[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1393 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1393
Calling for the Secretary of State to direct that the United States
Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International
Organizations in Geneva and the United States Permanent Representative
to the Human Rights Council sponsor the strongest possible resolution
by September 28, 2022, to ensure that the United Nations Human Rights
Council takes up the findings of United Nations Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights in its ``Assessment of human rights
concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of
China,'' and for other actions.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 22, 2022
Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Suozzi) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Calling for the Secretary of State to direct that the United States
Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International
Organizations in Geneva and the United States Permanent Representative
to the Human Rights Council sponsor the strongest possible resolution
by September 28, 2022, to ensure that the United Nations Human Rights
Council takes up the findings of United Nations Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights in its ``Assessment of human rights
concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of
China,'' and for other actions.
Whereas, on August 31, 2022, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights published an ``Assessment of human rights concerns in
the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China,''
also known informally as the ``Bachelet Report'' (``OHCHR Report'');
Whereas the OHCHR Report concluded that the Government of the People's Republic
of China (``PRC''), had committed serious human rights violations,
including likely ``crimes against humanity,'' directed against Uyghurs,
Kazaks and other predominantly Muslim Central Asian people in the
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (``XUAR'');
Whereas the OHCHR Report further concluded that the PRC's implementation of
counter-terrorism and counter-extremism strategies ``has led to
interlocking patterns of severe and undue restrictions on a wide range
of human rights,'' that there has been ``large-scale arbitrary
deprivation of liberty of members of Uyghur and other predominantly
Muslim communities in XUAR,'' that there have been ``credible''
allegations of ``patterns of torture or ill-treatment, including forced
medical treatment and adverse conditions of detention'' and ``undue
restrictions of religious identity and expression,'' as well as
``coercive and discriminatory enforcement of family planning and birth
control policies,'' and that ``the extent of arbitrary and
discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly
Muslim groups, pursuant to law and policy . . . may constitute
international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity'';
Whereas the OHCHR Report recommends that the PRC Government ``ensure that all
laws and policies are brought into compliance with international human
rights law and to promptly investigate any allegations of human rights
violations, to ensure accountability for perpetrators and to provide
redress to victims,'' including the release of individuals ``who are
arbitrarily deprived of their liberty'';
Whereas the OHCHR Report further concludes that the ``human rights situation in
XUAR also requires urgent attention by the Government, the United
Nations intergovernmental bodies and human rights system, as well as the
international community more broadly'';
Whereas the Government of the PRC has engaged in an extensive campaign to first
shape and then, subsequent to publication, minimize the impact of the
OHCHR Report, including issuing demarches to Human Rights Council
(``HRC'') Member States not to support the creation of a Commission of
Inquiry to investigate the issues contained in the OHCHR Report and to
recommend accountability measures;
Whereas when the United States rejoined the HRC in October 2021, President
Joseph R. Biden pledged that the United States would be a ``constructive
voice'' at the Council and Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised to
``work hard to ensure that the Council better supports those fighting
against injustice and tyranny'';
Whereas U.S. leadership is needed to place the OHCHR Report on the HRC agenda,
and to rally other countries to vote in favor of the creation of a
Commission of Inquiry;
Whereas likeminded countries such as Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands
and the United Kingdom have already denounced the PRC in response to
previous reporting of atrocities in the XUAR contained in the Xinjiang
Police Files compiled by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation,
and thus would likely support a U.S. resolution, and Germany in
particular has committed to placing stronger emphasis on human rights
with regard to the PRC;
Whereas the deadline to file a resolution to ensure that the HRC takes up the
findings of OHCHR Report on human rights violations in XUAR during the
current HRC session is September 28, 2022: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives
that--
(1) Secretary of State Antony Blinken should direct U.S.
Permanent Representative to the UN and other International
Organizations in Geneva Bathsheba Nell Crocker and U.S.
Permanent Representative to the Human Rights Council Michele
Taylor to sponsor the strongest possible resolution to ensure
that the United Nations Human Rights Council takes up the
findings of OHCHR Report on human rights violations in XUAR,
including the finding that there is evidence that the PRC has
likely committed crimes against humanity;
(2) the United States shall deploy the necessary diplomatic
resources to ensure the success of the resolution; and
(3) the Human Rights Council should establish a Commission
of Inquiry to investigate the issues raised by the OHCHR Report
and recommend accountability measures.
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