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Congressional Caucus and Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) Speaking: Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee 6:00 - 7:30 pm Capitol Visitor Center (HVC 201) First Street SE Washington, DC 20004 Will Religious Freedom Survive in Northeast Syria? Sponsored by Family Research Council (FRC) Speaking: Chair Tony Perkins 6:00 - 7:30 pm Family Research Council 801 G Street NW Washington, DC 20001   Wednesday, July 17 Best Practices in International Religious Freedom Advocacy (Breakout Session) Speaking: Commissioner Kristina Arriaga 10:45 - 12:15 pm State Department* Deep Dive — Challenges to Religious Freedom in the Middle East and North Africa (Breakout Session) Speaking: Director of Research & Policy Dwight Bashir 10:45 am - 12:15 pm State Department* Monitoring International Religious Freedom (Breakout Session) Speaking: Chair Tony Perkins and Vice Chair Gayle Manchin; Q&A with all Commissioners 1:15 - 2:45 pm State Department* Journalism and International Religious Freedom (Breakout Session) Speaking: Commissioner Johnnie Moore 1:15 - 2:45 pm State Department* Quantifying Religious Freedom: A 10-Year Global Analysis of Pew Research Sponsored by Christianity Today and Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) Speaking: Commissioner Kristina Arriaga 1:30 - 3:00 pm George Washington University* Marvin Center Deep Dive — Challenges to Religious Freedom in East Asia and Pacific (Breakout Session) Speaking: Deputy Director of Research & Policy Tina Mufford 1:45 - 3:15 pm State Department* Shining a Light on the Uyghur Crisis & Reflecting on Our Global Movement for Religious Freedom (Ministerial Reception) Sponsored by IRF Roundtable Speaking: Vice Chair Nadine Maenza 6:00 - 8:00 pm United States Institute of Peace 2301 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20037 The Role of International Religious Freedom in U.S. Foreign Policy Sponsored by the Loeb Institute for Religious Freedom, George Washington University Speaking: Commissioners Anurima Bhargava and Johnnie Moore The George Washington Textile Museum 701 21st Street, NW Washington, DC 20052 5:15 - 6:30 pm     Thursday, July 18 U.S. Government Grant Training (Hosted by USCIRF) Opening Remarks: Vice Chair Gayle Manchin 9:00 - 11:00 am Government Publishing Office Harding Hall 732 N. Capitol Street, NW Washington, DC 201401 The Impact of War on Religious Freedom Speaking: Vice Chair Nadine Maenza and Commissioner Kristina Arriaga 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Museum of the Bible 400 4th Street SW Washington, DC 20024 Falun Gong Rally Speaking: Vice Chair Gayle Manchin 11:30 am - 1:00 pm West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Christian Holy Sites and Holy Places in the Middle East Sponsored by International Community of the Holy Sepulchre and Hudson Institute's Working Group on Christians and Religious Pluralism in the Middle East Speaking: Commissioner Kristina Arriaga 12:00 - 2:00 pm Washington School of International Affairs 1957 E Street NW Washington, DC 20052   For more information about the 2019 Ministerial, click here. For more information about side events taking place during the Ministerial, click here.
USCIRF Update with USAID: The President’s Executive Order on International Religious Freedom
August 31, 2020
Aug 05 WHEN: Aug 5th 10:30am   U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom USCIRF Update with USAID: The President’s Executive Order on International Religious Freedom Wednesday, August 5, 2020 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM ET Virtual Event Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a virtual event about President Trump’s recent Executive Order to advance international religious freedom across the federal government and its implementation at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  This discussion will highlight key aspects of this Executive Order, USAID’s current plans underway to implement it, and the impact it will have on USAID’s programming in the future. USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Vice Chair Tony Perkins will discuss these issues with USAID Acting Administrator John Barsa. USCIRF Director of Outreach and Policy Dwight Bashir will moderate the discussion, which will be followed by questions and answers from attendees. Panelists Moderator
  • Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRF
This virtual event is open to the public and media. The video recording will be posted on the Commission website. For any additional questions, please contact media@uscirf.gov.   Gayle Manchin, Chair · Tony Perkins, Vice Chair · Anurima Bhargava, Vice Chair Gary Bauer · James Carr · Frederick Davie · Nadine Maenza · Johnnie Moore · Nury Turkel Erin D. Singshinsuk, Executive Director www.uscirf.gov 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.
Webinar #5: Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims List
August 28, 2020
Nov 06 WHEN: Nov 6th 2:00pm Host: Gayle Manchin, Vice Chair Subject Experts: Zack Udin and Kirsten Lavery     For more information, please contact Henry Young at hyoung@uscirf.gov.
Webinar #4: China
August 28, 2020
Sep 12 WHEN: Sep 12th 1:00pm Host: Gary Bauer, Commissioner Country Expert: Dominic Nardi, Policy Analyst     For more information, please contact Henry Young at hyoung@uscirf.gov.
Mingzhi Chen
October 07, 2020
Mingzhi Chen Policy Analyst Email Mingzhi Chen is a Policy Analyst at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, focusing on China, North Korea, and Vietnam. Prior to joining USCIRF, Mr. Chen worked at the United States Air Force where he focused on military and defense issues related to China. Before that, he was a Professional Staff for nearly six years at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC). In this role, Mr. Chen worked on a range of human rights issues, including Freedom of Religion and North Korean Refugees in China. In addition to his government service, Mr. Chen previously worked in the private sector, including in defense, legal, and financial industries.  Mr. Chen holds an M.S. with Distinction in Justice, Law, and Society from the School of Public Affairs at the American University and an M.A. in Religion from Westminster Theological Seminary. 
