CONGRESSIONAL HEARING

By: Raymond Kuo, FAPA Intern

July 18, 1995

Today, the International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing discussing the upcoming International Women's Rights Conference which will be held in Beijing starting from September 4 to 15. The hearing was chaired by Rep. Christopher Smith.

The most prominent issue of the hearing, the sending of a U.S. delegation to the conference, sparked some argument. Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) and others argued that the conference was too important for the U.S. to be left out. "To withdraw leadership and support will undermine the gains that women have achieved," said Peggy Curlin, President of the Center for Development and Population Activities.

In addition, Subcommittee members stated that the Chinese were looking for a scapegoat for their failures. "Without U.S. participation, the Chinese could simply blame the U.S. for their inactivity" Lantos stated.

In contrast, many Members said the U.S. should not be present at the conference in light of China's human rights violations, most recently the arrest of human rights activist Harry Wu. "U.S. participation while Mr. Wu remains a political prisoner would be nothing less than ... coddling dictators", according to Nina Shea, president of the Puebla Institute. In addition, the admission of a U.S. delegation would downplay the violation of Harry Wu's civil rights.

By wearing yellow ribbons, making Harry Wu an honorary delegate, and holding forums on women's rights, the U.S. delegation can attend the conference without giving in to the Harry Wu situation, stated Louisa Coan of Amnesty International. Some hearing members concurred that unless China releases Harry Wu, or the conference site be changed, a U.S. delegation would not attend the meeting.

Coan also outlined numerous women's rights violations occurring in China today, including beatings by guards, electric shocks on sexual organs, and forced abortions. Smith released a hand-delivered letter written by an anonymous Chinese woman who underwent forced abortions: "What is a real woman without the personal right to have one more child especially when she is expecting a baby and is obliged to kill it no matter how unwilling?"

According to Chinese population controls, each family is allowed to have only one baby. Other babies are taken to orphanages or "dying rooms", where they literally wait to die. Baby girls are sometimes drowned in the rivers.

To illustrate other human rights violations, Committee members cited a warning issued by the Chinese government not to bring Bibles under penalty of arrest. Delegates would also be unable to hold gatherings and to talk with Chinese citizens. "Going to Beijing in 1995 is analogous to going to Germany in 1939," said Smith.

The exclusion of certain women's groups because of political orientation was another discussion topic. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) from Taiwan and Tibet are being denied entrance to the conference due to China's political tensions with these two nations.

According to Margie Joy Walden, Executive Director of the Taiwan International Alliance, the Chinese government has not sent hotel confirmations nor special visas for travel to the Taiwanese groups. Along with Walden, John Ackerly, Director of the International Campaign for Tibet, accused China of pressuring the UN to deny certain groups entrance to conferences.

"To allow China to exclude us, is to reinforce the idea that people and organizations can be excluded based solely on political ideology. If this is truly to be a global conference on women, all organizations engaged in work relevant to the conference must be allowed to participate," said Ackerly.

Further, the hearing addressed moving the location of the conference. The current location was agreed to by former president Bush and his Secretary of State, James Baker III. Although he hailed the decision as a mistake, Lantos, along with several others, said it was too late to change the conference's location.

They also argued that if the conference were beneficial, it would do more good in China than in a country which is used to women's rights. If the conference failed, more attention would be given to the human rights violations in China.

In contrast, other members suggested expanding the upcoming Australian NGO conference into the International Women's Rights Conference.

All members did cite the hypocrisy of holding a women's rights conference in China, one of the largest human rights offenders. "China's appalling human rights record, and its practice of female infanticide, forced abortion, and the abortion of female fetuses, make a mockery of the honor of hosting an international conference on the status of women," stated rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), member of the International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee.

Hillary Clinton's attendance was debated as well. Those against her attendance stated that her presence would send the wrong message to the Chinese government in light of human rights violations, especially the arrest of Harry Wu.

However, members, including Pelosi and Lantos, advocated sending Madeleine Albright, U.S. representative to the UN, to lead the delegation. Others called for more drastic actions. They suggested that no high level female officials whatsoever should attend the conference.