119-s1542

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1542 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1542

 To support the human rights of Uyghurs and members of other minority 
groups residing primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, to 
 safeguard their distinct identity, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 April 30, 2025

 Mr. Curtis introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
 referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To support the human rights of Uyghurs and members of other minority 
groups residing primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, to 
 safeguard their distinct identity, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Uyghur Policy Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) The People's Republic of China (referred to in this Act 
 as the ``PRC'') continues to repress the distinct Islamic, 
 Turkic identity of Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and 
 religious minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous 
 Region (referred to in this Act as the ``XUAR'') in 
 northwestern China and other areas in which they have 
 habitually residided.

    (2) Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic 
 minorities historically making up the majority of the XUAR 
 population have maintained a distinct religious and cultural 
 identity throughout their history.

    (3) Human rights, including the freedom of religion or 
 belief, and respect for the Uyghurs' unique Muslim identity are 
 legitimate interests of the international community.

    (4) The PRC--
        (A) has ratified the International Covenant on 
 Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, done at New York 
 December 16, 1966, and is thereby bound by its 
 provisions; and
        (B) has also signed the International Covenant on 
 Civil and Political Rights, done at New York December 
 19, 1966.

    (5) An official campaign to encourage Han Chinese migration 
 into the XUAR has placed immense pressure on Uyghurs and other 
 ethnic and religious minority groups who seek to preserve their 
 unique ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic traditions.

    (6) PRC authorities have supported an influx of Han Chinese 
 economic immigrants into the XUAR, implemented discrimination 
 against Uyghurs and other minorities in hiring practices, and 
 provided unequal access to healthcare services.

    (7) PRC authorities have manipulated the strategic 
 objectives of the international war on terror to mask their 
 increasing cultural and religious oppression of the Muslim 
 population residing in the XUAR.

    (8) In 2014, following unrest in the XUAR, Chinese 
 authorities launched the ``Strike Hard Against Violent 
 Extremism'' campaign, in which dubious allegations of 
 widespread extremist activity were used as justification for 
 gross human rights violations committed against Uyghurs and 
 members of other minority communities in the XUAR.

    (9) PRC authorities have made use of the legal system as a 
 tool of repression, including for the imposition of arbitrary 
 detentions and torture against members of the Uyghur community 
 and other minority populations.

    (10) Uyghurs and Kazakhs who have secured citizenship or 
 permanent residency outside of the PRC have attested to 
 repeated threats, harassment, and surveillance by PRC 
 officials.

    (11) Reporting from international news organizations has 
 found that during the past decade, family members of Uyghurs 
 and other minority groups living outside of the PRC have gone 
 missing or been detained to force Uyghur expatriates to return 
 to the PRC or silence their dissent.

    (12) In 2017, Radio Free Asia's Uyghur Service was the 
 first media organization to report on the PRC's vast, mass 
 arbitrary-detention program in the XUAR.

    (13) Credible evidence from human rights organizations, 
 think tanks, and journalists confirms that more than 1,000,000 
 Uyghurs and members of other ethnic minority groups have been 
 imprisoned in extrajudicial ``political reeducation'' centers.

    (14) Independent accounts from former detainees of 
 ``political reeducation'' centers describe inhumane conditions 
 and treatment including forced political indoctrination, 
 torture, beatings, rape, forced sterilization, and food 
 deprivation.

    (15) Former detainees also confirmed that they were told by 
 guards that the only way to secure release was to demonstrate 
 sufficient political loyalty to the Government of the PRC.

    (16) Popular discourse surrounding the ongoing atrocities 
 in the XUAR and advocacy efforts to assist Uyghurs remains 
 muted in most Muslim majority nations around the world.

    (17) Former Secretaries of State Antony Blinken and Michael 
 Pompeo and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have all confirmed 
 that the Government of the PRC has committed genocide and 
 crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other ethnic and 
 religious minorities in the XUAR.