USCIRF Welcomes the Appointment of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues
October 15, 2020
Oct 15, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     USCIRF Welcomes the Appointment of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues   Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed today the appointment of Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Robert A. Destro to serve concurrently as the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. This position is mandated by the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 but had been vacant since January 20, 2017. “The U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues is a crucial position for countering the Chinese Communist Party’s attempt to erase the unique identity of Tibetan Buddhism,” noted USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “USCIRF welcomes the strong choice of Assistant Secretary Robert A. Destro to fulfill this role, and we look forward to working with him.” USCIRF has consistently recommended that the Trump administration fill the role of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF also 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. USCIRF has also called for the release of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama and one of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience. “Chinese authorities are launching a full-scale assault against ethnic communities in their indigenous lands across the country,” Commissioner Nury Turkel added. “The Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues must put the weight and resources of the U.S. government behind efforts to work for the full realization of religious freedom for all Tibetans.” In February 2020, USCIRF released a factsheet explaining how the Chinese government’s new Regulation for Religious Groups could further restrict religious freedom. This factsheet has been crucial to raising the profile of religious freedom issues in Tibet and mobilizing government resources to address these issues. ### 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 media@uscirf.gov.
Washington Examiner: Washington Must Expand the List of Sanctioned Religious Freedom Violators
July 20, 2020
Jul 20, 2020 This op-ed was originally published by The Washington Examiner, on July 20, 2020. By USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins In Iraq, the 50th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces has been involved in extortion, illegal arrests, kidnappings, and detention of individuals without warrants, often targeting Christians, Yazidis, and other religious minorities returning to the Nineveh Plains and Sinjar. Rayan al-Kildani, the ruthless leader of this militia who operates under the guidance of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was videotaped brutally cutting off the ear of a detainee. In Burma, over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh after Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown in August 2017 that included mass killings, gang rape, and wide spread arson. The United Nations has called for the Burmese Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing to be prosecuted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes for leading the military to commit such horrendous crimes. Besides both being responsible for abhorrent bloodshed, a commonality between al-Kildani and Hlaing is that they were both sanctioned under the 2016 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and the related 2017 executive order, E.O. 13818. The Global Magnitsky Act allows financial sanctions and visa restrictions to be imposed on a designated individual for corruption or human rights abuses. As of December 2019, 198 individuals had been sanctioned under Global Magnitsky, but only 16 – less than 10% – of these sanctions have directly related to religious freedom abuses. Alongside Global Magnitsky, the U.S. government has used other tools to impose consequences on violators of religious freedom. The State Department increasingly uses Section 7031(c) of the annual appropriations law, which requires the secretary of state to make foreign officials and their immediate family members ineligible for U.S. entry if there is credible evidence that such individuals have been involved in “a gross violation of human rights.” Over 100 of these designations were announced publicly last year, although, only a small number were related to religious freedom. Notable designations for gross violations of human rights connected to the freedom of religion or belief included the former director of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) for alleged torture and two Russian officials for their involvement in the arrest and torture of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), where we serve as chair and vice chair, respectively, details in its 2020 Annual Report religious freedom conditions globally and provides recommendations to the president, secretary of state, and Congress. We note the imposition of sanctions and visa restrictions in response to attacks on religious freedom and commend the U.S. government for its strong action in those cases. However, the number of sanctions imposed in 2019 are few in comparison to the scale of serious religious violations that occurred globally. Our report alone cites 29 countries where governments or societal actors severely violate religious freedom. President Trump has stated that “protecting religious freedom is one of [his] highest priorities.” To match this commitment, we urge the U.S. government to more vigorously use the targeted accountability tools available to punish individuals and agencies directly responsible for the severe religious freedom violations detailed in our report. In our report, we note contexts where asset freezes and visa bans on individual officials, agencies, and military units can stem continued religious persecution, including in India, Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, and Russia. We also name specific individuals that should held accountable, such as Caridad Diego, the head of Cuba’s Office of Religious Affairs who has personally led her office’s campaign of harassment against religious life on the island, as well as Chen Quanguo, China’s Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary who created the blueprint for the dystopian surveillance state that has led to 1.8 million Uighur and other Muslims being placed in concertation camps. The Administration has a wide range of tools to impose consequences for human rights violators. This is why we call on Congress to evaluate the policy tools available for targeted human rights-related sanctions and consider giving the State Department authority to impose individual visa bans for gross human rights violations through new legislation. Congress should also define the authority’s relationship to Global Magnitsky sanctions to aid the Administration in implementing the most appropriate and impactful tool among a menu of options. These options help ensure that each targeted sanction imposes a consequential punishment on the individual violator, who may personally benefit from their access to the U.S. financial system or send their children to school in the United States. We hope that in 2020 others will join al-Kildani and Hlaing on the list of individuals and entities sanctioned for severe religious freedom violations. The imposition of a more aggressive targeted sanctions regime would go a long way in deterring religious freedom violators, bringing accountability to the perpetrators, and ultimately creating a world where all are free to practice their faith.