Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 113 Part 2.djvu/992

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113 STAT. 1501A-474 PUBLIC LAW 106-113—APPENDIX G (F) "The Government continued to restrict tightly worker rights, and forced labor remains a problem.". (G) "Serious human rights abuses persisted in minority areas, including Tibet and Xinjiang, where restrictions on religion and other fundamental freedoms intensified.". (H) "Unapproved religious groups, including Protestant and Catholic groups, continued to experience varying degrees of official interference and repression.". (I) "Although the Government denies that it holds political or religious prisoners, and argues that all those in prison are legitimately serving sentences for crimes under the law, an unknown number of persons, estimated at several thousand, are detained in violation of international human rights instruments for peacefully expressing their political, religious, or social views.". (2) In addition to the State Department, credible press reports and human rights organizations have documented an intense crackdown on political activists by the Government of the People's Republic of China, involving the harassment, detainment, arrest, and imprisonment of dozens of activists. (3) The People's Republic of China, as a member of the United Nations, is expected to abide by the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (4) The People's Republic of China is a party to numerous international human rights conventions, including the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. SEC. 872. FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL AT DIPLOMATIC POSTS TO REPORT ON POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MATTERS IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA- Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for the Department of State by this Act, $2,200,000 for fiscal year 2000 and $2,200,000 for fiscal year 2001 shall be made available only to support additional personnel in the United States Embassies in Beijing and Kathmandu, as well as the American consulates in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Chengdu, and Hong Kong, in order to monitor political and social conditions, with particular emphasis on respect for, and violations of, internationaly recognized human rights, in the People's Republic of China. SEC. 873. PRISONER INFORMATION REGISTRY FOR THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. (a) REQUIREMENT. — The Secretary of State shall establish and maintain a registry which shall, to the extent practicable, provide information on all political prisoners, prisoners of conscience, and prisoners of faith in the People's Republic of China. The registry shall be known as the "Prisoner Information Registry for the People's Republic of China". (b) INFORMATION IN REGISTRY. —The registry required by subsection (a) shall include information on the charges, judicial processes, administrative actions, uses of forced labor, incidents of torture, lengths of imprisonment, physical and health conditions, and other matters associated with the incarceration of prisoners in the People's Republic of China referred to in that subsection.