The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“VIOLENCE IN XINJIANG” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H8011 on July 13, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
VIOLENCE IN XINJIANG
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) for 5 minutes.
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great concern regarding the recent violence and loss of life in Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region.
While much is still unknown about the events which transpired over the past week, due to the Chinese Government's strict control and monitoring of foreign journalists, the situation devolved into an explosion of anger between Han Chinese and Uyghur citizens.
President Hu and senior Chinese officials have vowed to severely punish individuals connected to the protests, including through the use of the death penalty.
The Chinese Government's long-standing persecution and repression of the Uyghur people is well documented, including by our own Department of State, as is the government's history of covering up abuses and reacting violently in the face of peaceful protests.
The Chinese Government must allow an independent, international investigation into the events surrounding the week's past violence. I have urged the State Department to work toward that end.
The Chinese Government has blamed the unrest on Nobel Peace Prize nominee and human rights activist Rebiya Kadeer. This is eerily reminiscent of the Chinese Government blaming last year's protests in Tibet on the Dalai Lama. Both the Dalai Lama and Rebiya Kadeer have been made scapegoats by the Chinese communist government, and both are champions for their people.
Rebiya Kadeer suffered in prison for 5 years before she was released to come to the United States. After her release, two of her sons were arrested and remain today languishing in jail for crimes they did not commit.
Amazingly, the reach of the Chinese Government does not stop at its borders. In 2006, Rebiya Kadeer called my office seeking assistance because she noticed a suspicious vehicle outside her home in northern Virginia. After checking with the FBI, we learned that the vehicle had been rented by individuals connected with the Chinese Government.
In a recent opinion piece she wrote for the Wall Street Journal, Rebiya Kadeer condemned the use of violence on both sides and called on the United States to speak out against oppression in China and monitor daily human rights abuses perpetrated by the Chinese Government.
Today, I sent a letter to President Obama asking that senior officials of the National Security Council and the State Department immediately meet with Ms. Kadeer to discuss the events in Xinjiang and the U.S. response.
President Obama is a father and Secretary Clinton is a mother, so they can understand well the anguish that Rebiya Kadeer feels as she considers the fate of her own children and grandchildren, particularly in light of this most recent violence and unrest.
Failure to meet with Rebiya Kadeer would be reminiscent of 1975 when famed Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn visited Washington, D.C. and the city's foreign policy establishment sought to obstruct him at every turn. He was refused a meeting with President Ford, who declined to meet with him fearing it would sour an upcoming meeting with Soviet leader Brezhnev.
I sincerely hope this administration does not repeat this mistake.
____________________
