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 the resolution under consideration.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall), the author of this resolution. (Mr. UDALL of New Mexico asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to begin by commending my colleague, the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall), for sponsoring this resolution; and this resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives regarding individuals being held as prisoners of conscience by the Chinese Government for their involvement in efforts to end the Chinese occupation of Tibet. It calls for the Chinese Government to release all its prisoners of conscience. Mr. Speaker, this resolution notes that the United States Department of State and international human rights organizations have documented continuing and widespread human rights violations committed by the Chinese Government throughout China and throughout Tibet. This resolution specifically highlights the plight of imprisoned Tibetan nun Phuntsog Nyidron who was arrested along with five other nuns back in 1989 for peacefully demonstrating against China's occupation of Tibet. She was beaten and she was tortured for her peaceful protest, and further, her prison sentence was extended when she and 13 other nuns secretly recorded and smuggled out of Drapchi prison songs of Tibetan independence. Her continued defiance of the Chinese Government earned her one of the longest reported prison sentences of any female Tibetan political prisoner, and, Mr. Speaker, she continues to languish in prison. What is more, she is hardly alone. This resolution notes that the Chinese Government has detained hundreds of Tibetan nuns and hundreds of monks and laypersons as prisoners of conscience for one crime, and that is speaking out against the Chinese government's occupation. Mr. Speaker, the United States House of Representatives has a long tradition of being a voice for the voiceless. The United States House of Representatives has a long tradition of being a champion for the oppressed, and, Mr. Speaker, this body has a long tradition of leading the charge for human rights, and I encourage my colleagues to support this H. Res. 157. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I would make the observation that Tibet has been under Beijing rule since 1949, when it was invaded and at that time incorporated into China. In 1959, the Dalai Lama fled in exile to India, and he fled with tens of thousands of his followers. The Dalai Lama has shed daylight over the years on many human rights violations. More than 1 million Tibetans have died under the Chinese occupation as a result of torture and as a result of starvation and as a result of execution. No nation is exempt from the demands of human dignity. I should note that this House has a notable record when it comes to Tibet. The cochairmen of the Human Rights Caucus, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), have been instrumental in this effort. Last year, the Dalai Lama gave the keynote address to the Human Rights Caucus to recognize the 20th anniversary of our Human Rights Caucus here. The People's Republic of China has yet to demonstrate its willingness to abide by internationally accepted norms of freedom in terms of freedom of belief, or freedom of expression, or freedom of association. China is still holding hundreds of political prisoners of conscience for peaceful protests against the Chinese occupation. Seventeen years of additional sentence for singing a Tibetan song in prison is truly draconian, but it is not atypical of the treatment of those who try to keep their culture alive or those who try to keep their religion alive; nor are the tortures catalogued here today by the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall), nor are those tortures atypical of what we have heard in committee about the condition that goes on in those prisons. That is why this resolution is so important. The human rights violations, the arbitrary arrests, the detention without public trial of Tibetans who peacefully express their political or religious views must come to an end, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. In point of fact, Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to respond that China invaded Tibet in 1949 and subjugated its people. So for the government of Beijing to now say this is an internal matter, first there are two points here: First of all, they are claiming it is an internal matter because they subjugated an indigenous people in Tibet and then systematically killed over a million Tibetans and then moved people from mainland China into the Tibetan communities in order to try to erase a culture. Secondarily, even if this was action taking place in Beijing itself, we would be speaking out. Why? Because there are certain fundamental standards of human rights when it comes to freedom of religion and freedom of speech. And when we have things as egregious as a young woman who is a nun, who is tortured and sent to prison for an additional 17 years for singing a cultural song about Tibetan heritage, that is so outrageous that the international community would speak out regardless of what country that crime against humanity occurred in. And this is truly criminal activity.

