Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I note the passing of General Narinder Singh, a leader in the struggle for freedom for the Sikhs in Punjab, Khalistan. General Narinder Singh was an army general who became an activist for his people in his retirement. He frequently spoke out against the atrocities committed against the Sikhs in India. On a visit to the United States, General Narinder Singh said that ``Punjab is a police state.'' Unfortunately, it is still a police state today.

Punjab police recently have arrested numerous Sikhs, held them incommunicado, and tortured them on charges of militancy. This is the same ``militancy'' that India claimed to have eradicated several years ago! In June, 35 Sikhs were arrested and many more were charged for making speeches in support of freedom for Khalistan, the Sikh homeland, and raising the Sikh flag in front of over 30,000 cheering Sikhs. Even a former Member of Parliament was arrested for making a speech. The same thing happened in January at a protest on India's Republic Day. Mr. Speaker, does this sound like the act of a tyranny or a democracy?

We must not just watch while India forcibly suppresses the freedom of Sikhs and other minorities. The time has come to stop our aid and our trade with India. It is also time to enact a formal resolution calling for a free and fair plebiscite on the question of independence. The essence of democracy is the right of self-determination.

Mr. Speaker, the Council of Khalistan recently published an excellent press release on the passing of General Narinder Singh, which I would like to place in the Record.

Council of Khalistan

in memory of general narinder singh

Washington, DC, October 12, 2005--General Narinder Singh, a

strong spokesman for an independent Khalistan, died recently.

He was 86. He served in the army and became an activist for

the Sikh Nation after his retirement. He spoke out for human

rights and for freedom for Khalistan, the Sikh homeland that

declared its independence on October 7, 1987. General

Narinder Singh travelled to countries such as the United

States in support of these causes. He participated in

political events in Punjab, Khalistan, aimed at securing

freedom for the Sikh nation. ``General Narinder Singh will be

sorely missed,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of

the Council of Khalistan. ``We salute his courage and we

honor his memory. On behalf of the Sikh Nation, I extend

deepest sympathies to his family,'' Dr. Aulakh said.

General Narinder Singh correctly called Punjab ``a police

state,'' and it remains one to this day. India has murdered

over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. In addition, India has also

killed more than 90,000 Kashmiri Muslims since 1988, over

300,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, and thousands of

Christians and Muslims elsewhere in the country, as well as

tens of thousands of Assamese, Bodos, Dalits

(``Untouchables,'' the dark-skinned aboriginal people of

South Asia), Manipuris, Tamils, and other minorities. The

Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government's murders

of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.'' The Movement Against

State Repression (MASR) reported that 52,268 Sikhs are being

held as political prisoners in India without charge or trial,

some since 1984! Amnesty International reported that tens of

thousands of other minorities are also being held as

political prisoners. We demand the immediate release of all

these political prisoners.

Cases were registered against dozens of Sikhs for raising

the Sikh flag at the Golden Temple on the anniversary of the

Golden Temple attack in the presence of more than 30,000

Sikhs. Warrants have been issued for their arrest. The flag

of Khalistan was also raised on Republic Day, January 26. 35

Sikhs were arrested at that time. Some of them have been

denied bail.

Recently, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh formally

apologized to the Sikh Nation for the genocide against the

Sikhs in November 1984 in which over 20,000 Sikhs were killed

in Delhi and surrounding areas while Sikh police were locked

in their barracks and Indian radio and television called for

more Sikh blood. This apology establishes the Indian

government's responsibility for the genocide against the Sikh

Nation. India must end its occupation of Khalistan, which is

the root cause of this genocide. Sikhs are a sovereign nation

and they are fighting for their freedom.

In September 1995, Indian police arrested human-rights

activist Jaswant Singh Khalra following his report exposing

the government's policy of mass cremation of Sikhs, in which

over 50,000 Sikhs have been arrested, tortured, and murdered,

then their bodies were declared unidentified and secretly

cremated. He was murdered in police custody. His body was not

given to his family.

``Only a sovereign, independent Khalistan will end the

repression and lift the standard of living for the people of

Punjab,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the

Council of Khalistan. ``Democracies don't commit genocide.''

``The flame of freedom still burns bright in the hearts of

Sikhs despite the deployment of over half a million Indian

troops to crush it,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``As Professor Darshan

Singh, a former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said, `If a Sikh

is not a Khalistani, he is not a Sikh','' Dr. Aulakh noted.

Last year, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh signed a

bill cancelling the agreements that allowed the diversion of

Punjabi water to non-riparian states. The bill asserted the

sovereignty of Punjab. Sardar Atinder Pal Singh, a former

Member of Parliament, held a seminar on Khalistan in Punjab.

It was well attended and featured outstanding presentations,

including one by Professor Gurtej Singh, IAS, Professor of

Sikhism. There have been several recent marches through

Punjab demanding the establishment of an independent

Khalistan. ``The Khalistan movement is on the rise and India

is on the verge of disintegration,'' Dr. Aulakh said.

History shows that multinational states such as India are

doomed to failure. Countries like India's longtime friend the

Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and others prove

this point. India is not one country; it is a polyglot like

those countries. In Forbes magazine, Steve Forbes wrote that

India is doomed to disintegrate like the Austro-Hungarian

Empire. ``India is not a homogeneous state,'' he wrote.

``Neither was the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It attacked Serbia

in the summer of 1914 in the hopes of destroying this

irritating state after Serbia had committed a spectacular

terrorist act against the Hapsburg monarchy. The empire ended

up splintering and the Hapsburgs lost their throne.'' India

is doomed to fall apart just as Austria-Hungary and the

others did.

