Stateless Breakfast for Human Rights in China

Hearing
Date:
Location:
HVC-201 Capitol Visitor Center

Announcement

 

On the occasion of the state visit by Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, the pleasure of your company is requested at a breakfast in honor of Human Rights Defenders in China to be held at the United States Capitol, Room HVC-201 on Friday, September 25, 2015 at 8:30. This event is hosted by: China Aid, Freedom House, HRW, Initiatives for China, International Campaign for Tibet, Project 2049 Institute, Reporters without Borders and World Uyghur Congress/Uyghur American Association.

Please join us for a very special event in honor of Chinese human rights defenders, a breakfast to be held on the morning of the same day as the White House State Dinner in honor of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The breakfast is hosted by several human rights groups in conjunction with the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC).

Members of Congress, congressional staff and the interested public are welcome to attend this special event and to raise their glasses in honor of the many valiant Chinese human rights defenders.

Witnesses

Opening Remarks

  • Rep. James P. McGovern, Co-Chair, TLHRC
    Written remarks
  • Rep. Joseph R. Pitts, Co-Chair, TLHRC
  • Sen. Marco Rubio, Co-Chair, CECC

Program

  • Tibetan Prayer offered by Shingza Rinpoche, Head Lama of Ragya Monastery
  • Toasts for Freedom and Human Rights
    • Freedom of Expression: Chen Guangcheng, Chinese civil rights lawyer and activist
    • Women's Rights: Lu Pin, Chinese feminist activist, journalist and columnist
    • Freedom from Arbitrary Detention and Torture: Rebiya Kadeer, Uyghur businesswoman and President of World Uyghur Congress
    • Right to Due Process, Legal Representation and Equal Justice under the Law: Teng Biao, lawyer and human rights activist
    • Freedom of Religion: Tsering Kyi, Tibetan writer, blogger and poet
    • Freedom of Association and Assembly: Ti-Anna Wang, daughter of imprisoned Chinese democracy activist Dr. Wang Bingzhang
  • Moment of Silence for Those Imprisoned, Disappeared and Detained by the Chinese State

Resources

  • To view pictures of the event, visit our Facebook page.
  • U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), the co-chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), said the U.S. must commit to embracing the struggle of China’s real heroes in a video message to be played this morning at a Washington breakfast honoring human rights defenders in China. View Rubio’s remarks here.
  • For TV stations interested in airing a broadcast quality version of Rubio’s message, a download is available here.
 
Meeting Documents

Video

Related Items
The Status of Human Rights in China: The U.N. Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
Twenty Years after the Crackdown: Tiananmen Square and Human Rights in China

Contact The Commission

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
4150 O'Neill House Office Building
200 C Street SW
Washington, D.C. 20515
United States of America

Phone: +1 (202) 225-3599
TLHRC@mail.house.gov

Accessibility

The Commission seeks to make its events, meetings and hearings accessible to persons with disabilities.

If you are in need of special accommodations, please call (202) 225-3599 at least four business days in advance.

Questions with regard to special accommodations in general (including availability of Commission materials in alternative formats and assistive listening devices, sign language interpretation, etc.) may be directed to the Commission.

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