USCIRF | Oct. 1, 2019
On China’s National Day, USCIRF Urges U.S. Government to Take Action on Religious Freedom
WASHINGTON, DC – Today marks the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, also known as National Day. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF(Opens in a new window)) continues to urge the U.S. government to take decisive action against the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing campaign of repression against Uighur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, Falun Gong practitioners and other religious groups.
“Communist China’s actions represent a wholesale assault on the very idea of independent religion,” said USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer. “Hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens are being locked up or harassed simply because they choose to believe in a god other than Xi Jinping. Now is the time for the U.S. government to use all the tools at its disposal, including targeted sanctions and visa bans, to hold the Chinese officials responsible for this campaign of repression accountable.”
“USCIRF remains extremely concerned about worsening religious freedom conditions in China and the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party goes to deny and deceive the international community about its appalling human rights record,” added CommissionerTenzin Dorjee. “Harassing, disappearing, interning, and imprisoning people is no way to treat peaceful religious believers. The U.S. government cannot turn a blind eye towards these violations.”