``The best way to honor the memory of General Narinder

Singh is to continue to pray for and work for our God-given

birthright of freedom,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``We must continue

to press for our God-given birthright of freedom,'' he said.

``Without political power religions cannot flourish and

nations perish. India claims to be a democracy. It is time it

recognized the right of self-determination for all people in

South Asia.''

Mr. Speaker, the Council of Khalistan, which leads the movement to liberate the Sikh homeland, Khalistan, from Indian occupation, held its annual convention in the Detroit area October 7 through October 9. It was very successful. Delegates came from around the country and from Canada to participate.

I recently made a statement about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's apology to the Sikh Nation for the Delhi massacres of November 1984 in which over 20,000 Sikhs lost their lives. This established India's culpability for the violence and terror that swept Punjab and other parts of India at that time. That underlines the need for a sovereign Khalistan to put an end to these kinds of acts. Recently, an organization called ENSAAF published a report detailing the ongoing human rights violations committed by Indian security forces in recent- militancy related arrests. From June 2005 to August 2005, Indian police claim to have arrested several dozen individuals on charges that they were trying to ``revive militancy'' in Punjab. They have been held incommunicado and tortured, according to the report.

In June, 35 Sikhs were arrested and several were charged simply for making speeches in

support of an independent Khalistan and raising the Sikh flag. Those arrested and charged include Simranjit Singh Mann, a former Member of Parliament, who is out on bail after making a speech in support of Khalistan. Is making a speech a crime in a democracy? Is raising a flag a crime in a democracy? How can India claim it is democratic when people are arrested for making speeches and raising a flag?

These recent incidents are the latest in a pattern of repression by the Indian government that demonstrates why a free and sovereign Khalistan is needed. The Council of Khalistan convention helped maintain and increase support for that goal.

We can help the people in Punjab and throughout South Asia live in freedom, Mr. Speaker. We can do so by withholding aid and trade from India until it respects human rights and by putting the Congress on record in support of self-determination for the Sikhs of Punjab, Khalistan, the Muslims of Kashmir, predominantly Christian Nagaland, and all the nations seeking freedom from India. It's time to stop using violence and settle these matters democratically.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the Council of Khalistan's press release on its convention into the Record at this time.

[From the Council of Khalistan, Oct. 12, 2005]

Council of Khalistan Annual Convention Very Successful

Washington, DC--Delegates came from Canada, New Jersey,

Philadelphia, Memphis, Florida, Illinois, California,

Washington, DC, and other locations to the Council of

Khalistan's annual convention, which was held October 7-9,

2005 at the Sikh Gurdwara in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The

convention was very well attended and successful. The

delegates were enthusiastic in support of freedom for

Khalistan, the Sikh homeland that declared its independence

from India on October 7, 1987.

Resolutions were passed in support of a sovereign,

independent Khalistan, in support of the Washington office,

thanking the Sangat of Detroit, condolences for the victims

of the earthquake in Kashmir, and other resolutions.

Delegates spoke in support of independence for Khalistan and

discussed the need to remain active on the grassroots level.

They stressed the need for the active participation of Sikhs

in this country and worldwide.

The Council of Khalistan has preserved the true history of

the Sikh Nation since 1984 by documenting every major

incident in the Congressional Record, internationalizing the

Sikh struggle for independence, and exposing the Indian

government's repression against the Sikhs and other

minorities.

India has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, according

to figures compiled by the Punjab State Magistracy and human-

rights groups and reported in the book The Politics of

Genocide by Inderjeet Singh Jaijee. It has also killed more

than 90.000 Kashmiri Muslims since 1988, over 300,000

Christians in Nagaland since 1947, and thousands of

Christians and Muslims elsewhere in the country, as well as

tens of thousands of Assamese, Bodos, Dalits

(``Untouchables,'' the dark-skinned aboriginal people of

South Asia), Manipuris, Tamils, and other minorities.

The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government's

murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.'' According to a

report by the Movement Against State Repression (MASR),

52,268 Sikhs are being held as political prisoners in India

without charge or trial. Some have been in illegal custody

since 1984! Amnesty International reported that tens of

thousands of other minorities are also being held as

political prisoners. We demand the immediate release of all

these political prisoners.

Cases were registered against dozens of Sikhs for raising

the Sikh flag at the Golden Temple on the anniversary of the

Golden Temple attack in the presence of over 30,000 Sikhs.

Warrants have been issued for their arrest. The flag of

Khalistan was also raised on Republic Day, January 26. 35

Sikhs were arrested at that time. Some of them have been

denied bail.

Recently, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh formally

apologized to the Sikh Nation for the genocide against the

Sikhs in November 1984 in which over 20,000 Sikhs were killed

in Deihl alone while Sikh police were locked in their

barracks and Indian radio and television called for more Sikh

blood. This apology establishes the Indian government's

responsibility for the genocide against the Sikh Nation.

India must end its occupation of Khalistan, which is the root

cause of this genocide. Sikhs are a sovereign nation and they

are fighting for their freedom.

Indian police arrested human-rights activist Jaswant Singh

Khalra after he exposed their policy of mass cremation of

Sikhs, in which over 50,000 Sikhs have been arrested,

tortured, and murdered, then their bodies were declared

unidentified and secretly cremated. He was murdered in police

custody. His body was not given to his family.

``Only a sovereign, independent Khalistan will end the

repression and lift the standard of living for the people of

Punjab,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the

Council of Khalistan. ``Democracies don't commit genocide.''