    (18) Government bodies of multiple countries have also 
 declared that atrocities by the Government of the PRC against 
 such populations in the XUAR constitute genocide, including the 
 Parliament of the United Kingdom, of Belgium, of Czechia, of 
 Lithuania, of the Netherlands, and of Canada.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

 It is the sense of Congress that--

    (1) the Government of the PRC should immediately open the 
 XUAR to regular, transparent, and unmanipulated visits by--
        (A) members of the press;
        (B) international organizations, including the 
 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for 
 Human Rights;
            (C) academic and human rights research 
 institutions; and
            (D) foreign delegations, including delegations from 
 the Congress of the United States;

    (2) the Government of the PRC should--
        (A) recognize, and take tangible steps to protect 
 and preserve, the distinct ethnic, cultural, religious, 
 and linguistic identity of Uyghurs and members of other 
 ethnic and religious minority groups in the XUAR;
        (B) cease all government-sponsored crackdowns, 
 imprisonments, and detentions of people throughout the 
 XUAR aimed at repressing their ethnic, cultural, 
 political, or religious identities; and
            (C) cease all government-sponsored transnational 
 repression of Uyghurs, including the detainment, 
 harassment, intimidation, and surveillance of the 
 family members of exiled Uyghurs and Uyghur activists;

    (3) it is commendable that countries, including Turkey, 
 Albania, and Germany, have provided shelter and hospitality to 
 Uyghurs and other minority group members in exile from the PRC;

    (4) urges all countries, especially fellow democracies and 
 countries with sizeable Muslim populations, to condemn and 
 address the plight of Uyghurs and other minority communities in 
 the XUAR;

    (5) the Government of the PRC should immediately grant 
 unconditional releases to all prisoners that have been detained 
 for their ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic 
 identities, for expressing their political or religious beliefs 
 in the XUAR, or for being related to members of the Uyghur 
 diaspora or activist community, including--
        (A) Ekper Asat, who participated in the Department 
 of State's International Visitors Leadership Program in 
 2016, was incarcerated after returning to the XUAR, and 
 is now serving a 15-year prison sentence on charges of 
 ``inciting ethnic hatred and ethnic discrimination'';
        (B) Dr. Gulshan Abbas, a Uyghur retired medical 
 doctor who was wrongfully detained in the XUAR on 
 September 11, 2018, and unjustly sentenced to 20 years 
 in prison in retaliation for her sister's advocacy for 
 Uyghur human rights issues; and
            (C) Kamile Wayit, a Uyghur university student who 
 was wrongfully detained on December 12, 2022, after 
 returning to the XUAR during the winter holiday while 
 on break from studying;

    (6) the Government of the PRC should facilitate access for 
 international humanitarian organizations, including the 
 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent 
 Societies, to the ``political reeducation'' centers in the XUAR 
 to ensure prisoners are not being mistreated and are receiving 
 necessary medical care; and

    (7) the Department of State should continue to facilitate 
 the unhindered dissemination to the international community of 
 information regarding the human rights, religious freedom, and 
 transnational repression of Uyghurs and members of other 
 minority groups in the XUAR.

SEC. 4. UNITED STATES STRENGTHENING OF COORDINATION ON UYGHUR ISSUES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, as appropriate, shall--

    (1) prioritize policies, programs, and projects to support 
 the Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority 
 groups in the XUAR;

    (2) vigorously promote the policies of--
        (A) protecting the distinct ethnic, religious, 
 cultural, and linguistic identities of the Uyghurs and 
 other minority groups; and
        (B) improving the protection of human rights in the 
 XUAR;

    (3) direct the Department of State to maintain close 
 contact with Uyghur religious, cultural, and political leaders, 
 including seeking regular travel to the XUAR and to Uyghur 
 populations in Central Asia, Turkey, Albania, Germany, and 
 other parts of Europe;

    (4) lead coordination efforts for the release of political 
 prisoners in the XUAR who are being detained for exercising 
 their human rights or being relatives of exiled Uyghurs;

    (5) consult with Congress regarding policies relevant to 
 the XUAR and the Uyghurs;

    (6) coordinate with relevant Federal agencies to administer 
 aid to Uyghur rights advocates;

    (7) strive to establish contacts with foreign ministries of 
 other countries, especially in Europe, Central Asia, and 
 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, to pursue a 
 policy of promoting greater respect for human rights and 
 religious freedom for Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious 
 minority groups in the XUAR;

    (8) utilize Strategic Dialogue with the Organisation of 
 Islamic Cooperation to address Uyghur rights and work with its 
 individual member states to develop and implement joint 
 initiatives and programs aimed at promoting awareness of Uyghur 
 rights and supporting Uyghur victims of detainment, harassment, 
 and transnational repression;

    (9) support independent media authorized under 

section 309 
 of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 
 U.S.C. 6208), including Radio Free Asia, which conduct 
 reporting and investigative journalism focused on the XUAR, 
 including in local languages, to ensure the reporting of future 
 PRC human rights abuses;

    (10) work with international partners to raise awareness 
 concerning acts of transnational repression against Uyghur 
 Americans or Uyghurs who are living in exile in the United 
 States and develop and implement strategies to prevent and 
 respond to such transnational repression;

    (11) establish a reporting mechanism for individuals to 
 report incidents of transnational repression against Uyghurs 
 and other minority groups with ties to the XUAR; and

    (12) submit to Congress an annual report, including a 
 classified annex, if necessary, that--
        (A) describes actions taken by the United States to 
 address and prevent transnational repression against 
 Uyghurs in the United States; and
        (B) includes recommendations for further 
 legislative or policy measures in support of the human 
 rights of Uyghurs and other minority groups from the 
 XUAR.

