World Tibet Network News Wednesday, January 28, 1998

WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - A government advisory panel on Friday urged the United States to do more to promote religious freedom worldwide, including making it a criteria for arms sales, aid and granting asylum to refugees.

The panel, called the Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad, said in a interim report that President Clinton should deliver a major speech explaining the importance of religious freedom and give this issue ``enhanced importance'' in foreign policy decision making.

``The State Department and other relevant U.S. government agencies should pay special attention to the status of religious freedom as a human rights concern when considering arms sales, military assistance or economic aid,'' it recommended.

American trade delegations should highlight the issue by discussing human rights, including the importance of religious freedoms, with religious and other nongovernmental groups on their trips overseas, the panel said.

Among a host of other suggestions, the group also said that government officials who deal with asylum requests should be made more sensitive to religious persecution in other countries and U.S. immigration law should be modified ``to ensure against the return of victims of religious

persecution.''

The panel was established in November 1996 by then Secretary of State Warren Christopher in response mainly to Christian groups who felt the United States was not giving enough attention to religious intolerance and religious persecution overseas.

Another motivation was to bring about reconciliation in conflict areas, especially where religion is a factor as in Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

The panel met twice in 1997 and has conferred with more than 40 experts including Pope John Paul II, currently making a landmark visit to Cuba, the Dalai Lama, Cardinal Cahal Daly of Northern Ireland and Pastor Robert Fu of China.