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“THE WORLD'S WORST PERSECUTORS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E809 on March 30, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE WORLD'S WORST PERSECUTORS
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HON. FRANK R. WOLF
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Monday, March 30, 2009
Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, the right to worship according to the dictates of your conscience is among the most precious freedoms.
Tragically this basic freedom has not been realized for millions around the globe. On January 16, the State Department designated the annual ``Countries of Particular Concern.'' This notorious distinction is given to countries deemed particularly severe violators of religious freedom. This year the list included Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan.
Oftentimes the most powerful testimony of the repressive nature of these governments is found in the accounts of their own people.
Take the words of a 23-year-old Burmese monk: ``We did not expect that the junta would crush down a peaceful demonstration but when they raided the monasteries, shot and arrested the monks. I was so surprised and unbelievable that I could not express how my feelings were. All my beliefs were also destroyed.''
Or the reflections of a Chinese house church leader: ``First, when they arrest you, they try to convince you to give up your faith. And when you surrender to them they will offer you an office in a position such as community member or a position in the Three Self church. If you do not deny your faith and surrender to them, then they will attack you. First they put you into a small place, isolate you, and they let you starve to convince you.''
Or these insights from North Korea: ``North Korea is a prison without bars. The reason why the North Korean system still exists is because of the strict surveillance system. When we provide the information like
`this family believes in a religion from their grandfather's generation,' the National Security Agency will arrest each family member. That is why entire families are scared of one another. Everyone is supposed to be watching one another like this . . .''.
With the 1998 passage of the International Religious Freedom Act, legislation which I authored, the promotion of religious freedom became official U.S. foreign policy. Sadly, 10 years later, the fight for this
``first freedom'' has never been more necessary. We must commit ourselves anew to standing with persecuted people of faith around the world who against all odds, in the face of fear, intimidation, imprisonment, torture and worse gather secretly to worship as their conscience demands.
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