    (b) Support.--The Secretary of State shall ensure the Department of 
State has adequate resources, staff, and administrative support to 
carry out this section.
            (c) Sunset.--The requirements under this section shall cease to 
have any force or effect beginning on the date that is 5 years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. FUNDING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES TO CONDUCT PUBLIC DIPLOMACY 
 IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD ON THE UYGHUR SITUATION.

    (a) In General.--Of the amounts appropriated for the Office of the 
United States Speaker Program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural 
Affairs of the Department of State for each of the fiscal years 2025, 
2026, and 2027, $250,000 shall be made available to support human 
rights advocates working on behalf of the Uyghurs and members of other 
ethnic and religious minority groups from the XUAR that are being 
persecuted in the PRC.

    (b) Identification of Speakers.--The Assistant Secretary of State 
for Educational and Cultural Affairs, in consultation with 
representatives of the global Uyghur community, shall identify human 
rights advocates who may be invited to speak at global public diplomacy 
forums, particularly events at which representatives from Organisation 
of Islamic Cooperation countries and other Muslim-majority countries 
are present, regarding issues regarding the human rights and religious 
freedom of Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority 
groups who have been persecuted by the PRC.

SEC. 6. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.

 No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements 
under this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out using amounts 
otherwise authorized for similar purposes.

SEC. 7. ACCESS TO DETENTION FACILITIES AND PRISONS AND THE RELEASE OF 
 PRISONERS.

    (a) Strategy on Political Reeducation and Detention Facilities.--
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of State, in consultation with the heads of other 
relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall develop a strategy for 
cooperating with like-minded partners to pressure the Government of the 
PRC--

    (1) to close all detention facilities and ``political 
 reeducation'' camps housing Uyghurs and members of other ethnic 
 minority groups in the XUAR;

    (2) to allow unhindered access to detention facilities and 
 ``political reeducation'' camps in the XUAR by independent 
 media, researchers, international organizations and the Office 
 of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for a 
 comprehensive assessment of the human rights situation; and

    (3) to protect human rights and preserve the distinct 
 religious and cultural identity of the Uyghurs and the other 
 religious and ethnic minority communities in the XUAR.

    (b) Report on Strategy and Implementation.--Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a 
report, including a classified annex, if necessary, that includes--

    (1) the strategy developed pursuant to subsection

    (a) ; and

    (2) all of the steps that have been taken to implement such 
 strategy in accordance with the objectives described in 
 paragraphs

    (1) through

    (3) of subsection

    (a) .

SEC. 8. REQUIREMENT FOR UYGHUR LANGUAGE TRAINING.

    (a) Uyghur Language Training and Staffing.--The Secretary of State 
shall take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that--

    (1) Uyghur language training is available to Foreign 
 Service officers, as appropriate; and

    (2) efforts are made to ensure that at least 1 Uyghur-
 speaking member of the Service (as defined in 

section 103 of 
 the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3903)) is assigned 
 to each United States diplomatic or consular post in China.

    (b) Report.--No later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter for the following 2 years, the 
Foreign Service Institute shall submit a report to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives that outlines all of the steps that have 
been taken to implement subsection

    (a) .

SEC. 9. UYGHUR CONSIDERATIONS AT THE UNITED NATIONS.

 The President should direct the United States Permanent 
Representative to the United Nations to use the voice, vote, and 
influence of the United States--

    (1) to oppose any efforts to prevent consideration of the 
 gross violation of internationally recognized human rights in 
 the XUAR in any body of the United Nations;

    (2) to oppose any efforts to prevent the participation of 
 any Uyghur human rights advocates in nongovernmental fora 
 hosted by, or otherwise organized under the auspices of, any 
 body of the United Nations; and

    (3) to support the appointment of a special rapporteur or 
 working group for the XUAR for the purposes of--
        (A) monitoring human rights violations and abuses 
 in the XUAR; and
        (B) making reports containing information about 
 such violations and abuses available to the United 
 Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United 
 Nations Commission on Human Rights, the General 
 Assembly of the United Nations, and other United 
 Nations subsidiaries.
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