¶ Establishing Policy And Special Coordinator Position
2022: Fitzpatrick Voted To Establish A Special Coordinator Position
For Uyghur Issues, Who Would Promote The Protection Of Uyghur Culture
And Identity And Work With Uyghur Leaders And Foreign Countries To
Protect Uyghur Human Rights And Religious Freedom. In December 2022,
according to Congressional Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted for the Uyghur
Policy Act of 2021, which would "establish a special coordinator
position for Uyghur issues within the State Department to promote the
protection and preservation of Uyghur culture and identity. It would
require the coordinator to, among other tasks, maintain close contact
with Uyghur leaders and establish contacts in foreign countries to
pursue a policy of protecting Uyghur human rights and religious
freedom." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote
of 407-17. The Senate did not take substantive action on the bill.
[House Vote 494,
12/1/22; Congressional
Quarterly, 12/1/22;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
4785]
- The Bill Would Have Provided $250K Annually Through FY 2024 For
Human Rights Activists To Discuss Uyghur Issues At Public Diplomacy
Forums, Making Uyghur Language Training Available For Foreign
Services Officers, And Encourage China To Open The Xinjiang Uyghur
Autonomous Region To Visits From The Press And U.S.
Representatives. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Among
other provisions, the bill would authorize $250,000 annually
through fiscal 2024 for human rights advocates to speak at public
diplomacy forums regarding Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious
minority groups in China; require Uyghur language training to be
available to Foreign Services officers as appropriate; and call on
the Chinese government to open the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
to regular, transparent and unmanipulated visits by the press and
U.S. government representatives and to cease government-sponsored
detentions of people in the region based on their ethnic, cultural,
political or religious identity." [Congressional Quarterly,
12/1/22]