History shows that multinational states such as India are

doomed to failure. Countries like Austria-Hungary, India's

longtime friend the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia,

and others prove this point. India is not one country; it is

a polyglot like those countries. Steve Forbes, writing in

Forbes magazine, said that India is doomed to disintegrate

like the Austro-Hungarian Empire. ``India is not a

homogeneous state,'' Forbes wrote. ``Neither was the Austro-

Hungarian Empire. It attacked Serbia in the summer of 1914 in

the hopes of destroying this irritating state after Serbia

had committed a spectacular terrorist act against the

Hapsburg monarchy. The empire ended up splintering, and the

Hapsburgs lost their throne.'' India is doomed to fall apart

just as Austria-Hungary and the others did.

``We must continue to pray for and work for our God-given

birthright of freedom,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``As Professor

Darshan Singh, a former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said,

``If a Sikh is not a Khalistani, he is not a Sikh,'' Dr.

Aulakh noted. ``We must continue to press for our God-given

birthright of freedom, he said, ``Without political power,

religions cannot flourish and nations perish. India claims to

be a democracy. It is time it recognized the right of self-

determination for all people in South Asia,''

Mr. Speaker, democracy has begun to take hold in Afghanistan and Iraq recently, and today the United States has an opportunity to affirm democracy and democratic principles in another country--Cote d'ivoire.

Congress, along with the Bush administration, must commit the resources that are needed to ensure that this strong U.S. ally can hold its election at the earliest possible date.

Just 5 years ago, 85 percent of the Ivorian people approved a Constitution mandating that Cote d'ivoire's President remain in office until an election result.

Violating this critical provision of the Constitution could render the rest of the document null and void and throw the country into further chaos.

Postponing the election would also reward Cote d'ivoire's anti- government rebels, who have waged a brutal campaign of fear and intimidation. Any peace plan must include the disarmament of these rebels.

Supporting democracy and democratic principles is of particular importance in Cote d'ivoire, which is the economic anchor of West Africa.

I am today introducing a Sense of Congress Resolution urging the Bush Administration and the Congress to declare, unequivocally, that the United States supports a free and fair presidential election in Cote d'ivoire at the earliest possible date, and I encourage my colleagues to cosponsor this measure.

Supporting democracy, not thwarting it, must be a guiding principle of America's relations with nations throughout the world.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to support the National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness, October 15, 2005. The National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is a time of national reflection for all Americans affected by HIV/AIDS.

Residents of Brooklyn, NY disproportionately represent newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in the U.S. According to national figures, New York City Latinos account for 7 percent of the U.S. Latino population, but more than 25 percent of the Latino AIDS cases nationwide. Simply put, the City of New York has more Latinos diagnosed with AIDS than Miami and Los Angeles combined.

For nearly 25 years, tremendous strides have been made in developing comprehensive approaches to education, prevention, diagnosis and treatment for those infected by this destructive disease. Yet, far too many people are becoming infected by HIV/AIDS and are without access to quality care.

As we move toward the reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act, let the National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day provide a time to remember the significant role this key legislation has made in the decline of HIV/AIDS cases throughout this country. Future Ryan White funding levels must be adequate to respond effectively to those who desperately need the medical care, prescription drugs, and key support services these funds provide.

I urge my colleagues of both sides of the aisle to act together to reauthorize and adequately fund the Ryan White CARE Act in a timely manner as we commemorate the goals and ideals of the National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

Mr. Speaker, the Ryan White Care Act has played a significant role in the decline of HIV/AIDS cases and deaths. The care act is of utmost importance to the poor and uninsured because it is the primary means by which many receive health services.

Congress must act swiftly to reauthorize and strengthen the care act and I implore Congress to do so on behalf of persons living with HIV/ AIDS in our Nation, the State of New York and the 10th Congressional District of Brooklyn in particular.

New York City remains the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic nationally. According to the HIV Health and Human Services Planning Council of New York, an estimated 92,000 New Yorkers are known to be living with HIV

or AIDS and approximately 25,000 individuals are living with HIV but are not diagnosed.

While the reauthorization principles released by the Administration are a start, more must be done to ensure that health care and treatment is provided for New Yorkers and all people in need.

In urban, rural, and suburban communities in every State and territory, the Ryan White Care Act delivers medical care, prescription drugs, and key support services to uninsured and underinsured people living with HIV/AIDS. Still, there are far too many people without access to quality HIV/AIDS care because of limited resources.

Today, I strongly urge Congress to work together to reauthorize and adequately fund the Ryan Care Act in a timely manner, with the goal of improving the lives of all people living with HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 94th celebration of National Day in the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Today, I join with the Taiwanese people as they celebrate their freedom. Taiwan has peacefully overcome authoritarian rule to attain democracy. It will hopefully constitute a model for the eventual establishment of a genuine democracy in China. The U.S. and Taiwan value human rights, civil liberties, a free press and the rule of law. Our shared values have produced a strong and dependable friendship for over 50 years. Today, the people of Taiwan determine their own destiny and government through free and fair elections.

Many of my colleagues will be surprised to learn that Taiwan is our 8th largest trading partner. A recent survey by the World Economic Forum ranked Taiwan fifth in the world and first in Asia for growth competitiveness. The Taiwanese have been increasing their demands for American goods becoming a more valuable trading partner. The Taiwanese people have also achieved economic prosperity with one of the highest standards of living in the world. It is impressive to find that less than 1 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Now a strong member of the World Trade Organization, Taiwan's market-based economy is now the 12th largest in the world.

