1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 5 (2) calls upon the people of the United States to commemorate September 2, 2005, the 60th anniversary of the final surrender of the Second World War aboard the USS Missouri, as a day of remembrance and appreciation for the members of the greatest generation who, through their sacrifices both in the Armed Forces and on the homefront, preserved liberty for future generations and rescued the world from the scourge of fascist militarism; (3) reaffirms the judgment in Tokyo rendered by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East of 1946-1948 and the conviction of certain individuals as war criminals for their crimes against humanity; and (4) recognizes that the alliances formed in the Asia-Pacific region following the Second World War, including those with Australia, Japan, the Phil ippines, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand, have contributed immeasurably to the continued peace and prosperity enjoyed throughout the region. H.L.C. [COMMITTEE PRINT] JUNE 21, 2005 [Showing the Amendment Adopted by the Subcommittee on Europe and Emerging Threats] 109TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 328 Recognizing the 25th anniversary of the workers' strikes in Poland in 1980 that led to the establishment of the Solidarity Trade Union. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 17, 2005 Mr. GALLEGLY (for himself, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. ENGEL, and Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations RESOLUTION Recognizing the 25th anniversary of the workers' strikes in Poland in 1980 that led to the establishment of the Solidarity Trade Union. Whereas, although Victory in Europe on May 8, 1945, resulted in liberty and democracy in many nations, Poland and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe fell behind the repressive Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union; 2 H.L.C. Whereas for more than four decades Poland and the nations of the Soviet Bloc struggled under authoritarian rule; Whereas in June 1979, Pope John Paul II, the former Car dinal Karol Wojtyla, returned to his homeland for the first time and exhorted his countrymen to "be not afraid" of the Communist regime; Whereas in July and August of 1980, Polish workers in the shipyards of Gdansk and Szczecin went on strike to demand greater political freedom; Whereas workers' committees, led by electrician Lech Walesa, coordinated these strikes and ensured that the strikes were peaceful and orderly; Whereas in August 1980, the Communist government of Poland yielded to the 21 demands of the striking workers, including the release of all political prisoners, the broadcasting of religious services on television and radio, and the right to establish independent trade unions; Whereas the Communist government of Poland introduced martial law in December 1981 in an attempt to block the growing influence of the Solidarity movement; Whereas the Solidarity Trade Union and its 10,000,000 members became a great social movement committed to promoting fundamental human rights, democracy, and Polish independence from the Soviet Union; Whereas in February 1989, the Communist government of Poland agreed to conduct talks with the Solidarity Trade Union that led to elections to the National Assembly in June of that year, in which nearly all open seats were won by candidates supported by the Solidarity Trade Union, and led soon after to the election of Poland's first 3 H.L.C. non-Communist Prime Minister in the post-war era, Mr. Tadeusz Mazowiecki; Whereas the Solidarity movement ended communism in Poland without bloodshed, inspiring other nations under Soviet control to do the same and playing an important role in the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe; Whereas on November 15, 1989, Lech Walesa gave an historic speech before a joint meeting of the United States Congress with the opening remarks "We the People. . .", which stirred a standing ovation from the Members of Congress; Whereas on December 9, 1990, Lech Walesa was elected President of Poland; Whereas the support of the United States and the PolishAmerican community was essential to the survival and success of the Solidarity movement; and Whereas a bond of friendship exists between the United States and Poland, which is among the strongest allies of the United States, a contributing partner in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a reliable partner in the Global War on Terrorism, and a key contributor in Iraq and Afghanistan: Now, therefore, be it 1 2 3 4 5 6 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— (1) recognizes the 25th anniversary of the workers' strikes in Poland that led to establishment of the Solidarity Trade Union; (2) honors the struggle and sacrifice of the citizens of Poland who risked their lives to restore de |