[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 363 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 363
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 14, 2004
Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the continuing gross
violations of human rights and civil liberties of the Syrian and
Lebanese people by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic.
Whereas the Syrian Arab Republic is governed by an authoritarian regime which
continues to commit serious human rights abuses, including the use of
torture and arbitrary arrest and detention;
Whereas the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for
2003 states that Syria ``significantly restricts freedom of speech and
of the press'',
that ``freedom of assembly does not exist under the law'', and that ``the
Government restricted freedom of association'';
Whereas Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states
``Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this
right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to
seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and
regardless of frontiers.'';
Whereas Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states
``Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and
association.'';
Whereas Syria's September 2001 press law permits the government to arbitrarily
deny or revoke publishing licenses for vague reasons and compels media
to submit all material to government censors;
Whereas Syrian authorities have arrested, or, in the case of foreigners,
expelled two journalists for writing critically about Syria's policies;
Whereas Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have reported that the
security forces of Syria are targeting emerging Syrian human rights
organizations, as well as their attorneys, in an apparent attempt to
intimidate those organizations;
Whereas on March 8, 2004, Syrian security forces arrested more than 30 human
rights dissidents and civilians at a sit-in in front of the parliament;
Whereas a United States diplomat who was watching the peaceful demonstrations
was also arrested and held for an hour in what the United States
Government called an unacceptable violation of diplomatic practice and
which the United States protested ``in the strongest terms'';
Whereas Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states ``All are
equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to
equal protection of the law.'';
Whereas the criminal law of Syria provides for reduced sentences in cases of
``honor'' killings, and spousal rape is not illegal;
Whereas the infringement by Syria on human rights and civil liberties extends
into the Lebanese Republic, which it continues to occupy in violation of
United Nations Security Council resolutions;
Whereas Human Rights Watch, in its 2003 World Report, stated that ``political
activists in Lebanon continued to demand the withdrawal of all Syrian
forces from the country and organized demonstrations throughout the
year, many of which the internal security forces dispersed forcibly'';
Whereas hundreds of Lebanese civilians are believed to have been killed or
``disappeared'' by Syrian occupation forces or its secret police;
Whereas hundreds of Kurdish civilians were injured or killed in clashes with the
Syrian authorities that began on March 12, 2004, in Qamishli, a city in
northeastern Syria and, according to Syrian Kurdish sources, security
forces used live ammunition against unarmed civilians; and
Whereas human rights and democracy groups in Syria have sponsored a petition
urging greater freedoms and the release of all political prisoners,
which has garnered more than 6,000 signatures: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress--
(1) condemns the consistent pattern of gross violations of
internationally recognized human rights by the Government of
the Syrian Arab Republic;
(2) calls on the international community to adopt a
resolution at the upcoming session of the United Nations
General Assembly which details the dismal human rights record
of Syria;
(3) expresses its support for the people of Syria in their
daily struggle for freedom, respect for human rights and civil
liberties, democratic self-governance, and the establishment of
the rule of law;
(4) encourages the President and the Secretary of State to
reach out to dissidents, human rights activists, and the
nonviolent democratic opposition in Syria, and to assist them
in their efforts; and
(5) urges the adoption and pursuit of these and other
policies to seek a democratic government in Syria that will--
(A) bring freedom and democracy to the people of
Syria;
(B) cease the illegal occupation by Syria of the
Lebanese Republic;
(C) abandon support for terrorism by Syria;
(D) not pursue research, development, acquisition,
production, transfer, or deployment of biological,
chemical, or nuclear weapons, will provide credible
assurances that such behavior will not be undertaken in
the future, and will agree to allow United Nations and
other international observers to verify such
assurances; and
(E) live in peace and security with the
international community.
Passed the House of Representatives September 13, 2004.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.