Ed Royce

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this resolution.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 273) condemning the military intervention by the Government of the Republic of Angola into the Republic of the Congo, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I ask that my colleagues support this resolution, which sends an important message to the region. In 2 days, Angolan troops are supposed to be withdrawn from Congo-Brazzaville, and at this point it is unlikely that they will complete their withdrawal on time. Nevertheless, this is a key deadline. My colleagues' support of this resolution today will confirm American determination that this deadline must be kept, absent some good reason why it cannot be kept. Since this is the last of 6 resolutions produced by the Subcommittee on Africa this session, let me take this opportunity to commend the gentleman from California [Mr. Menendez], the ranking minority member, and all my subcommittee colleagues on both sides of the aisle for a very cooperative working relationship this year, including the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Hastings] and the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Payne], who have spoken on the last two resolutions. I look forward to a productive second session. MR. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw].

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], the distinguished chairman of the Committee on International Relations. (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this resolution concerns the troubling situation that is made worse by Angola's armed intervention in the civil war in Congo, Brazzaville. The introduction of Angolan troops, armor, and aircraft tipped the balance of that civil war in favor of former President Dennis Sassou-Nguesso, who was inaugurated recently, despite having received no popular mandate for his return as President. The Angolan intervention has resulted in the overthrow of the Government of President Pascal Lissouba, who was elected in that country's first multi-party election in 1992. Despite the end of the fighting, Congo-Brazzaville is no more stable today because of the Angolan intervention, and, indeed, it may be facing more turmoil in the coming weeks because of the imposition of an unpopular dictator who was overwhelmingly voted out of office 5 years ago. Certainly the Angolan soldiers made life more difficult for the Congo by pounding Pointe Noire with heavy artillery for days, and then looting that city. These are not the actions of genuine liberators. The Angolan intervention in Congo Brazzaville following the Angolan intervention in what was then Zaire has led many observers to wonder if we are now in a newer era on the continent in which borders and democratic elections are meaningless. The rationale by the Angolan government that Angolan forces operating in Congo Brazzaville posed a threat to their country does not justify its violation of international conventions, as cited in this resolution. President Lissouba testified last week before the Committee on International Relations that any UNITA presence in his country posed no danger whatsoever to Angola's sovereignty. However, this intervention likely will harm the peace process in Angola itself by further hardening relations between the Angolan government and UNITA. Angolan government spokesmen talked of forcefully seizing territory that is supposed to be turned over by UNITA. Although the United Nations placed sanctions on UNITA, the U.N. acknowledged that extension of territorial administration has been moving forward over the last few months. I support the resolution of the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Menendez] as a timely and necessary response to this situation. I understand the Angolan government has announced its intention to withdraw its forces from Congo by November 15. This resolution lets that government know we expect them to fulfill that commitment. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this resolution, which makes an important statement on U.S. concern about possible violence in a country that has been and remains vital to American interests. It is particularly important for this House to make this statement now, since we are about to adjourn weeks before the Kenyan election will be held.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, when the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Hastings] introduced this resolution last July, I felt it was timely and much needed, given the violence that prodemocracy demonstrators experienced at the hands of the Kenyan police. Since that time, after the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held a hearing, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Hastings] updated this resolution so that it is relevant for the situation existing today. This includes the recent announcement that elections will be held in Kenya on December 28. Despite the recent actions by the Kenyan Parliament to put in place legal reforms to the electoral process, there are serious doubts about the Government's willingness to honor its commitments. Last July, President Moi promised to allow opposition political party meetings without permits. Since then, even opposition events with permits have been disrupted. This reform is supposed to allow for political parties to be registered, but the Safina Party still has not been registered nearly 2 years after applying for approval. In short, the Kenyan Government has shown little commitment to follow through on its promises to implement democratic reforms. This is why this resolution is so important. The U.S. Government must be on record as strongly encouraging genuine reform. We also must firmly oppose the violence threatened in advance of the December elections. This resolution is balanced, and it will be noted in Kenya. The Kenyan Government takes notice of what the United States Government thinks about its actions. Kenya is too important to east Africa and too important to the continent for the United States to stand by without supporting true reform. If we do not stand firm in opposition to electoral violence and vote fraud, a bad election could produce chaos in what has been an island of stability in east Africa. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 130) concerning the situation in Kenya.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on House Concurrent Resolution 130, the matter now under consideration.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my support for this resolution for which I am an original cosponsor. I would like to commend the work of my colleague, the gentleman from California [Mr. Rohrabacher], on this resolution. This resolution has been well crafted by the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, and we commend its chairman, the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter], with us today, and basically this resolution enjoys the strong support of the Committee on International Relations. It asks the administration to put pressure on Vietnam to improve its human rights record and move toward greater democracy. This is needed because while the Vietnamese Government has undertaken some economic reforms over the last few years, unfortunately it has not matched that record with political and human rights reforms. As my colleagues have noted, too many Vietnamese suffer from political and religious persecution. Faced with that, the United States needs to take a stand. This is an important and timely resolution. It is all the more critical we keep the focus on human rights as the administration has seen fit to improve relations with Hanoi. I believe this resolution reflects the democratic aspirations that the Vietnamese people have. It is a worthy resolution that deserves the support of this body.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from Arizona, [Mr. Salmon], who speaks Mandarin and has spent time in China,.

