Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article Release Issue: A1035-W674

魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A1035-W674

Release Date: August 6, 2017

发布日：2017年8月6日

Topic: Rep. Chris Smith's Excerpts of Remarks When Receiving Wei Jingsheng Foundation "Human Rights and Freedom Defender" Prize

标题：史密斯众议员在魏京生基金会“人权自由卫士奖”为他颁奖的典礼上的讲话摘要

Original Language Version: English (Chinese version at the end)

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Rep. Chris Smith's Excerpts of Remarks When Receiving Wei Jingsheng Foundation "Human Rights and Freedom Defender" Prize

-- Rep. Chris Smith

July 27, 2017

It is an honor to be here today and accept this prestigious award. Wei Jingsheng is among the greatest champions of human rights, freedom, and democracy of all time. I am humbled to receive an award that bears his name.

On a human rights trip to China in 1994, Wei Jingsheng and I met for dinner in a Beijing restaurant. Despite gross mistreatment and torture, he was strong, resilient, and tenacious.

Wei was very blunt about the impact our voice had during his imprisonment. He said that when the U.S. agreed to China's demands-when we were weak, timid, indifferent, and kowtowing to the dictatorship-his jailers beat him and other political prisoners more. But when the U.S. took a firm and public stance, making human rights a priority, his jailers beat him and others less. He made it clear that human rights must be linked to trade.

The message was clear, never be silent about abuses in China because silence equals more torture-even death-for prisoners of conscience.

I have met thousands of dissidents in my time in Congress and everyone-every single one-from Natan Sharansky to Gao Zhisheng says the same thing-my life was saved because of public advocacy on my behalf.

The ordeal of Wei began in 1979 when he took the communist government at its word and wrote articles suggesting political reform. Wei, for this act of calling for freedom and for calling for democracy, earned a 15-year sentence in jail.

In late 1993, he was unexpectedly released on parole, a few months prior to the end of his sentence. This gesture was designed to induce the Olympic Committee to award Beijing as host of the 2000 Olympics. They didn't get it.

During his long and unjust imprisonment, he has been severely beaten and subjected to other forms of physical and psychological abuse. He was in extremely poor health but he also became a hero in the meantime, a symbol of courage and even hope to a beleaguered people.

It was my privilege to meet Wei Jingsheng in Beijing in January 1994, during his very brief period of freedom. I found him to be extremely articulated, a man of great compassion and a man with high principles. He spoke of his quest for democracy and human rights and he did so with a very keen understanding.

A few weeks later, after meeting with the Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights John Shattuck, Wei was rearrested for 19 months the Beijing Government would not even admit that they had him in its custody.

Then he was sentenced to 14 more years in prison.

I chaired a hearing in December of 1995 on Wei Jingsheng's imprisonment. Wei's sister, Wei ShanShan, spoke eloquently about her brother: "Since 1979, my brother has spent 16 years in prison. On one occasion, he was beaten by fellow inmates on the orders of the police and lost two teeth as a result. He did not get any proper medical treatment after the beating.

Whenever I went to visit him, I would be trembling inside. But in those unimaginably terrible living conditions, he was still cheerful, as in his picture here; even when he was emaciated, all skin and bones, even when he had only a few teeth left, he was still smiling."

She continued, "Four days after February 28th, when Wei met with the U.S. official and discussed his opinion that the Most Favored Nation status and human rights should be linked, he was taken away from Beijing by the police and put under house arrest. When the Chinese authorities saw that there was no reaction from the U.S. Government, on April 1st they kidnapped Wei Jingsheng and from that time on he disappeared completely.

The U.S. Government's response to this event was to give Most Favored Nation status to China and to announce the delinking of trade and human rights. In the wake of this U.S. Government position, western governments have rushed to Beijing to pay their respects.

My brother has always opposed violent activities and secret organizations. He believes that if China is to achieve the democratic civilization of a modern society, it must leave behind the old way of replacing one tyrant with another. He advocates peaceful, rational and open methods to push forward the process of China's democratization."

It is disappointing to hear so many China experts warning that an aggressive human rights agenda will infuriate Beijing and impede progress on a range of strategic interests, including on North Korea.

I just do not buy this argument. Chinese leaders will not disengage because of public criticism over human rights. In fact, when human rights issues become an irritant in bilateral relations, they do engage.

When human rights are linked to mutual economic and security interests, they have to engage.

Wei Jingsheng is here today because his case became an irritant in U.S.-China relations. I believe that Liu Xiaobo would be alive today if his imprisonment was more of an irritant in bilateral relations.

Democratic countries should not be kowtowing to China's Communist Party. The silence of Norway on Liu Xiaobo or Greece's efforts to block an EU human rights resolution is shameful and counterproductive.

