4 (3) expresses its strong and continuing support for the efforts of the Belarusian people to establish a full democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights in Belarus; (4) urges the Government of Belarus to guarantee freedom of association and assembly, including the right of candidates, members of political parties, and others to freely assemble, to organize and conduct public events, and to exercise these and other rights free from intimidation or harassment by local or national officials or others acting at their behest; (5) urges the Government of Belarus to meet its Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commitments on democratic elections; (6) urges the Belarusian ensure authorities to (A) the full transparency of election procedures before, during, and after the 2004 parliamentary elections; (B) free access for Belarusian and inter national election observers; (C) multiparty representation on all elec tion commissions; 5 (D) unimpeded access by all parties and candidates to print, radio, television, and Internet media on a non-discriminatory basis; (E) freedom of candidates, members of opposition parties, and independent media organizations from intimidation or harassment by government officials at all levels via selective tax audits and other regulatory procedures, and in the case of media, license revocations and libel suits, among other measures; (F) a transparent process for complaint and appeals through electoral commissions and within the court system that provides timely and effective remedies; and (G) vigorous prosecution of any individual or organization responsible for violations of election laws or regulations, including the application of appropriate administrative or criminal penalties; (7) further calls upon the Government of Belarus to guarantee election monitors from the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), other participating States of the OSCE, Belarusian political parties, candidates' representatives, nongovernmental organizations, and other pri 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 6 vate institutions and organizations, both foreign and domestic, unobstructed access to all aspects of the election process, including unimpeded access to public campaign events, candidates, news media, voting, and post-election tabulation of results and processing of election challenges and complaints; (8) encourages the international community, including the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, to continue their efforts to support democracy in Belarus and urges countries such as Lithuania and other Baltic countries and Nordic countries to continue to provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations and other Belarusian organizations involved in promoting democracy and fair elections in Belarus; and (9) pledges its support to the Belarusian people, their commitment to a fully free and open demo cratic system, their creation of a prosperous free 19 market economy, and their country's assumption of its rightful place as a full and equal member of the Western community of democracies. 108TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. RES. 667 Expressing support for freedom in Hong Kong. IV IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 9, 2004 Mr. Cox (for himself, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, and Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations RESOLUTION Expressing support for freedom in Hong Kong. Whereas according to the April 1, 2004, report by the De partment of State entitled U.S.-Hong Kong Policy Act Report, "The United States has strong interests in the protection of human rights and the promotion of democratic institutions throughout the world. The Hong Kong people share many values and interests with Americans and have worked to make Hong Kong a model of what can be achieved in a society based on the rule of law and respect for civil liberties"; Whereas according to section 103(3) of the United States Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 5713(3)), "The United States should continue to treat Hong Kong as a territory which is fully autonomous from the United 2 Kingdom and, after June 30, 1997, should treat Hong Whereas the People's Republic of China has frustrated the gradual and orderly process toward universal suffrage and the democratic election of the legislature and chief executive in Hong Kong as envisioned by the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR; and Whereas on April 6, 2004, the Standing Committee of the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 127 National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China declared itself, as opposed to the people of Hong Kong, the final arbiter of democratic reform and, on April 26, 2004, declared that universal suffrage would not apply to the election of the third Chief Executive in 2007 or to the election of all members of the fourth Legislative Council in 2008: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives (1) declares that the people of Hong Kong should be free to determine the pace and scope of constitutional developments; and (2) calls upon the President of the United States to (A) call upon the People's Republic of China, the National People's Congress, and any groups appointed by the Government of the People's Republic of China to guarantee that all revisions of Hong Kong law reflect the wishes of the people of Hong Kong as expressed |