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from California [Mr. Rohrabacher].

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Rules.

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], the chairman of the Committee on International Relations. (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, for the last few days, the House of Representatives has been debating policy for the most important bilateral relationship the United States has, and that is our relationship with the People's Republic of China. We have heard different views on how we should deal with this emerging power. It has been a good debate, a healthy debate for us to have. I have supported the initiatives that are part of that policy for freedom in China package, because together they contribute to a well-crafted China policy, a policy which positions the United States to stand up forcefully for our values and protect our national security. For certain our relationship with China is not easy. It will be the most challenging relationship we face in the next century. Moving forward, we must have principles to guide this relationship. For one, in all our dealings with the Beijing regime, it is essential that we do not shy away from our values. This means calling the Chinese leadership on democracy and on human rights, spotlighting the organ harvesting many Members have spoken against on this floor, and acting when we can. Standing up for our values also means promoting the free flow of uncensored information, which is the lifeblood of our values that Americans cherish and wish for the Chinese people. That is why I am proud to be the author of the Radio Free Asia Act of 1997. Everyone here has heard of Radio Free Europe; that is our effort which was so effective during the cold war in bringing information to those stuck behind the Iron Curtain. At that time we told the people of Eastern Europe what was happening in their own countries, but it was not really us telling them. It was the voices of Hungarians and Czechs and Poles broadcast on Radio Free Europe, telling their fellow countrymen about the politics and other developments in their home countries, and through this surrogate broadcasting Hungarians and Czechs and Poles and others were able to learn about human rights abuses and repression in their own countries and to ask why. This information transmitted through the airwaves was tremendously effective in bringing about the demise of totalitarian regimes in these countries. How do we know that? Lech Walesa of Poland and Vaclav Havel and Alexander Dubcek of Czechoslovakia, men who pulled the foundation out from communism, have said that Radio Free Europe did more than anything else to change those Communist regimes of Eastern Europe. It is clear, information is deadly to dictators. The Chinese people deserve no less of an effort from us. Radio Free Asia has been up and running, breaking official silence in Asia for over a year now. It is patterned after Radio Free Europe. Radio Free Asia targets countries where Asians are unable to hear about developments in their own country, unable to hear about what is happening in their own capitals and even in their own cities and towns. Some 95 percent of Radio Free Asia's programing focuses on people and events within that targeted country. So while no Lech Walesa has emerged in China, I believe Radio Free Asia is one of the most powerful tools we have for promoting democracy and promoting human rights in China. This bill will provide the means to broadcast 24 hours a day into China and Tibet and to expand broadcasting in North Korea. This round- the-clock broadcasting in Mandarin, Cantonese, Tibetan, and other dialects will be an invaluable source of uncensored information for the Chinese people, information they otherwise would be denied. What do the Chinese people hear on Radio Free Asia? Weekly commentators, a discussion of topical issues with Chinese journalists. They hear China In Perspective, which deals with a range of issues, including the Chinese media; politics in the media; Tibet Today, a discussion of current issues in Tibet; ``Voices of Current Party Members'', which is a weekly discussion with current party members hosted by a former editor of the People's Daily; and they have their own ``Crossfire'' show that they hear as well. That sounds like pretty standard news and information, right? But it is not standard in a totalitarian country. And so the Beijing regime has complained. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman recently denounced Radio Free Asia, saying it was using freedom of speech as an excuse to interfere in China's internal affairs. Freedom of speech and interference in internal affairs, and the Chinese Government has punished those caught listening to Radio Free Asia. It also has tried to shut out these broadcasts through jamming. This jamming is not too effective though, and it will be less effective after the new transmitter approved by the Radio Free Asia Act of 1997 is built. The fact is that there is no denying Radio Free Asia. Just look at this map of China. Each orange dot on this map represents a significant cluster of letters received by Radio Free Asia's Chinese listeners. Up and running only a little over a year, Radio Free Asia has received hundreds of these letters, many of them from students, which indicate that young people are listening as well, and let me just read sections of two. This is from a worker in a labor union written this past September. He says, ``every day in the past 8 months, 2 hours of my day belong to Radio Free Asia, which brings a fresh spring breeze to the stifling and repressed China and lets us see the hope for a free and democratic China.'' Another letter written 2 months ago, quote: ``Like most of my Chinese countrymen, I did not know what press freedom was and what human rights were, did not even know that Taiwan called itself the Republic of China and that the Dalai Lama even was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Then I bought a radio set, which made me hunger knowledge as I never have before.'' I cannot imagine more powerful words, and I have nothing to add to those words. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 302 and as the designee of the chairman of the Committee on Internal Relations, I call up the bill (H.R. 2232) to provide for increased international broadcasting activities to China, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this measure.