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 resolution (H. Res. 157) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding several individuals who are being held as prisoners of conscience by the Chinese Government for their involvement in efforts to end the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2264 authorizes the Congo Basin Forest Partnership. This legislation is authored by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) and by myself. There are several additional cochairmen present here. There are four of us as Members of this House who launched the Bipartisan International Conservation Caucus late last year: myself, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw), the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall), and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Turner). This bill passed the House unanimously last October. It was amended over in the Senate, and the Senate cut authorization from 2 years to 1 year. Although that is unfortunate, the bill is back from the Senate, and it is time to send this bill to the President's desk. Let me give Members some observations on this measure. The tropical forests of Central Africa's Congo Basin are a key resource to an estimated 20 million people. These forests play a critical role in sustaining the environment of Africa. The Congo Basin contains the most diverse grouping of plants and animals in all of Africa, including rare and endangered species. These plants and animals are invaluable for many reasons, including their genetic and biochemical information. This information from these species could spark technical advances in medicine, in agriculture, and in industry that would benefit people throughout the world. But this is all threatened, and it is threatened because the Congo Basin forests are, under growing pressures, being clear-cut. I thought I would just for a moment show the location of these forests in Africa: Gabon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Cameroon, this area in Africa. Ten years ago, the forests throughout this area were virtually untouched. Today logging operations are shrinking these forests at such a rate that one estimate has the logging taking out Congo Basin forest areas at a rate of twice the size of the State of Rhode Island every year. It is estimated continent-wide that Africa has lost at least 10 percent of its forested area in the last generation. Meanwhile, construction of logging roads is putting intense hunting pressure on the wildlife that exists there. At current levels, most species of apes, like the mountain gorilla and the Eastern lowland gorilla, seen here, as well as the chimpanzee that exists in the Congo Basin, and the white rhino are threatened with extinction. In addition, the large antelope and elephants will disappear from the Congo Basin if action is not taken. One of the actions that we have urged on the Subcommittee on Africa is the creation of a national parks system in this area of Africa. In 2002, Secretary of State Powell launched the Congo Basin Partnership. He made the announcement in Johannesburg. He traveled to Gabon, and he traveled through the rainforests at that time. The partnership focuses on 11 key landscapes that exist in these six countries. It aims to support a network of national parks, protected areas and well-managed forestry concessions. The partnership is working to combat illegal logging and poaching and other unsustainable practices, and to give local populations an economic stake in the preservation of the forests, including through the development of ecotourism which has great developmental potential for Africans. In fact, the second largest source of foreign exchange right now in Africa is ecotourism. So this is a true partnership with European and other countries making financial contributions into it. I should recognize the country of Gabon for its dramatic move towards conserving Congo Basin forests. In 1992, President Omar Bongo announced the creation of 13 national parks. Previously, Gabon had no national park system. Since this legislation passed the House last October, President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo has announced his intention to increase protected area coverage to 15 percent of that vast country which has long been attacked for its natural resources. There are militia that have plundered natural resources in that country. How vast is the Democratic Republic of Congo; it is as large as the country of the United States east of the Mississippi River. So when national park systems are being set up that are 15 percent of that territory, Members can understand how vast it is going to be. Across the river is the Republic of Congo, and they have begun an experiment of privately run forests aimed at better managing forest assets. So there is a real African buy-in to this partnership, with six African countries setting up this vast national forest system. The Subcommittee on Africa that I chair held a hearing on the initiative last year. Testifying before us was world-renowned ecologist Michael Faye. Michael has traversed many of Africa's forests, especially in the Congo Basin, and he has had several 400-day treks. Many have read about these walks across Africa in the National Geographic. This legislation supports conservation efforts by him and others. Conservation is not easy. What Americans take for granted, Yosemite and Yellowstone and our park system, that took great foresight and political commitment to make that a reality. Over 100 years ago we led the world here in the United States, and it will be a major challenge to establish and maintain effective regimes to control logging and hunting in the Congo Basin. But with the partnership, the United States is bringing its unique experience and talents to these efforts. In fact, through the partnership, the U.S. National Park Service plans to bring park managers and rangers from Gabon and other countries to the United States to train in our great national parks. That is one of many efforts that will be undertaken under this legislation. 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 concurring in the Senate amendments to H.R. 2264.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw).

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would point out that unfortunately Africa is not the only continent under attack. Increasingly, we are seeing the link between resource exploitation, human rights abuses, conflict and corruption. A report by Global Witness last year details how the ruling military junta in Burma is using logging concessions to help maintain its grip on power. In Burma's environmentally damaging resource diplomacy, Chinese logging companies are granted concessions to large sections of Burmese virgin forest in exchange for political loyalty and material support. In light of this sort of activity, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership and similar initiatives are all that much more important. I urge my colleagues to support this initiative.