We all understand China's growing economic influence, but failure to defend universal values, to stand up for rights and the rule of law is shortsighted and will eventually hurt economic gains.

When will we learn that China's internal repression drives its external aggression--drives its economic mercantilism and its digital protectionism.

President Xi Jinping's rule has been marked by extensive campaigns to silence political dissent, suppress civil society, and ensure ideological loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party.

No sector of society is untouched-business leaders, bloggers and social media users, university professors, human rights lawyers, journalists and religious adherents have all been targeted.

These are dark days indeed for those seeking liberty and the rule of law in China. But we should not take President Xi's assault on freedom as a sign of China's strength, but its weakness.

This is a regime that is so sensitive and fearful that it denies treatment to a dying Nobel Laureate, restricts social media platforms that are popular with teenagers, bans pictures of Winne the Pooh, and disqualifies Hong Kong legislator Nathan Law because he quoted Gandhi.

It is time for a different approach to China. We can no longer afford to base our policies on a hard realism; instead, we need a new idealism that links human rights with all of our interests in China.

The need for principled and consistent American leadership is more important than ever.

We must use Congressionally authorized sanctions to hold Chinese officials accountable for torture and gross abuses-including the Global Magnitsky Law and the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act..

China's rights defense lawyers and religious groups are at the vanguard in pressing for systemic change, in seeking accountability and justice, and in working toward a day when China is a nation where the law is used to protect rights and conscience--not suppress them.

It is our duty to stand with them because their stand for liberty, human rights, and the rule of law remains the best hope for a peaceful and prosperous future for the U.S. and China.

I believe that someday China will be as free. Someday, the people of China will be able to enjoy all of their God-given rights. And a nation of free Chinese men and women will honor and celebrate brave men including Wei Jingsheng as heroes.

Related photos (photo credit: Professor Lawrence Anderson):

http://www.weijingsheng.org/pic/newsletters/newsletters2017/newsletters2017-3/SmithCspeaking170727-c-5.jpg

http://www.weijingsheng.org/pic/newsletters/newsletters2017/newsletters2017-3/WeiJSspeaking170727-c-5.jpg

http://www.weijingsheng.org/pic/newsletters/newsletters2017/newsletters2017-3/SmithCawarded170727back-c-5.jpg

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中文版

Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article Release Issue: A1035-W674

魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A1035-W674

Release Date: August 6, 2017

发布日：2017年8月6日

Topic: Rep. Chris Smith's Excerpts of Remarks When Receiving Wei Jingsheng Foundation "Human Rights and Freedom Defender" Prize

标题：史密斯众议员在魏京生基金会“人权自由卫士奖”为他颁奖的典礼上的讲话摘要

Original Language Version: English (Chinese version at the end)

此号以英文为准（英文在前，中文在后）

如有中文乱码问题，请与我们联系或访问:

http://www.weijingsheng.org/report/report2017/report2017-08/SmithCspeech170806ofWJSFprizeA1035-W674.htm

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在魏京生基金会“人权自由卫士奖”颁奖典礼上的讲话摘要

-- 克里斯·史密斯众议员

2017年7月27日

我很荣幸今天在这里接受这个有声望的奖。魏京生是人权、自由、民主的最伟大的冠军之一。我很荣幸能获得一个以他的名字命名的奖励。

在我1994年去中国进行人权访问时，魏京生和我在北京的一个餐厅见面吃饭。尽管遭受严重的虐待和折磨，但他坚强，有韧性，并且顽强。

魏先生有关我们发声对他被监禁期间所造成的影响有非常直率的表述。他说，当美国同意中国的要求 -- 也就是当我们虚弱、胆小、无动于衷，并向独裁叩头时，他和其它政治犯就在监狱遭受更多的殴打。但当美国有一个坚定而公开的态度，把人权作为优先事务，他的监禁者就会减少对他和其它人的殴打。他明确指出，人权必须与贸易挂钩。

这个信息是清楚的，对在中国遭受的虐待行为绝不该沉默，因为沉默等于更多的良心犯会遭受酷刑甚至死亡。

我在美国国会服务期间见过数以千计的持不同政见者，从纳坦·沙兰斯基到高智晟都说了同样的话：我的生命因为代表我的公开宣传而得救了。

魏京生的痛苦始于1979年，当他采用中共的话来撰写文章，建议政治改革。因为他对民主和自由的呼吁，他被判15年的徒刑并因此而被囚禁。

1993年底，他在徒刑结束前几个月被意外假释。这个姿态旨在引导奥委会选择北京为2000年奥运会的东道主。但北京没有得到这个资格。

在长期且不公正的监禁下，他受到严重殴打，且遭受身体和心理上的其它虐待。他的健康状况极差，但同时他也成为一名英雄，一个勇气的象征，甚至是陷入困境的人们的希望。

1994年1月，在他非常短暂的自由时期，我荣幸地在北京见到了魏京生。我发现他头脑非常清晰，是一个富有伟大的同情心和崇高原则的人。他谈到他对民主和人权的追求，他非常敏锐地领悟到这些并这幺做。