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter], chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. (Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 245) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in support of a free and fair referendum on self- determination for the people of Western Sahara, as amended.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, let me commend the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Menendez], the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Africa, who has worked with us on this resolution. We have worked together on several measures throughout the year. I would also like to commend Special Envoy James Baker for his work. Morocco is a longtime ally and the United States has been improving relations with Algeria, which supports the Polisario Front. The issue of self-determination for Western Sahara poses a danger of instability for the northwest African region. The issue must be resolved so that the likelihood of long-term problems there is diminished. Peace in Western Sahara will allow for economic development and democratization in the region and could be a beneficial example for other nations in North Africa and the Middle East. That is the purpose of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], the distinguished chairman of the Committee on International Relations. (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This resolution expresses the support of the House of Representatives for the so-far successful negotiations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front, who have made the tough decision to peacefully work out their differences on the conduct of a referendum on self- determination for Western Sahara. The negotiations have been guided by former Secretary of State James Baker, now serving as the Special Envoy of the U.N. Secretary General for Western Sahara. Secretary Baker's diplomacy have broken a 6-year stalemate on referendum negotiations. While no date has been set for balloting, we appear to be closer to fair and free referendum for Western Sahara than at any time in the last two decades. This conflict, which has often seemed intractable, has not received the attention it deserves. This is now changing with Secretary Baker's engagement, as well as with the attention that Congress is now paying to this issue. This resolution not only praises the efforts of Secretary Baker but it puts the House on record as supporting a free, fair, and transparent referendum. At this sensitive point in the process, such a nonpartisan expression of support is valuable. Mr. Baker said in a Washington news conference last week that this resolution provides a much needed boost to a referendum process he referred to as the ``last opportunity for peace'' in Western Sahara. Years of fighting between Morocco, the Polisario Front, and Mauritania have claimed thousands of lives and created hundreds of thousands of refugees. The equitable ending of this conflict is important to the United States. Morocco is a longstanding American ally, and continued turmoil in the region is contrary to United States interests. The breakthrough achieved by Secretary Baker is important. That is why we need to take proper notice of it. It is time to show all parties that the United States is watching and cares. I urge my colleagues to support this balanced resolution as a sign of congressional support for the significant advance that has taken place toward resolving this longstanding conflict. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this measure.