During the post-election Congressional session, the CECC will hold a full hearing on the continuing official campaign against religious practice and practitioners in China. The hearing will be held on Thursday, November 18, 2004 at 10:00 AM in Room 2255 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

All CECC Hearings and Issues Roundtables are open to the public and press. Members of the public who wish to attend do not need to reply to this message or register; we look forward to seeing you on November 18. Press representatives should see the instructions below.

The CECC Annual Report for 2004 (PDF file) notes that Chinese government repression of free religious belief and practice has grown more severe during 2004. Hundreds of unregistered religious practitioners, as well as adherents of spiritual groups such as Falun Gong, have endured severe government harassment over the past year. This hearing will elicit the views of an official U.S. government commission as well as witnesses representing Christian and Buddhist believers in China.


Statements of Members:

Congressman Jim Leach , Chairman, Congressional-Executive Commission on the People's Republic of China


Statements of Witnesses:


Panel One

Ms. Preeta Bansal
Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Washington, D.C.

Panel Two

Ms. Ngawang Sangdrol
International Campaign for Tibet,
Washington, D.C.

Pastor Bob Fu
President, China Aid Association
Midland, TX

Mr. Joseph Kung
President, The Cardinal Kung Foundation
Stamford, CT

Dr. Pitman Potter
Director, Institute of Asian Research and Professor of Law, University of British Columbia
Vancouver, B.C.

Transcripts:

Religious Freedom in China (Text)

Religious Freedom in China (PDF)