On the eve of the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, and amid the current Chinese government crackdown on its own people, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), the chairman of the congressional panel that oversees international human rights, introduced legislation to deny the entry into the United States of certain members of the senior leadership of the Government of the People’s Republic of China and individuals who have committed human rights abuses in China.

    “The human rights situation in China is abysmal,” said Smith, a commissioner of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. “Today we see a level of flagrant violations of human rights not witnessed since the Tiananmen Square massacre that began on June 4, 1989. This bill sends a message to Chinese leaders who oppress their own people: The United States will not turn a blind eye to these basic human rights abuses.” 

    The bill, entitled “The China Democracy Promotion Act of 2011,” gives the President of the United States the authority to deny entry into the U.S. to any senior leader of the Chinese government and members of their family who derive benefit from policies or actions that target democratic activists, persecute Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, or any other ethnic minority, or who has participated in the trafficking of North Korean refugees, the forcible return of refugees to North Korea, or the coercive birth limitation policies. H.R. 2121 also bars entry to members of any branch of the security police which has participated in the violent repression of any individual or leaders of religious groups, democracy advocates, human rights lawyers, workers’ rights advocates or independent media, journalists, or Internet users. Click here to read Smith’s bill. 

    Smith is a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee who chairs its human rights panel, which is formally known as the Africa, Global Health and Human Rights Subcommittee. He is also a commissioner of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

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