几个星期后，在与美国人权事务助理国务卿约翰·沙塔克会晤后，魏先生又被关押了19个月，北京政府甚至不承认他被羁押。

然后他被判处十四年的徒刑。

我在一九九五年十二月主持了一个有关魏京生被监禁的听证会。魏京生的妹妹魏珊珊雄辩地描述了她哥哥：“自1979年以来，我哥哥已经在狱中度过了16年的监禁。有一次，其它囚犯接受警察的命令殴打他，他因此被打掉了两颗牙齿。殴打后也没有得到适当的治疗。”

“每当我去探访他，我心里就会颤抖。但即使是在那难以想象的可怕的生活条件下，他仍然开朗，就像摆在这里的他的照片;即使他憔悴，变得皮包骨，即使他只剩下几颗牙齿，他还在微笑。”

她继续说道，“二月二十八日，在魏京生会见了美国官员，并向他们表述他认为最优惠国待遇与人权应当挂钩的观点的四天后，他被警方从北京带走，并被软禁。当中共当局看到美国政府没有反应时，他们于4月1日绑架了魏京生，并使他自此完全消失。”

“美国政府对这一事件的回应是向中国提供最优惠国待遇，并宣布贸易和人权脱钩。美国政府的这个立场，带来的是各西方政府赶到北京表示敬意。”

“我哥哥一直反对暴力活动和秘密组织。他认为，如果中国要实现现代社会的民主文明，就要断绝以一个暴君替代另一种暴君的旧方式。他主张以和平、理性、和公开的方式推动中国的民主化进程。”

令人遗憾的是，很多中国专家警告说，主动提人权的方式将激怒北京，并因此而阻碍包括朝鲜在内的一系列战略利益的进步。

我不同意这个论点。中国领导人不会因为公众对其人权的批评而脱离接轨。事实上，当人权问题在双边关系中变得有刺激性时，他们会同你接轨。

当人权与相互的经济和安全利益联系上时，他们就必须同你接轨。

魏京生今天在这里，是因为他的情况在美中关系中变得有刺激性。如果刘晓波的被囚禁在两国关系中更有刺激的话，我相信刘晓波今天还会活着。

民主国家不应该向中国共产党叩头。挪威对刘晓波的沉默或希腊阻止欧盟人权决议的努力是可耻的和适得其反的。

我们都明白中国日益增长的经济影响力，但是不捍卫普世价值观，不站出来维护权利和法治是短视的，最终会伤害经济利益。

我们什么时候才能了解到，中国的对内打压驱使其对外侵略 -- 这更进一步推动了它的经济重商主义和数字保护主义。

中国总统习近平的统治，以对政治异议消音，镇压民间社会，确保对中国共产党忠诚的广泛运动为特征。

没有社会上任何一个领域没有因此而受影响 -- 从商界领袖，到博主和社交媒体使用者，乃至大学教授、人权律师、记者和宗教信徒，都已成为目标。

这真正是寻求自由和法治的中国人黑夜般的日子。但我们不应该把习主席对自由的攻击当作中国实力的一个标志，这其实是弱点。

这是一个非常敏感和恐惧的政权：它拒绝治疗正在死亡的诺贝尔奖得主；它限制深受青少年青睐的社交媒体平台；它禁止维恩小熊的照片；它取消香港立法议员罗冠聪的议员资格，就因为他引用了甘地的话。

现在是对中国采取不同做法的时候了。我们已经不能再以现实主义为我们政策的基础。相反，我们需要一个将人权与我们在中国的所有利益挂钩的新的理想主义。

对具有原则性和一贯性的美国领导层的需求比以往任何时候都重要。

我们必须使用国会授权的制裁措施，让中国官员对酷刑和粗暴的虐待负责，包括实施“全球马格尼茨基人权问责法"和沃尔夫国际宗教自由法案。

中国的维权律师和宗教团体正迫切地推动制度变迁，寻求责任追究和正义，直到中国成为一个能利用法律来保护权利和良知，而不是因此迫害他们的国家。

我们有义务与他们站在一起，因为他们的立场是自由、人权和法治，而这些仍然是美中和平和繁荣的未来之最大希望。

我相信有一天中国会像我们一样自由。有一天，中国人民将能够享有他们所有的上帝赋予的权利。一个人人都有自由的国家，将表彰和庆祝包括魏京生在内的勇敢人物并尊他们为英雄。