美国国务院2007年度《国际宗教自由报告》英文全文及中文概要

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Appendix C: Training at the Foreign Service Institute Related to the International Religious Freedom Act
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

I. Summary

Under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRF Act), the Department of State is tasked with training Foreign Service Officers in both human rights broadly and religious freedom specifically. The Department of State's Foreign Service Institute (FSI) works closely with the Office of International Religious Freedom (IRF), in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), to integrate religious freedom issues into the regular curriculum at FSI. During the period covered by this report, members of the FSI training staff took part in conferences dealing with religious freedom, persecution, conflict, and reconciliation hosted by academic institutions, think tanks, and nongovernmental organizations. State Department officers from DRL and IRF regularly participate in FSI courses to brief students in area and professional studies courses, and individual briefings with FSI students on their specific portfolios. DRL and IRF officers routinely cover topics such as the international basis and standards for the right to freedom of religion, the theological beliefs of different religious groups, state actions against religious groups and other manifestations of violations of religious freedom, involvement of religious groups in politics, diplomatic tools used by the United States to promote respect for religious freedom, venues for protection of those who have fled religious persecution, and the relationships between religious freedom, democracy, and national security. FSI periodically consults with the staff of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to ensure the currency of its offerings in this area.

II. Courses Offered

The School of Professional and Area Studies (SPAS) at FSI offers training relevant to the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) in a variety of courses. The following are brief descriptions of courses offered by the divisions of Political Training, Orientation, Consular Training, and Area Studies.

FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER ORIENTATION (A-100)

During the A-100 Course, a senior State Department official from DRL presents a session on international religious freedom. Commissioners from the Commission on International Religious Freedom are also invited to speak to each A-100 class. Students are provided key background materials on religious freedom on a CD distributed to each officer. They are also directed to key websites containing related materials.

POLITICAL/ECONOMIC TRADECRAFT (PG-140)

This is a 3-week course. The students have been assigned for the first time to work in an embassy's or consulate's political, economic, or combined political/economic section. Political/Economic Tradecraft is a required course, in that State Department officers are assigned to take it by the personnel system and exceptions are rare. The State Department expects that a large proportion of these officers/students during their careers will be directly responsible for preparing their post's human rights and religious freedom reports.

As part of required consultations during the course, each student is asked to obtain the Annual Report on Religious Freedom and the report of the Commission on International Religious Freedom listed in Section III. In addition, DRL teaches a session in which religious freedom issues feature prominently. Students are provided with key background materials on religious freedom on a course CD distributed to each officer. They are also directed to key websites containing related materials.

GLOBAL ISSUES (PP-510)

This 3-day course is given twice a year and is geared toward mid-level foreign affairs and national security professionals working for the Department of State and other agencies. In the fall, this course is combined with a separate module on human rights.

As in the Tradecraft courses, DRL provides presentations in which religious freedom issues are featured together with other aspects of U.S. human rights policy.

BASIC CONSULAR COURSE (PC-530)

PC-530 is a prerequisite for serving as a Consular Officer in the Foreign Service. It is designed primarily for Foreign Service Officers preparing to go overseas to fill consular positions, dependents of U.S. government employees who will work as Consular Associates overseas, and domestic employees of the Bureau of Consular Affairs.

The Immigrant Visa portion of PC-530 addresses refugee and asylum issues as they pertain to consular officers. Role playing and other scenarios involving religious minorities have been incorporated into the American Citizen Services portion of the course. In addition, the Consular Training Division has completed development of a new lecture for the Interviewing portion of the course that addresses unusual and sensitive cases that may show up at the visa window. One of the specific scenarios in this lecture covers applicants who may potentially qualify for refugee status due to religious persecution. This lecture was fully integrated into the course by the end of July 2007.

AREA STUDIES

The Foreign Service Institute and the Appeal of Conscience Foundation annually sponsor a major symposium focused on religious freedom and the role of U.S. diplomats overseas. Officers in FSI language training and area studies courses take part in this symposium. The symposium brings together leading experts on religious issues and foreign affairs practitioners who can speak to the job-related aspects of religious freedom issues to provide our officers with a clear understanding of the importance of these issues and the challenges and responsibilities they will face.

Throughout the year, the course chairs in the Area Studies Division, in cooperation with DRL, ensure that their courses address both regional and country-specific issues of religion, religious freedom, and human rights. Participants receive substantial information encompassing the full range of issues affecting particular regions, including religious freedom and human rights, religious history, and religious traditions. Students also receive reading lists (and Internet guidance) that direct them to even more detailed material.

AMBASSADORIAL TRAINING

The Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs regularly speaks to the Ambassadorial Seminar on the importance of this topic.

III. Background Material on Religious Freedom

The following background materials related to religious freedom are made available (as hard copy or through website address) to FSI students:

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Background Materials provided to students at FSI

Main Internet Web Page of the State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom, www.state.gov/g/drl/irf
Mission Statement for the Office of International Religious Freedom
Annual Reports on International Religious Freedom from 1999 through the present
Fact Sheets on the designation of Countries of Particular Concern
Department statements on religious freedom, specific to various countries
Remarks of State Department principals on religious freedom
History of the Office of International Religious Freedom
Background on the State Department's Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad
Main Intranet Web Page of the State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom, available only to State Department officials
Links to legal documents and databases bearing on religious freedom, including the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998
Other policy papers and resources for researching religious freedom issues
Instructions for preparation of the upcoming Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
Main Web Page of the independent, Congressionally funded U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, www.uscirf.gov
List of current members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Annual Report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Highlights from Key International Documents:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 18)
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Articles 18, 26, & 27)


Released on September 14, 2007

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Appendix D: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA)
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

The Department of Homeland Security has assumed responsibilities formerly charged to the Immigration and Naturalization Service under the IRFA. The DHS is committed to ensuring that all claims for refugee and asylum protection are treated with fairness, respect, and dignity, and that all mandates of IRFA for these programs are properly implemented. This appendix summarizes the Department's actions during the Fiscal Year 2006, as required under Section 102 (b)(1)(E) of IRFA.