The government of Taiwan was one of the first to come to our aid after the events of September 11th and Hurricane Katrina. Taiwan continues to be our ally in the war on terrorism by cooperating with humanitarian assistance in Iraq and Afghanistan and providing intelligence. They have shown generosity and compassion by contributing to the Twin Towers Fund and Pentagon Memorial Fund, and now to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

I hope that its neighbors, especially those in China, will notice Taiwan's celebration of freedom, democracy, and a market economy. I hope Taiwan and China will work together and cultivate a future based on respect, democracy, and freedom. I am encouraged by reports that Taiwan's President, Chen Shui-bian is willing to hold a summit with President Hu Jintao and resume dialog on cross-strait issues.

It is with great pleasure I congratulate Taiwan, our friend and ally, on the celebration of their 94th National Day, October 10, 2005.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Polytechnic University upon the extremely momentous occasion of its Sesquicentennial celebration. It is a privilege to represent Polytechnic University in the United States House of Representatives and I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing its illustrious history and impressive accomplishments.

Founded in 1854 for ``the higher education of lads and young men,'' Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute welcomed its first class of 265 students at 99 Livingston Street on September 10, 1855. The Institute thrived, and by the close of the 19th century, it was a full- fledged school of engineering with a new name--Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn.

By its 100th birthday in 1954, Polytechnic had outgrown its campus in varied downtown Brooklyn locations. In 1957, it moved to a centralized location at 333 Jay Street, former home to the American Safety Razor Factory. In 1973, Polytechnic merged with the New York University School of Engineering and Science and was renamed Polytechnic Institute of New York. In 1985, the Institute was granted university status by the New York State Board of Regents and officially renamed Polytechnic University.

Over the next 17 years, the University experienced the greatest transformation in its history. Polytechnic spearheaded the creation of MetroTech Center, a 16-acre, $1-billion university-corporate park in Brooklyn, NY, which was built around its existing campus. The University updated its facilities and built a new home in 1992, for its Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology and its Center for Advanced Technology in Telecommunications.

Mr. Speaker, Polytechnic University is an extremely prestigious institution, which has dedicated itself to producing students who are prepared to change and embrace the ever-increasing technological world. Under the leadership of its new President, Jerry MacArthur Hultin, I am confident that Polytechnic University will continue to teach and challenge its students to be among our nation's brightest.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is incumbent upon this body to recognize the prestigious accomplishments of Polytechnic University and join the university in celebrating 150 years of dedicated service to the people of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express our Nation's gratitude for the contribution made by the people and Government of

Uganda to the relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sam Kutesa was in Washington recently when he announced that his country was donating $200,000 to the Bush- Clinton Katrina Fund. Expressing his government's sympathies toward the people affected by Hurricane Katrina, Minister Kutesa said: ``We know that, under the guidance of the two former presidents, money collected by the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund will go where it is needed most and where it can be used best.''

While a contribution of $200,000 may seem small in comparison to the vastness of the hurricane's destruction, please keep in mind that Uganda is a small country that has also suffered its share of devastation.

Americans must remember the terror and oppression of the Idi Amin regime, which came to an end in 1979 but its effects are still being felt. The ruthless dictator Idi Amin deliberately destroyed Uganda's economy and infrastructure and displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and businesses.

In 1986, after a long civil war, President Yoweri Museveni came into office with promises to stabilize the country, facilitate economic growth, and restore dignity and humanity to the political process. In the years since, he has largely lived up to those promises, although-- like any country trying to emerge from decades of tyrannical government--Uganda still has problems that need to be addressed.

Uganda's contribution to the recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina should be seen in the context of the bonds of friendship between our two countries. Uganda is a key regional ally in the global war on terror, and through the efforts of President Museveni and his government, East Africa is a more stable place today than it was 20 years ago.

Indeed, Uganda has faced its own, home-grown terrorism, in the form of the brutal Lord's Resistance Army, which has raped and pillaged the northern part of Uganda and terrorized the population there. Led by religious zealot Joseph Kony, the Lord's Resistance Army kidnaps children and forces them to be soldiers in a pointless war against their own families and neighbors. There is a very good reason that the Lord's Resistance Army has consistently been listed as a major terrorist organization by the State Department's annual publication, Patterns of Global Terrorism.

Uganda also faces a terrorist insurgency by the smaller, but no less deadly, Allied Democratic Forces. The ADF, as it is known, extends its tentacles beyond Uganda: Several of its members were captured in Afghanistan fighting for the Taliban and al-Qaeda, and they are now interned by the U.S. government at Guantanamo Bay.

With all this in mind, our gratitude toward Uganda and its people, and particularly toward President Museveni, should be clear and strong.

Mr. Speaker, it recently became my pleasure to become the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Uganda. I encourage all Members of this body to consider joining the caucus so that they can study more closely the U.S.-Ugandan bilateral relationship and learn more about how Uganda and the United States can work together on matters of mutual concern.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I ask that an article entitled ``Uganda Is Latest African Donor of Relief to Hurricane Katrina,'' by Washington File staff writer Jim Fisher-Thompson, be entered into the Record. This article treats in more detail some of the issues I have just described.

Uganda Is Latest African Donor of Relief to Hurricane Katrina: Foreign

Minister Kutesa describes $200,000 donation

(By Jim Fisher-Thompson)

Washington.--Uganda has joined other African nations

responding to devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina with a

donation of $200,000 for relief and rebuilding efforts in New

Orleans and communities along the Gulf of Mexico coast.

