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Summarized by Jennifer Livingston
LDS Law Professor Urges China To Tolerate Religion
Deseret News 7Apr00 N2
By Lee Davidson: Deseret News Washington correspondent
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a letter addressed to the
Congressional Human Rights Caucus, top religious
freedom monitor Michael Young joined colleague David
Saperstein in calling upon China to abandon recent
steps toward restricting religious freedom. Young and
Saperstein serve as vice chairman and chairman,
respectively, of the U.S. Commission of International
Religious Freedom. Young's former positions include
stake president of the New York, New York LDS stake,
Columbia University professor of law, and Bush
administration State Department official. Young is
currently Dean of the Georgetown University Law
School.
"Chinese authorities have tightened the already narrow
circle within which religious adherents may practice
their religions," stated Young and Saperstein in
written testimony to the Caucus. "Chinese authorities
view the ongoing explosion of religious activity as a
threat to social stability."
The United Nations sets forth in both the U.N.
International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights
and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights a policy
of "freedom of speech, assembly, association and
religious exercise" which has been violated of late by
Chinese leaders. Young and Saperstein urged China to
begin living in accordance with U.N. standards.
According to Young and Saperstein, Chinese officials
have begun to interfere with the five religions
currently recognized within the country -- Buddhism,
Taoism, Islam, Protestantism, and Catholicism. In two
instances, political leaders have sought to impose
their own selected leaders as replacements for those
selected by leadership within the faith. In
addition, many members of unregistered religions have
faced increased persecution. Such persecution ranges
from temporary detainment and arrest to
"re-education," torture, and even death.
Young and Saperstein suggest these actions represent
China's attempt to control religion, which the Chinese
believe to conflict with the Marxist "scientific"
world view. They suggest that the Chinese believe
"when societal conditions improve, religion will
whither away," and that "Until that time it is
tolerated as, they believe, an imperfect component of
the initial stage of socialism but must also be
controlled by the state to serve the goals of
socialism."
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