3 elected head of state there has completed an elected term of office: Now, therefore, be it Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the following: 1 That Congress 2 (1) condemns the overthrow of the democrat 3 ically elected Government of Pakistan by the armed forces of Pakistan on October 12, 1999, in violation of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Paki 4 5 6 7 8 90 stan; (2) further condemns the subsequent declaration by General Musharraf of a state of emergency, the suspension of Pakistan's Constitution, the dis 10 missal of the national government and the legisla ture, and the declaration of himself as Pakistan's supreme leader; (3) expresses grave concern about the implications for security and stability in the South Asia region, in light of the history of tensions between India and Pakistan and the fact that both nations have recently tested nuclear devices, and urges both of those countries to exercise restraint in the current environment; (4) calls for the immediate restoration of a ci vilian, democratically elected government in Paki 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 stan, including the legislature, and the restoration of democracy and the rule of law; (5) urges the armed forces of Pakistan to respect the human rights of all Pakistani citizens, in cluding those members of the national government who are currently being illegally detained in violation of their constitutional and human rights; and (6) calls on the President not to consider exercising the waiver authority which would be granted to him by the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2000 (Public Law 106-79), to allow the sale of any military equipment or services to Pakistan, or reinstatement of Pakistan's eligibility for international military education and training, until a civilian, democratically elected government is returned to power in Pakistan. Amend the title to read: "Expressing the strong opposition of Congress to the military coup in Pakistan and calling for a civilian, democratically elected government to be returned to power in Pakistan." HRES 169 IH 106th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 169 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to democracy, free elections, and human rights in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 13, 1999 Mr. VENTO (for himself and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to democracy, free elections, and human rights in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Whereas in 1975, the Pathet Lao party supplanted the existing Lao government and the Lao Royal Family, and established a `people's democratic republic', in violation of the 1962 Declaration on the Neutrality of Laos and its Protocol, as well as the 1973 Vientiane Agreement on Laos; Whereas since the 1975 overthrow of the existing Lao Government, Laos has been under the sole control of the Lao People's Democratic Party; Whereas the present Lao Constitution provides for human rights protection for the Lao people, and Laos is a signatory to international agreements on civil and political rights; Whereas Laos has become a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which calls for the creation of open societies in each of its member states by the year 2020; Whereas despite that, the State Department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1998' notes that the government has only slowly eased restrictions on basic freedoms and begun codification of implementing legislation for rights stipulated in the Lao Constitution, and continues to significantly restrict the freedoms of speech, assembly, and religion; Whereas according to Amnesty International, serious problems persist in the human rights record of the Government of Laos, including the continued detention of political prisoners and the treatment of such prisoners in a manner that is degrading, abusive, and inhumane; Whereas in February 1998, one political prisoner of the Government of Laos, Thongsouk Saysangkhi, died, and an unknown number of other political prisoners still remain inside its prisons; and Whereas allegations of persecution and human rights abuse of the Hmong who repatriated to Laos continue, and Hmong families of detained political prisoners are reported to be threatened daily under the Communist Government in Laos: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the present Government of Laos should END (1) respect international norms of human rights and democratic freedoms for the Lao people, and fully honor its commitments to those norms and freedoms as embodied in its constitution and international agreements, and in the 1962 Declaration on the Neutrality of Laos and its Protocol and the 1973 Vientiane Agreement on Laos; (2) issue a public statement specifically reaffirming its commitment to protecting religious freedom and other basic human rights; (3) fully institute a process of democracy, human rights, and openly contested free and fair elections in Laos, and ensure specifically that the National Assembly elections-currently scheduled for 2002-are openly contested; and (4) allow access for international human rights monitors, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and Amnesty International, to Lao prisons, and to all regions of the country to investigate allegations of human rights abuses, including those against the Hmong people, when requested. [COMMITTEE PRINT] Showing H. Res. 169, as Reported by the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific [The amendments consist of amendments in the nature of a substitute to the preamble and text and a title amendment] 106TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 169 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to democracy, free elections, and human rights in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 13, 1999 Mr. VENTO (for himself and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to democracy, free elections, and human rights in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. |