Visiting Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa told the

Washington File September 7 that the government of President

Yoweri Museveni and the people of Uganda ``feel with you and

sympathize with you at this time of sorrow. We know you have

lost dear ones, as well as considerable property. And we want

Americans to know we are thinking of them and are standing

shoulder to shoulder with them.''

The official made a point of mentioning the donation was

not just a pledge but that the money would be transferred

immediately to the Bush-Clinton Katrina fund.

Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast August 29. The

storm and subsequent flooding have devastated parts of

Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and left thousands

homeless.

A statement released by the Ugandan Embassy September 8

announcing the donation quoted Museveni as saying, ``The

United States has been generous in responding to natural and

humanitarian disasters all over the world, including in

Africa. Uganda has more than once been the beneficiary of

this generosity and justice requires us to aid the people in

Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who have lost their homes

and loved ones.''

President Bush named his father, a former president, and

former President Bill Clinton to head up fund-raising efforts

for reconstruction that may cost more than $150 billion. The

hope is they can duplicate their very successful fund-raising

efforts for victims of the devastating tsunami that struck

South Asia in December 2004.

Kutesa said, ``We know that under the guidance of the two

former presidents money will go where it is needed most and

where it can be used best.''

Uganda joins other African nations contributing to Katrina

relief including: Djibouti, $50,000; Gabon, $500,000; and

Kenya, $100,000:

Noting the symbolic value of the Uganda donation matched

against the immense sums needed for reconstruction, Kutesa

told the Washington File, ``America has been very generous in

helping Uganda fight HIV/AIDS and developing its economy. So

it is only right that we try to help as much as we can. We

wish we could do more but we are limited.''

Kutesa said, ``We know what human tragedy can mean.

Unfortunately in Africa much of it has been man-made instead

of natural. The human tragedies of Idi Amin and Milton Obote,

for example, led to the deaths of more than 800,000

Ugandans'' in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Now, he said, Uganda is one of the best friends America has

in Africa and ``we look forward to strengthening our

relations as we both cope with the aftermath of disasters

that have struck our countries.''

Kutesa's next stop in America is New York City, where he

said he will participate in the annual United Nations General

Assembly meeting the week of September 13-17. President

Museveni plans to attend with a number of other African

leaders.

A highlight of the U.N. gathering, Kutesa said, will be a

meeting of the foreign ministers of the Democratic Republic

of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda in a tripartite peace process for

eastern Congo begun two years ago with the help of the U.S.

State Department. After Burundi recently joined, the Great

Lakes peace effort is now called the ``3 plus 1'' talks.

Mr. Speaker, recently the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, apologized to the Sikhs for the massacres of Sikhs that took place in November 1984. Over 20,000 Sikhs died in that massacre just in Delhi. Meanwhile, Sikh police officers were locked in their barracks and the state television and radio were encouraging more Sikh bloodshed.

This is a sad chapter in the history of India and it is appropriate that the Government has finally admitted its own culpability and apologized for this atrocity. These kinds of admissions are always welcome. But Prime Minister Singh's apology is 21 years too late and it is only a baby step in the direction of justice. And an apology for the military attack on the Golden Temple in June of that year is still not forthcoming.

Mr. Speaker, there are families of those who died in this massacre who have still never been compensated in any way. We know that no compensation can bring back their loved ones, but at least it can help make their lives better. India must compensate the victims' families if this apology is serious. It must also bring to justice the officials responsible for the massacre. These are necessary steps for the apology to be taken as anything more than mere empty words.

But there is something else that India must do as well. It must make proper restitution to the whole Sikh Nation for this massacre and its many other atrocities against the Sikhs.

How do you pay such a huge debt, Mr. Speaker? How do you pay back an entire nation for atrocities against it? On October 7, 1987, the Sikh Nation declared its independence, declaring the new country of Khalistan. Since then, India has continued to occupy Khalistan. Over half a million Indian troops still carry out this brutal occupation to this day. These troops must be withdrawn and India must recognize the sovereignty of a free and independent Khalistan. That is how it can compensate the Sikh Nation.

Now, Mr. Speaker, the Indian Government maintains that there is no support for Khalistan among the Sikhs in Punjab, despite large marches that have occurred as recently as June demanding Khalistan. In June, 35 Sikhs were charged with a crime. Their offense? They made some speeches and raised the Khalistani flag. To quote my friend Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, president of the Council of Khalistan, ``Is asking for freedom a crime in a democracy?''

So if India is democratic and there is no support for Khalistan, then why is the Indian Government afraid to have a vote on the matter? Why not simply have a vote and prove it? It is time for the United States to hold India's feet to the fire on its proclaimed democratic principles. We must stop our aid to India until it respects human rights and ceases activities such as the Delhi massacre, the arrests of activists for raising a flag, and the like. And we must demand self- determination for the people of Khalistan, Kashmir, Nagaland, and all the suppressed, captive nations of South Asia. In a democracy you cannot rule against the will of the people, and the essence of democracy is the right to self-determination. It is time to press India, the self-proclaimed ``world's largest democracy,'' to do the right thing and let the people have their freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert the Council of Khalistan's press release on Prime Minister Singh's apology into the Record at this time. Thank you.

Washington, DC, Sept. 14, 2005.--Indian Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh has formally apologized to the Sikh Nation for

the genocide against the Sikhs in November 1984 in which over

20,000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi alone while Sikh police

were locked in their barracks and Indian radio and television

called for more Sikh blood.

``We appreciate the Prime Minister's apology,'' said Dr.

Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan.

``It is more than any other Indian leader has done, but it is

too little, too late--21 years too late, in fact.'' The

Council of Khalistan leads the struggle to liberate the Sikh

homeland, Khalistan, which declared its independence from

India on October 7, 1987. ``We need to see if this apology is

sincere or just another propaganda ploy by the Indian

government.'' However, he noted that the Indian government's

military attack on the Golden Temple, the center and seat of

Sikhism, in June 1984 was more important to the Sikh Nation.

``Where is the apology for that?,'' he asked.

``India must pay full and appropriate restitution to the

families and bring the officials responsible to justice,''

Dr. Aulakh said. ``But the most appropriate and important

restitution that can be made to the Sikh Nation is to

withdraw all Indian forces from Khalistan and allow it to

enjoy its independence,'' he said. ``Only then can the Sikh

Nation live in peace, dignity, and freedom, secure in the

knowledge that these kinds of incidents will not happen

again,'' he said. ``If India and Prime Minister Singh truly

believe in freedom and democracy, they have a moral

obligation to withdraw from Khalistan and all the nations

they occupy, such as Kashmir, Nagaland, and others,'' he

said.

Professor Darshan Singh, a former Jathedar of the Akal

Takht, has said, ``If a Sikh is not a Khalistani, he is not a

Sikh.'' The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs

since 1984, more than 300,000 Christians in Nagaland since

1948, over 90,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of

thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Bodos, Manipuris, Dalits, and

others. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian

government's murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.''

According the Movement Against State Repression (MASR),

52,268 Sikhs are being held as political prisoners in India

without charge or trial.

``The flame of freedom still burns bright in the hearts of

Sikhs despite the deployment of over half a million Indian

troops to crush it,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``Last year, Punjab

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh signed a bill cancelling the

agreements that allowed the diversion of Punjabi water to

non-riparian states. The bill asserted the sovereignty of

Punjab. Sardar Atinder Pal Singh, another former Member of

Parliament, held a seminar on Khalistan in Punjab. It was

well attended and featured outstanding presentations,

including one by Professor Gurtej Singh, IAS, Professor of

Sikhism,'' he said. ``There have been several marches through

Punjab demanding the establishment of an independent

Khalistan. India is on the verge of disintegration,'' he

said.

Cases were registered against dozens of Sikhs for raising

the Sikh flag at the Golden Temple on the anniversary of the

Golden Temple attack in the presence of over 30,000 Sikhs.

Warrants have been issued for their arrest. The flag of

Khalistan was also raised on Republic Day, January 26. 35

Sikhs were arrested at that time. Some of them have been

denied bail. Dr. Aulakh demanded that India release all the

people arrested for hoisting the flag and drop all charges

against all these individuals. ``Is it a crime to demand

freedom in a democracy?,'' he asked. ``Is this the freedom of

speech that is guaranteed under India's constitution?''

History shows that multinational states such as India are

doomed to failure. The collapse of countries like Austria-

Hungary, India's longtime friend the Soviet Union,

Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and others prove this point.

India is a polyglot like those countries, thrown together for

the convenience of the British colonialists. It has never

been a single nation. It is doomed to break up as they did.

Steve Forbes, writing in Forbes magazine, said that India is

a multinational, multiethnic, multireligious, multicultural,

multilinguistic state that is doomed to disintegrate like the

Austro-Hungarian Empire. ``India is not a homogeneous

state,'' Forbes wrote. ``Neither was the Austro-Hungarian

Empire. It attacked Serbia in the summer of 1914 in the hopes

of destroying this irritating state after Serbia had

committed a spectacular terrorist act against the Hapsburg

monarchy. The empire ended up splintering, and the Hapsburgs

lost their throne.'' India is doomed to fall apart just as

Austria-Hungary and the others did.

``We must continue to pray for and work for our God-given

birthright of freedom,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``While this

apology is a small first step, only a free Khalistan will

satisfy the Sikh Nation,'' he said. ``We must continue to

work until this goal is achieved.''

Mr. Speaker, the Council of Khalistan will be holding its annual convention in Detroit next month. It will be held from October 7 through October 9. This is a very appropriate date because Khalistan declared its independence from India on October 7, 1987 and the Council of Khalistan was formed at that time to lead the struggle to liberate Khalistan, a struggle that continues to this day, 18 years later.

It is outrageous that this struggle has had to go on so long, but the Council of Khalistan has been tireless in keeping it going and keeping the flame of freedom for the Sikh nation burning. I salute them on their convention and I wish them success both with their convention and with their efforts to bring freedom to the Sikh people.

It is time for India to get out of Khalistan and allow the people there to live in freedom. Until then, Mr. Speaker, we should stop our aid and trade with India and demand self-determination for the people of Khalistan, for the Kashmiris, as India promised in 1948, for the people of Nagaland, and for all the people and nations of South Asia. That is the only way to bring peace and stability to that troubled region.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express our Nation's gratitude for the contribution made by the people and government of Uganda to the relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sam Kutesa was in Washington recently when he announced that his country was donating $200,000 to the Bush- Clinton Katrina Fund. Expressing his government's sympathies toward the people affected by Hurricane Katrina, Minister Kutesa said: ``We know that, under the guidance of the two former presidents, money collected by the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund will go where it is needed most and where it can be used best.''

While a contribution of $200,000 may seem small in comparison to the vastness of the hurricane's destruction, please keep in mind that Uganda is a small country that has also suffered its share of devastation.

