Utah 2023 Regular Session

Utah House Bill HCR002 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.C.R. 2
2	2	LEGISLATIVE GENERAL COUNSEL
3	3	6 Approved for Filing: T.R. Vaughn 6
4	4	6 12-23-22 9:46 AM 6
5	5	H.C.R. 2
6	6	1 CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON CONDEMNING THE
7	7	2 TREATMENT OF THE UI GHUR ETHNIC COMMUNITY AND
8	8	3 HONG KONG BY THE CHI NESE GOVERNMENT
9	9	4 2023 GENERAL SESSION
10	10	5 STATE OF UTAH
11	11	6 Chief Sponsor: Candice B. Pierucci
12	12	7 Senate Sponsor: ____________
13	13	8
14	14	9LONG TITLE
15	15	10General Description:
16	16	11 This concurrent resolution condemns the People's Republic of China's treatment of the
17	17	12Uighur community and Hong Kong; encourages Utah schools and higher learning
18	18	13institutions to teach students about these current events, particularly those engaged in
19	19	14learning the Chinese language and culture, to understand the atrocities and challenges
20	20	15faced by the people of China as a result of the socialist economy controlled by the
21	21	16communist People's Republic of China government; and warns Utah businesses to be
22	22	17aware of supply chain materials that may have been made by forced labor.
23	23	18Highlighted Provisions:
24	24	19 This resolution:
25	25	20 <condemns the People's Republic of China's treatment of the Uighur community and
26	26	21Hong Kong;
27	27	22 <calls upon the People's Republic of China to uphold its commitments to Hong
28	28	23Kong;
29	29	24 <encourages Utah schools and higher learning institutions to teach students about
30	30	25these current events; and
31	31	26 <warns Utah businesses to be aware of supply chain materials that may have been
32	32	27made by forced labor.
33	33	HCR002 H.C.R. 2 12-23-22 9:46 AM
34	34	- 2 -
35	35	28Special Clauses:
36	36	29 None
37	37	30
38	38	31Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
39	39	32 WHEREAS, the Government of the People's Republic of China has a long history of
40	40	33repressing Turkic Muslims, particularly Uighurs, in China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous
41	41	34Region, including mass surveillance and internment of over 1,000,000 Uighurs and other
42	42	35predominantly Turkic Muslim ethnic minorities;
43	43	36 WHEREAS, those detained in such facilities have described forced political
44	44	37indoctrination, torture, beatings, forced labor, and food deprivation, as well as denial of
45	45	38religious, cultural, and linguistic freedoms, and confirmed that they were told by guards that the
46	46	39only way to secure release was to demonstrate sufficient political loyalty;
47	47	40 WHEREAS, poor conditions and lack of medical treatment at such facilities appear to
48	48	41have contributed to the deaths of some detainees, including the elderly and infirm;
49	49	42 WHEREAS, forced labor exists within the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region's
50	50	43system of mass internment camps, and throughout the region, and is confirmed by the
51	51	44testimony of former camp detainees, satellite imagery, official media reports, publicly available
52	52	45documents, official statements, and official leaked documents from the Government of the
53	53	46People's Republic of China as part of a targeted campaign of repression of Muslim ethnic
54	54	47minorities;
55	55	48 WHEREAS, audits and efforts to vet products and supply chains in the Xinjiang Uighur
56	56	49Autonomous Region are unreliable due to the extent forced labor has been integrated into the
57	57	50regional economy, the mixing of involuntary labor with voluntary labor, the inability of
58	58	51witnesses to speak freely about working conditions given government surveillance and
59	59	52coercion, and the incentive of government officials to conceal government-sponsored forced
60	60	53labor;
61	61	54 WHEREAS, the Government of the People's Republic of China's actions against Turkic
62	62	55Muslims in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, whose population was approximately 13
63	63	56million at the time of the last Chinese census in 2020, are in contravention of international
64	64	57human rights laws; the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
65	65	58Discrimination and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading 12-23-22 9:46 AM H.C.R. 2
66	66	- 3 -
67	67	59Treatment or Punishment, both of which China has signed and ratified; the International
68	68	60Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which China has signed; and the Universal Declaration
69	69	61of Human Rights;
