SALUTE TO HARRY WU -- HON. SAM GEJDENSON (Extension of Remarks - July 13, 1995)
[Page: E1431]
---
HON. SAM GEJDENSON
in the House of Representatives
THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1995
- Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, today is the 25th day of the arrest of American citizen Harry Wu, the tenacious human rights investigator, by the Chinese authorities at the Kazakhstan border.
- These are the crimes for which Harry Wu is imprisoned, and facing a possible death sentence: Harry testified before the U.S. Congress many times in the past 5 years, including the subcommittee overseeing international trade which I chaired--that was a crime. Harry recorded and filmed forced hard labor prisons in China, where he himself was a prisoner for 19 years--that was a crime. Harry told the world China was exporting prisoner-produced goods to the United States, among other countries--once again that was a crime. Harry revealed the horrific evidence of forcible removal of prisoner organs; these donations occurred without the donors consent, and at times there were planned executions so that high society Chinese officials could get the organs at the right time--that too was a crime.
- The Wall Street Journal calls Harry Wu `A hero of our time. A dissident of the stature of Vaclav Havel and Anatoly Scharansky, like them he suffered for his principles and speaks from personal experience.' Harry Wu is an American citizen who was traveling with valid American papers, and was granted a visa from the Chinese Government. As an American citizen, Harry's rights, under the consular agreement between the two countries, to meet a U.S. Embassy official, within 48 hours of an official request, were violated. It took more than 20 days to arrange a meeting. When finally arranged, the conversation took place through thick glass and telephones, with armed supervision making sure the case was not being discussed. The Chinese Government and has continued to violate basic human rights of its own citizens, and is now doing the very same to a U.S. citizen. The United States cannot continue to reward China for these crimes with the most favored nation [MFN] status, as long as Harry's rights and so many others are being violated.
- The Chinese Government calls all of these admirable and courageous acts preformed by Harry Wu espionage and treason. I call them worthy of the Nobel Prize, not the death penalty.
[Page: E1432]
END