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

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 2264) to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2004 and 2005 to carry out the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) program, and for other purposes.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss and honor the life of Mr. Alfredo B. Lagmay, Sr. Mr. Lagmay was truly one of America's heroes. Mr. Lagmay came to this country from his native Philippines in 1918. He later went on to serve in our armed forces, where he was a prisoner of war (POW), a survivor of the Death March of Bataan, and a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. After his distinguished 31-year career in the United States Military where he was awarded the Bronze Star, Mr. Lagmay moved with his family to Orange County. Mr. Lagmay was a valued member of the community and served as an inspiration to all. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Alfredo Lagmay. I am exceedingly proud to honor him for his courageous service to our country and for the honorable life he led as a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill commending the participation of Afghan women in that society. But let me share with the Members that I had an opportunity to travel in Afghanistan, and there is a small orphanage that I have supported. I have been a board member for a number of years on this particular board for this school that attempts to teach orphans in Afghanistan. And I wanted to see about the work that they were conducting. So when I was there, I actually had an opportunity to talk not only to the students, several of whom spoke English, but also with the teachers. One of the teachers showed me, by the way, the scars on his legs and arms. He was caught by the former regime. He was not teaching jihad. He was teaching mathematics. He was teaching science. And that was considered verboten. That was forbidden by that government. And as a consequence, he was tortured for that. But the school continued its work clandestinely, and today that work continues. And I asked the young students there what they intended to be when they grew up, and we got different answers from different students. But one young woman stood up and she said, ``When I grow up, I want to go to the University of Kabul because I am going to be a physician.'' And I asked her, ``Why do you want to become a doctor?'' She said, ``I want to become a doctor because I want to help my people.'' We forget that two thirds of the physicians in Afghanistan before the Taliban, two thirds of physicians, were women. But, in fact, when that society was hijacked by the Taliban and that brutal regime began the process of excluding women not only from education but from the workforce and from riding a bus or from visiting a doctor, we forget just how brutal that regime was. I have got a great deal of respect for what the new government is trying to do. The new Afghan government has established a Ministry of Women's Affairs dedicated to improving women's rights, but in the meantime the reality continues, that at the hands of regional warlords and brigands and religious fanatics, women are still beaten and they are still raped and they are still abducted. However, as this is happening, women are playing a role in the political reconstruction of Afghanistan. Seven women are members of the constitutional drafting commission. That is 20 percent of the commission. Under the released draft constitution, Afghanistan's president can nominate women to hold up to 50 percent of the seats of the upper house of parliament. For the first time in years, Afghans are hearing the voice of women on the air because the broadcasts of Radio Free Afghanistan air commentary from both the women in the Afghan ministries and the men and women that are interviewed on the streets, in the towns. And it is important to remember again that before 1978 women were very influential in this society. Not only were they two-thirds of teachers, as I mentioned, but they played a role throughout the society, throughout the workforce, and they must play a vital role in helping Afghanistan become a stable state. There is so much work to be done, and there is so much more attention that we as a Congress, not just the administration, but we as a Congress need to pay to this problem. But Afghanistan has made tremendous strides, at least in Kabul, in the liberation from the Taliban; and we have to remember that the Taliban is still rooted in parts of that country. And I ask my colleagues to support this resolution and to continue to focus in their own time and in their own ways on ideas of how we can expand some measure of progress beyond the capital into the regional areas of Afghanistan.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support as a cosponsor of this legislation. Of course, the focus here is to spotlight the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam and the treatment that it has been receiving at the hands of the government of North Vietnam, that Communist government that now, for over 20 years, for 20 years have been trying to suppress the Buddhist Church, and that church has simply been fighting to practice their religion peacefully. The difficulties commenced in 1981 when the government declared the Buddhist Church, and this is the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, they declared it illegal. They confiscated the temples of the Buddhist Church. They began persecuting the clergy if that clergy did not join up with Communist organizations, stated-sponsored Buddhist organizations. When I visited Vietnam, I saw firsthand the Communist Party's harassment of those Vietnamese citizens who decided to peacefully set forth dissenting political views, dissenting religious views. I met with several of them who were under house arrest. In particular, the Venerable Thich Quang Do and the Venerable Le Quang Liem. The reason they were under house arrest was simply because they were protesting a rewrite of the holy books, of the Buddhist holy books, holy works. The Communist Party had attempted to slash 80 or 90 percent of those works, and instead resubstitute and rewrite a culture that goes back thousands and thousands of years. And, of course, the laity and the leadership of the church took great umbrage at this and simply asked that they be allowed to practice their religion. Well, in June of this year when the Vietnamese government ended the detention order against Thich Quang Do, we were all quite hopeful. However, our hopes were quickly dashed when last month the Buddhist Church's meetings were disrupted and the travel of monks was restricted and, again, some were arrested. Today we are here to say as the United States Congress that we are not satisfied with the state of human rights in Vietnam and that the United States has a strong interest in promoting respect for individual rights around the world. The U.S. must be a strong advocate of human rights, particularly when basic freedoms are being wantonly abused as they are in Vietnam. We must continue to shine a light on Vietnam. I urge the passage of this resolution. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, this rule is important so that we can bring up the supplemental conference report tonight to fund our troops. The need is very urgent. This past weekend I had the privilege of traveling to Iraq where I led a Congressional delegation. And I say ``privileged'' because it was a privilege to spend time with our brave servicemen and women on the ground in Iraq who are doing a tremendous job under difficult conditions. They deserve our greatest support. And, Mr. Speaker, that is what this bill does. It supports our servicemen and women with the resources that they need. And I would like to commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), and all the Members involved in working out this bill with the other body. I would like to bring attention to one program in particular contained in this bill: The Commanders Emergency Response Program, which, fortunately, was agreed to by the conferees. Having seen this program at work on the ground in Iraq, I would like to report to my colleagues that it is effective and it is very efficient. This program allows our military commanders in Iraq to respond to urgent humanitarian relief and reconstruction needs. And with this program, we have repaired roads, water treatment facilities, police stations, and schools. We had an opportunity to see this work. And this is done hand in hand with Iraqi labor and it is done very cost effectively. To date, the program has been carried out with the funds seized from Saddam's regime, including funds taken from overseas accounts and taken out of the walls of Saddam Hussein's palaces in some cases. And these funds are running out. And our troops are fighting to show the Iraqi people that their best future lies with democracy and with the rule of law. These projects give the Iraqi people hope for that future, emboldening them to fight the Baathists and emboldening them to fight the terrorists. And they also make our troops safer. Our top commanders in the field see these projects as security for our troops. They see these projects as winning friends and weakening our enemies. One commander told me that this program was the most important ammunition he had. It is my hope that this program continues to be carried out in a streamlined and flexible way, taking the greatest advantage of the ingenuity of the Americans and Iraqis working together. It is not too much to say that this modest effort is a key to our success in Iraq. And that is why, Mr. Speaker, I support this rule because of the urgency. And I support the next rule and the underlying bill to fund our troops which will come up before this body tonight.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This bill, H.R. 2264, authorizes the administration's Congo Basin Forest Partnership. It is authored by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw), who is an international conservation leader. I am a cosponsor of this measure, and I think the importance of it is that the tropical forests of central Africa's Congo Basin are a key economic resource for an estimated 20 million people, and these forests play a very critical role in sustaining the environment. The Congo Basin contains the most diverse grouping of plants and animals in all of Africa, including many rare and endangered species. These plants and animals are invaluable for so many reasons, including their genetic and biological information which could spark technical advances in medicine and agriculture. This is all threatened, though, as Congo Basin forests are coming under growing pressure. Ten years ago, these forests were virtually untouched. Today, logging operations are shrinking these forests. As a matter of fact, logging operations are taking out the Congo Basin forest at the rate of twice the size of Rhode Island every year. Meanwhile, the construction of logging roads is putting intense hunting pressure on wildlife. At current levels, because of poaching, most species of apes, large antelope, and elephants will disappear from the Congo Basin, as well as the white rhino, and some will become extinct. Last September, Secretary of State Powell launched the Congo Basin Forest Partnership in Johannesburg. This partnership is focused on 11 key landscapes in 6 different countries. It aims to support a network of national parks and protected areas and well-managed forestry concessions. The partnership is working to combat illegal logging and illegal poaching and other unsustainable practices and to give local populations an economic stake in the preservation of the forests, including through the development of ecotourism. This is a true partnership, with European and other countries making financial contributions to it. I should note that the most dramatic move toward conserving Congo Basin forests has been taken by Gabon. Last year, President Omar Bongo announced the creation of 13 separate national parks in his country. Previously, Gabon had no national parks system. With this partnership, there is a real African buy-in. The Subcommittee on Africa that I chair held a hearing on this initiative in March. Testifying before us was world-renowned ecologist Michael Fay. Michael has traveled many of Africa's forests, especially in the Congo Basin, and has had several of his treks covered by National Geographic. I am pleased that the House is acting today to pass this bill. It supports conservation efforts by him and others which have come, in Michael's case, at great personal sacrifice. Conservation is not easy. What Americans take for granted, Yosemite, Yellowstone and our magnificent national park system, took great foresight. It took a great political commitment to make that a reality. We led the world in the United States. It will be a major challenge to establish and maintain effective regimes to control logging and to control hunting in the Congo Basin; but with the partnership, the U.S. is bringing its unique experience and talents to these efforts. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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 H.R. 2264.

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle), who has traveled to sub-Saharan Africa to see how Africans can better protect their endangered species.

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

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, unfortunately, Africa is not the only continent under attack. Increasingly, we are seeing the link between resource exploitation and human rights abuses and conflict and corruption. This past weekend, the Financial Times previewed a new report to be released next week by Global Witness. The report details how the ruling military junta in Burma is using logging concessions to help maintain its grip on power. In Burma's environmentally-damaging resource diplomacy, Chinese logging companies are granted concessions to large sections of Burmese virgin forest in exchange for political loyalty and in exchange for material support. In light of this sort of activity, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership and similar initiatives are all that much more important, and I want to thank Members in this body for what they are attempting to do in passing this legislation and urge the support of every Member.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res 274) commending the National Endowment for Democracy for its contributions to democratic development around the world on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the National Endowment for Democracy.