Americans must remember the terror and oppression of the Idi Amin regime, which came to an end in 1979 but its effects are still being felt. The ruthless dictator Idi Amin deliberately destroyed Uganda's economy and infrastructure and displaced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and businesses.

In 1986, after a long civil war, President Yoweri Museveni came into office with promises to stabilize the country, facilitate economic growth, and restore dignity and humanity to the political process. In the years since, he has largely lived up to those promises, although-- like any country trying to emerge from decades of tyrannical government--Uganda still has problems that need to be addressed.

Uganda's contribution to the recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina should be seen in the context of the bonds of friendship between our two countries. Uganda is a key regional ally in the global war on terror, and through the efforts of President Museveni and his government, East Africa is a more stable place today than it was twenty years ago.

Indeed, Uganda has faced its own, home-grown terrorism, in the form of the brutal Lord's Resistance Army, which has raped and pillaged the northern part of Uganda and terrorized the population there. Led by religious zealot Joseph Kony, the Lord's Resistance Army kidnaps children and forces them to be soldiers in a pointless war against their own families and neighbors. There is a very good reason that the Lord's Resistance Army has consistently been listed as a major terrorist organization by the State Department's annual publication, Patterns of Global Terrorism.

Uganda also faces a terrorist insurgency by the smaller, but no less deadly, Allied Democratic Forces. The ADF, as it is known, extends its tentacles beyond Uganda: several of its members were captured in Afghanistan fighting for the Taliban and al-Qaeda, and they are now interned by the U.S. Government at Guantanamo Bay.

With all this in mind, our gratitude toward Uganda and its people, and particularly toward President Museveni, should be clear and strong.

Mr. Speaker, it recently became my pleasure to become the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Uganda. I encourage all Members of this body to consider joining the caucus so that they can study more closely the U.S.-Ugandan bilateral relationship and learn more about how Uganda and the United States can work together on matters of mutual concern.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I ask that an article entitled ``Uganda Is Latest African Donor of Relief to Hurricane Katrina,'' by Washington File staff writer Jim Fisher-Thompson, be entered into the Record. This article treats in more detail some of the issues I have just described.

[From the Washington File]

Uganda Is Latest African Donor of Relief to Hurricane Katrina--Foreign

Minister Kutesa Describes $200,000 Donation

(By Jim Fisher-Thompson)

Washington.--Uganda has joined other African nations

responding to devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina with a

donation of $200,000 for relief and rebuilding efforts in New

Orleans and communities along the Gulf of Mexico coast.

Visiting Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa told the

Washington File September 7 that the government of President

Yoweri Museveni and the people of Uganda ``feel with you and

sympathize with you at this time of sorrow. We know you have

lost dear ones, as well as considerable property. And we want

Americans to know we are thinking of them and are standing

shoulder to shoulder with them.''

The official made a point of mentioning the donation was

not just a pledge but that the money would be transferred

immediately to the Bush-Clinton Katrina fund.

Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast August 29. The

storm and subsequent flooding have devastated parts of

Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and left thousands

homeless.

A statement released by the Ugandan Embassy September 8

announcing the donation quoted Museveni as saying, ``The

United States has been generous in responding to natural and

humanitarian disasters all over the world, including in

Africa. Uganda has more than once been the beneficiary of

this generosity and justice requires us to aid the people in

Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who have lost their homes

and loved ones.''

President Bush named his father, a former president, and

former President Bill Clinton to head up fund-raising efforts

for reconstruction that may cost more than $150 billion. The

hope is they can duplicate their very successful fund-raising

efforts for victims of the devastating tsunami that struck

South Asia in December 2004.

Kutesa said, ``We know that under the guidance of the two

former presidents money will go where it is needed most and

where it can be used best.''

Uganda joins other African nations contributing to Katrina

relief including: Djibouti, $50,000; Gabon, $500,000; and

Kenya, $100,000.

Noting the symbolic value of the Uganda donation matched

against the immense sums needed for reconstruction, Kutesa

told the Washington File, ``America has been very generous in

helping Uganda fight HIV/AIDS and developing its economy. So

it is only right that we try to help as much as we can. We

wish we could do more but we are limited.''

Kutesa said, ``We know what human tragedy can mean.

Unfortunately in Africa much of it has been man-made instead

of natural. The human tragedies of Idi Amin and Milton Obote,

for example, led to the deaths of more than 800,000

Ugandans'' in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Now, he said, Uganda is one of the best friends America has

in Africa and ``we look forward to strengthening our

relations as we both cope with the aftermath of disasters

that have struck our countries.''

Kutesa's next stop in America is New York City, where he

said he will participate in the annual United Nations General

Assembly meeting the week of September 13-17. President

Museveni plans to attend with a number of other African

leaders.

A highlight of the U.N. gathering, Kutesa said, will be a

meeting of the foreign ministers of the Democratic Republic

of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda in a tripartite peace process for

eastern Congo begun two years ago with the help of the U.S.

State Department. After Burundi recently joined, the Great

Lakes peace effort is now called the ``3 plus 1'' talks.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of H. Con. Res. 216, which seeks to advance the legacy of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Ninety-five years after the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, African Americans in the South still faced tremendous obstacles to voting, including poll taxes, literacy tests, and other bureaucratic restrictions designed to disenfranchise them. In addition, they risked harassment, intimidation, economic reprisals, and physical violence when they tried to register or vote. As a result, few African Americans were registered voters, and consequently wielded little, if any, local or national political power.

