RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION AS A VIOLATION OF

HUMAN RIGHTS

Pentecostals and Other Christians in the Soviet
Union and Eastern Europe

TUESDAY, JULY 27, 1982

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS,

Washington, D.C.

The subcommittee met in open markup session at 2:45 p.m., in room 2255, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Don Bonker (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Mr. BONKER. The subcommittee will come to order.

I apologize for the delay. Scheduling conflicts are a way of life around here. I appreciate your patience and the patience of my colleagues.

Before we commence with the hearing, I would like to take up Senate Concurrent Resolution 18, which expresses congressional concern about the repression of the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches in the U.S.S.R. and calls upon the Soviet Government to permit the restoration of these churches.

This resolution is sponsored and has been brought to this subcommittee's attention by our colleague, Mr. Derwinski. I see that he is not here but we will keep the record open for his statement. The resolution is short, it is self-explanatory, and if I hear no objection, I would move either for unanimous consent or perhaps a motion from one of my colleagues to move this resolution out of subcommittee.

Mr. BARNES. So moved, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. BONKER. Moved by Mr. Barnes.

All those in favor?

[Chorus of "ayes."]

Mr. BONKER. Opposed?

[No response.]

Mr. BONKER. The resolution is passed and will be sent to the full committee.

[Mr. Derwinski's comments and the resolution follow:]

OPENING PREPARED STATEMENT BY HON. EDWARD J. DERWINSKI, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, ON SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 18 TO SEEK THE RESURRECTION OF THE NATIONAL CHURCHES OF THE UKRAINE

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate your taking up this resolution, S. Con. Res. 18, which is similar to the resolution, H. Con. Res. 123, which I introduced on May 1, 1981. The situation of religion in the Ukraine is a most serious problem. The national churches of the Ukraine-the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches and other independent religions-have not merely been subjected to religious and civil repression but to physical extermination by the Soviet authorities.

The evidence that will be placed in the Committee record today will detail the extent of the repression of religion in the Ukraine; I will not repeat it. Suffice it to say that the attention of the Congress, the Administration and of national and international religious bodies should be brought to bear on these crimes and on possible redress.

Inasmuch as the resolution before the Subcommittee, S. Con. Res. 18, passed the Senate on June 19, 1981, I endorse it for action by the Subcommittee and referral to the Full Committee on Foreign Affairs.

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas the Charter of the United Nations, as well as its Declaration of Human Rights, sets forth the objective of international cooperation "in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion

."; and

Whereas in the so-called Brezhnev Constitution of the Union of

Soviet Socialist Republics, article 52 unequivocally provides that "Freedom of conscience, that is, the right to profess any religion and perform religious rites or not profess any religion . . . shall be recognized for all citizens of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Incitement of hostility and hatred on religious grounds shall be prohibited"; and Whereas not just religious or civil repression but the attempted

genocide the absolute physical extermination-of both the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches, and all other truly independent religions, in a nation of forty-five million persons brutally violates the basic civilized rights enunciated above: Now, therefore, be it

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Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the Presi

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4 human rights take immediate and determined steps to

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1981.

(1) call upon the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to permit the concrete resurrection of both the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic

Churches and other independent religions in the largest non-Russian nation both within the Union of Soviet

Socialist Republics and in Eastern Europe; and

(2) utilize formal and informal contacts with Union of Soviet Socialist Republics officials in an effort

to secure the freedom of religious worship in places of both churches and all other independent religions as

their own constitution provides for; and

(3) bring to the attention of all national and international religious councils the nature of this Stalinist

crime and perpetuated violation of basic human rights, with an appropriate appeal to the commitment of their

resources toward achieving the objective of this resolution.

Passed the Senate June 19 (legislative day, June 1),

Attest:

WILLIAM F. HILDENBRAND,

Secretary.

Mr. BONKER. The subcommittee has been conducting a series of hearings on the question of religious persecution as a violation of human rights. This subcommittee over the past two sessions of Congress has sponsored a series of hearings on various aspects of human rights violations.

In the last session we conducted hearings on the problem of disappearances and it resulted in a resolution that created the working group on disappearances at the U.N. Commission on Human Rights. This subcommittee also passed a law that placed disappearances into our statutory description of what constitutes a human rights violation.

This session the subcommittee has been looking at the question of religious persecution. We have held two sets of hearings on the general overview of religious persecution. We have found that this is a very serious violation of human rights which exists almost in every part of the globe.

Today we are going to take up specifically the case of the Pente costals in Moscow-better known as the "Siberian Seven," but more generally we will be hearing testimony on the status of the Christian Church in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

Four years have passed now and the Pentecostals still remain in our Embassy in Moscow and the Soviet authorities still refuse to grant them exit visas. Lidia Vashchenko, who went on a hunger strike and was hospitalized, now resides in Siberia awaiting exit visas for herself and others in the Embassy. I have an eloquent quote from her which will be placed in the record and I won't consume subcommittee time at the moment.

[The information follows:]

Many of you have been tirelessly and persistantly supporting us in the right of emigration which my family has been trying to obtain for the past 22 years. We have made many different attempts to get permission from the Soviet Government to leave the U.S.S.R. but the Soviets continue to keep us here. . . . We think that both governments, the Soviets and American, have handled our case carelessly. One constantly deceives, the other does not take any serious action to pressure the Soviets and make them tell the truth and act accordingly. . . . We are turning to you all to please ask the American Government to talk with the Soviets about permission for us to emigrate much more seriously and ask them to work together with the Soviets in order to find a positive solution for all, us and both governments so that we could leave the Soviet Union safely and soon.

Mr. BONKER. The Soviet Union, after 65 years, no matter where you look across the length and breadth of the Iron Curtain, the situation is the same-people are being persecuted because of their religious faith. It does not matter whether you are of the Pentecostal faith in the Soviet Union or of the Pentecostal faith in Romania, persecution exists. It does not matter whether you are a member of the Catholic Church in the Ukraine or in Baltic States, persecution exists. It doesn't matter whether you are a Baptist or a member of the Orthodox Church, all Christians, no matter to which denomination they belong are subject to constant harassment and persecution.

[Mr. Bonker's opening prepared statement follows:]