Highlights Chinese abuses of North Koreans, China censoring Olympic guests

Contact: Brian Hart/Becky Ogilvie, Sam Brownback, United States Senator - Kansas, 202-224-6521

WASHINGTON, May 1 /Standard Newswire/ -- U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today hosted a press conference at which he was joined by several lawmakers and outside organizations to highlight the numerous human rights violations directly and indirectly enabled by the Chinese government.

"China hoped the Olympics would be their international house-warming party, but it has only aired their dirty laundry.  The world's conscience has been building a drumbeat against the Chinese government as we approach the Olympics," said Brownback. "We know all too well what the Chinese are doing in Tibet, Darfur, Burma and beyond.  We want to make sure the world knows the horrible conditions befalling North Korean refugees who are lucky enough to escape their country, but so unlucky to end up in China."

At today's press conference, Brownback was joined by Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Senators Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Jim Bunning (R-KY), Congressmen Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), and Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-CA).

Brownback continued, "The Chinese violate international law when they systematically return all North Korean refugees, many of them starving.  There is a serious crisis on the border between China and North Korea that the international community should know about this.  We have also just learned from two different reliable but confidential sources, that the Chinese are demanding that all U.S. owned hotels install Internet filters prior to the Olympic Games to monitor and restrict information coming in and out of China. This is an insult to the spirit of the Games and an affront to American businesses.  I call on China to immediately rescind this demand."

Groups representing North Korea, Darfur, Burma and Tibet also participated, including North Korea Freedom Coalition, Save Darfur Coalition , U.S. Campaign for Burma, International Campaign for Tibet, Freedom Now, Liberty in North Korea, Korean Church Coalition for North Korea Freedom, Human Rights First, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, Human Rights Watch, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and Initiatives for China.

Brownback concluded, "I want to thank all the Members of Congress who joined us here and all the groups who fight for human rights around the world and who help point out that the Olympic rings now represent Tibet, Darfur, Burma, North Korea, the Democratic Republic Congo and so many other nations where Chinese sponsorship enables human rights abuses and destroys so many lives."