Speech #980166460

I thank the gentleman for yielding Mr. Speaker. we are here today on a matter of human rights. human dignity. and justice. We are here today to ask the leaders of the Soviet Union to live up to those international agreements to which they have already agreed and to allow the hundreds of thousands of Soviets Jews to emigrate. if they choose. to practice their religion without fear of arrest or mistreatment. and to preserve their heritage by studying their history and culture. and by teaching it to their children. Some 35 years ago. the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. a document to which all membernations of the United Nations supposedly subscribe. That Universal Declaration of Human Rights states. in no uncertain terms. that no one dwelling in a U.N.member country should be subjected to the kinds of iniquities that. in fact. the Soviet Union perpetrates against Soviet Jews. Just consider article 3 of the Universal Declaration: "Everyone has the right to life. liberty and the security of person." Or Article 4: No one shall be held in slavery or servitude * * * " Or Article 5: "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel. inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." Or Article 9: "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest. detention or exile." Eight years ago today. Soviet Jewish activist Anatoly Shcharansky was arrested and is still serving a 13year prison term. There are numerous examples of other Soviet Jews who have lost jobs. been denied basic human rights. and suffered other indignities just because they asked to emigrate. And just a few months ago. during the stewardship of Yuriy Andropov. the Soviet Union displayed its callous disregard for human life and dignity again. this time by blatantly murdering 269 innocent men. women. and children. who. unfortunately. were simply passengers on a Korean Air Lines flight that accidently strayed into Soviet airspace. But Andropov can easily be recognized for his brutal mistreatment of the Soviet Jews. During his year and a half as Chairman. he has systematically denied even the most basic human rights to a single class of people residing in the Soviet Unionthe Jews. Emigration of Soviet Jews has been dropping since the high of 51.320 in 1979. but during 1982 and 1983. only about 4.000 Jews were allowed to leave. Emigration efforts were made more difficult. emigration applicants continued to be subjected to oppressive measures such as dismissal from employment and imprisonment. and the practice of the Jewish religion and study of Jewish culture was severely restricted. All of these actions are in direct violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. None of us here are so naive as to believe that the Soviet Union will change its attitude on the basis of what we say here. but. perhaps. the new leadership there will recognize that weas individuals. as Congressmen. and as Americanswill not ignore their treatment of the Soviet Jews. their denial of those basic human rights to which all are entitled.