60th U.N. Commission on Human Rights Deals China's Persecusion of Religions

The U.N. Commission on Human Rights meets from March 15 to April 23 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The U.S. House of Representatives and a bipartisan commission have called on the Bush administration to promote a resolution at a United Nations conference insisting China halt its violations of human rights.

China is listed on the "Top 10" Persecution countries in the World Watch List. At the same time, it is among six countries designated by the Department of State as "Countries of particular concern,"one of the world's most severe violators of religious freedom. The Chinese policy requires churches to register with the government. China's repressive practices, which have included arrest, imprisonment and torture, have affected not only Protestants but Catholics, Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists and the Falun Gong sect.

The White House voted 402-2 for a resolution urging the U.S. representative at the coming U.N. Commission on Human Rights to lead an effort to adopt a measure calling for the communist power to meet the international community's standards on human rights. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom endorsed the House's call for the resolution.

"The overwhelming vote by Congress is important because the administration has yet to declare whether it will offer a China resolution at Geneva,"USCIRF Chairman Michael Young said in a written release. "While U.S.-Chinese relations are advancing in other important areas, our dialogue on human rights is stagnant and they have yet to demonstrate a willingness to abide by international human rights norms."

The House Representative also called on the Beijing government to end religious persecution, halt forced abortion and sterilization in all provinces, stop the coerced return of refugees to North Korea and grant religious freedom to all citizens.

In addition, last year when the USCIRF planned to send a delegation to China but were thwarted twice. Beijing limited the trip of the panel which the USCIRF found unacceptable. The House urged the Chinese government to permit unrestricted visits to the country by the USCIRF and other international groups.