In the aftermath of ``Bloody Sunday'', where the rights of nonviolent civil rights marchers were brutally abridged, our nation recognized that democracy was not yet fulfilled for African-Americans. President Lyndon B. Johnson was then prompted to encourage Congress to draft a comprehensive voting rights bill. The outcome was the Voting Rights Bill of 1965, enacted on August 6, 1965. It took direct aim at black disenfranchisement in the South by targeting areas, such as Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, where fewer than 50 percent of eligible voters participated in the election. In these areas, the Federal Government was then authorized to appoint examiners to conduct the registration process, in the place of local officials. It has been argued, by the Department of Justice, that the influx of ``federal registrars represented the ultimate triumph of national policy toward minorities over state and local policies.'' Mr. Speaker, I contend that it was the long overdue enforcement of the rights provided in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.

It is clear that the effects of the voting rights law were immediate and extensive. By 1967 black voter registration in six southern states had increased from 30 percent to more than 50 percent. There was also a correspondingly sharp increase in the number of blacks elected to political office in the South. Furthermore, in 1976, when Democrat Jimmy Carter was elected President of the United States by a narrow margin, the ``newly-enfranchised southern blacks'' were deemed to be largely responsible.

Although this legislation is of particular significance to African Americans, it is truly a landmark law, which secures the franchise for all Americans regardless of ``race, color, or previous condition of servitude.'' As we approach the 40th Anniversary of the Voting Right Act, it is important that we remember to uphold and strengthen the tenets of this Act and in doing so preserve our constitutional rights.

We should never forget the sacrifices made by the activists of the Civil Rights Movement, and therefore strive to continually advance their legacy in this era.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of H. Con. Res. 208, which recognizes the pivotal contribution of Mrs. Rosa Louise Parks. Mrs. Parks is best known as the seamstress who became a courageous activist and changed America forever with bold defiance of segregation. Although she has been portrayed as a quiet woman, her actions have spoken volumes. Her refusal, on December 1, 1955, to yield her seat to a white patron on a Montgomery, Alabama bus resulted in a charge of disorderly conduct. However, her action precipitated the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott, which brought Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to national prominence and prompted the U.S. Supreme Court decision to rule that segregation in public transportation is unconstitutional.

As a result, many regard her as the ``Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.'' But there is far more to the story of the icon, Mrs. Rosa Parks. She was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama and educated at the Alabama State Teacher's College. Mrs. Parks and her husband, Raymond Parks, were very active in their local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She, in particular, served both as secretary and youth leader. After the boycott, Mrs. Parks' civil rights advocacy did not end. In 1957, she moved to Detroit to continue her work through the Office of Congressman John Conyers, Jr. Then, in 1988, after leaving his office, she started the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development to motivate youth to reach their highest potential.

During the past four decades, she has continued to remind Americans of the history of the civil rights struggle. As a pioneer in the struggle for racial equality, subsequent generations owe her the sincerest appreciation. Although she is the recipient of innumerable honors, including the NAACP's Springarn Medal (1979), the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize (1980), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1996), and the Congressional Gold Medal (1999), we recognize the need for a national celebration of her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.

Mrs. Parks is a living symbol of courage and determination and an inspiration to freedom-loving people everywhere. Since 2005 marks the 50th anniversary of her act of civil disobedience and the beginning of desegregation efforts throughout America, Mr. Speaker, it behooves us to recognize her this year. It is my hope that in celebrating Mrs. Parks, this great Nation will continue to uphold her legacy.

Mr. Speaker, 15 years ago, landmark civil rights legislation--the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-- was enacted to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

As we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we reaffirm the simple premise--and the law of the land--that every American has the right to live independently and to fully participate in all aspects of our society.

We also celebrate the hard-fought victories that have resulted in social inclusion so that individuals with disabilities will not be isolated and living separate lives. However, we would be remiss to think that all the barriers are behind us or that we are close to meeting the goals of the ADA.

Complete implementation of ADA policies is necessary, so that individuals with disabilities can obtain jobs for which they qualify. Full and equal access for individuals with disabilities in regards to education, governmental services, public accommodations, transportation, housing, and the right to vote must also be secured.

Let us remember, that this 15th commemoration of the ADA is our call to renew our efforts, to realize the promise of the ADA and to continue to work towards the restoration of full protections for disabled Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of a distinguished academic surgeon, Edmond F. Ritter. It is an honor to represent Dr. Ritter in the House of Representatives and it behooves us to pay tribute to this outstanding leader in American Medicine.

Dr. Ritter received his Medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis, where he completed General Surgical Training. Dr. Ritter then underwent Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Training at the University of California San Francisco. After completing his training, he was appointed to the faculty at Duke University Medical Center. He was later named, ``The Duke Distinguished Physician,'' in recognition of his contributions to the institution and patient care.

Dr. Ritter is an influential member of the medical community. As a gifted surgeon with special expertise in reconstructive microsurgery, he is able to provide skilled, state-of-the-art care to patients with difficult problems. In particular, his results for patients with cancers of the head, breast, and neck are unsurpassed.

Dr. Ritter has had an integral role in the training and mentorship of over 30 young plastic and reconstructive surgeons. Many of these aspiring surgeons have accepted academic positions and have become leaders in their communities.

Currently, Dr. Ritter is an Associate Professor at the Medical College of Georgia. In addition to making multiple contributions to the surgical literature, he is leading an investigation of Tumor and Adult Stem cell interactions in order to advance our understanding of tumor biology.

As a result, Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is incumbent upon this body to recognize the accomplishments of Dr. Edmond Ritter for sharing his talents and services to improve the medical, physical, and emotional well-being of those in need.