70	70	62 WHEREAS, in late May 2020 the National People's Congress of China announced its
71	71	63intention to unilaterally and arbitrarily impose national security legislation on Hong Kong;
72	72	64 WHEREAS, this announcement was merely China's latest salvo in a series of actions
73	73	65that have increasingly denied autonomy and freedoms that China promised to the people of
74	74	66Hong Kong under the 1984 Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of
75	75	67Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on
76	76	68the Question of Hong Kong (Joint Declaration);
77	77	69 WHEREAS, under the national security legislation, the people of Hong Kong may face
78	78	70life in prison for what China considers to be acts of secession or subversion of state power,
79	79	71which may include acts like the widespread anti-government protests in 2019;
80	80	72 WHEREAS, under the national security legislation the right to trial by jury may be
81	81	73suspended and proceedings may be conducted in secret;
82	82	74 WHEREAS, China has given itself broad power to initiate and control the prosecution
83	83	75of the people of Hong Kong through the new Office for Safeguarding National Security;
84	84	76 WHEREAS, the national security legislation allows foreigners to be expelled if China
85	85	77merely suspects them of violating the law, potentially making it harder for journalists, human
86	86	78rights organizations, and other outside groups to hold the People's Republic of China
87	87	79accountable for its treatment of the people of Hong Kong;
88	88	80 WHEREAS, in December 2021 the Uighur Forced Labor Prevention Act (the "UFLPA"
89	89	81or "Act") was signed into law; and
90	90	82 WHEREAS, a key feature of the Act is the creation of a rebuttable presumption that all
91	91	83goods manufactured even partially in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region are the product
92	92	84of forced labor and therefore not entitled to entry at ports of the United States:
93	93	85 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
94	94	86Governor concurring therein, condemns the mass, arbitrary detention and treatment of Uighurs
95	95	87in China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.
96	96	88 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor condemn the
97	97	89violations by the Government of the People's Republic of China of the fundamental rights of H.C.R. 2 12-23-22 9:46 AM
98	98	- 4 -
99	99	90the people of Hong Kong, as provided by the International Covenant on Civil and Political
100	100	91Rights, and any encroachment upon the autonomy guaranteed to Hong Kong by the Basic Law,
101	101	92enacted under the Constitution of China, and the Joint Declaration.
102	102	93 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon the
103	103	94Government of the People's Republic of China to uphold its commitments to Hong Kong,
104	104	95including allowing the people of Hong Kong to govern Hong Kong with a high degree of
105	105	96autonomy and without undue interference.
106	106	97 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon the
107	107	98Government of the People's Republic of China to support the robust exercise by residents of
108	108	99Hong Kong of the rights to free speech, the press, and other fundamental freedoms, as provided
109	109	100by the Basic Law, the Joint Declaration, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political
110	110	101Rights.
111	111	102 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon the
112	112	103Government of the People's Republic of China to support freedom from arbitrary or unlawful
113	113	104arrest, detention, or imprisonment for all Hong Kong residents, as provided by the Basic Law,
114	114	105the Joint Declaration, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
115	115	106 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage Utah
116	116	107schools and higher learning institutions to teach Utah students about these current events,
117	117	108particularly those engaged in learning the Chinese language and culture, to understand the
118	118	109atrocities and challenges faced by the people of China as a result of the Maoist socialist
119	119	110economy controlled by the communist People's Republic of China.
120	120	111 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor warn Utah
121	121	112businesses to be aware of supply chain materials that may have been made by forced labor.
122	122	113 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage
123	123	114businesses to find alternative supply chain providers and producers that do not use forced labor.