I. Training of Asylum Officers and Refugee Adjudicators

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides extensive training to Asylum Officers to prepare them to perform their duties of adjudicating asylum claims. The training covers all grounds on which an asylum claim may be based, including religion. Asylum Officers receive approximately 5 weeks of specialized training related to international human rights law, nonadversarial interview techniques, and other relevant national and international refugee laws and principles.1 During the 5-week course and in local asylum office training, USCIS provides Asylum Officers with specialized training on religious persecution issues. With the passage of IRFA in 1998, the 5-week training program expanded to incorporate information about IRFA as a part of the regular curriculum. A staff member from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) participated in each of the two training courses held in FY 2006. In addition, a continual effort is made to include further discussion of religious persecution whenever possible in both the 5-week course and in local asylum office training. The Asylum Division regularly updates its training materials and conducts training in local asylum offices to reflect any recently issued papers on religious persecution from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, USCIRF, or other organizations, as well as any recent developments in case law or country conditions on this issue. Furthermore, in Fiscal Year 2006, the Asylum Division piloted in one of the field Asylum Offices a half-day training module on issues of religious persecution and included as one of the presenters a USCIRF staff member. This module is being developed further for use in all field Asylum Offices.

As mandated by IRFA, USCIS provides specialized training to refugee officers. The Refugee Application Adjudication Course (RAAC) consists of 2 weeks of intensive instruction in refugee law and overseas refugee processing procedures, paying special attention to religious persecution issues. USCIS officers responsible for adjudicating refugee applications were required to attend the course. The refugee law portion of RAAC was largely adapted from the Asylum Officer Basic Training Course (AOBTC) with new modules developed specifically for overseas refugee processing.

In addition, new refugee officers must successfully complete the Refugee Officer Training Course (ROTC) to conduct overseas refugee adjudications. The course consists of in-depth training on refugee law, and much of the material is drawn from the AOBTC. This 3 week training covers all grounds, including religion, on which a claim for refugee status may be based and involves specialized training on international human rights law, nonadversarial interview techniques, and other relevant national and international refugee laws and principles. During the training, students receive specialized instruction on religious persecution issues. For example, as part of the last two sessions, USCIRF members conduct presentations on IRFA. In addition, the training encourages further discussion of religious persecution whenever possible. USCIS has updated the primary lesson plan to reflect recent guidelines issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on religious persecution claims, as well as recent developments in refugee law. More than 30 officers have completed the training to date.

In addition to ROTC, USCIS also provides preparatory training to officers who are embarking on short-term, overseas refugee-related assignments. This training includes detailed information on religious topics that will be encountered on the overseas assignment.

The Resource Information Center (RIC) in the Asylum Division of the Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations Directorate serves both asylum officers and refugee adjudicators and is responsible for the collection, production, and distribution of materials regarding human rights conditions around the world. The RIC has published an online guide to web research that is posted on the internal DHS website. This online internet guide includes links to government and nongovernmental websites that contain information on religious persecution, as well as other issues relevant to asylum adjudications. The RIC separately catalogs religious freedom periodicals and separately codes RIC responses to field queries that involve religious issues.

II. Guidelines for Addressing Hostile Biases

In the affirmative asylum context, applicants for asylum who cannot proceed with the asylum interview in English must provide their own interpreter. Prior to conducting any interpretation for the interview, the interpreter must take an oath to translate fully and accurately the proceedings of the asylum interview. The asylum officer may terminate the interview to be rescheduled at a later date if the interpreter is found to be misrepresenting the applicant's testimony, is incompetent, or otherwise displays improper conduct.

USCIS includes specific antibias provisions in the interpreter services contract used by Asylum Officers in the Asylum Pre-Screening Program. The contract and interpreter oath also include special provisions that ensure the security and confidentiality of the credible fear process. Asylum Officers report to the Asylum Division any concerns about the accuracy or neutrality of the interpretation, which in turn are raised to the management of the interpreter services company.

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1Asylum Officers are required to complete two 5-week training courses, the Adjudication and Asylum Officer Basic Training Course (AAOBTC) and the Asylum Officer Basic Training Course (AOBTC). The AAOBTC covers the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and basic immigration law. The AOBTC includes international human rights law, asylum and refugee law, interviewing techniques, decision-making and decision-writing skills, effective country conditions research skills, and computer skills. In addition compulsory in-service training for all asylum officers is held weekly.



Released on September 14, 2007

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Appendix E: Overview of U.S. Refugee Policy
International Religious Freedom Report 2007
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor


The world's refugee population is estimated to be some 9 million persons per United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data for the end of calendar year 2006. Nearly 24 million more are displaced within their own countries by war, famine, and civil unrest. The United States works with other governments and international and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to protect refugees, internally displaced persons, and conflict victims, and strives to ensure that basic human needs for food, health care, water and sanitation, education, and shelter are met. The United States has been instrumental in mobilizing a community of nations to work through these organizations to protect and assist refugees worldwide, supporting major humanitarian relief operations and seeking durable solutions for refugees. For the vast majority of refugees, voluntary return to their homelands is the preferred solution. Where voluntary repatriation in safety and dignity is not feasible, other durable solutions are sought, including local integration in countries of asylum or resettlement in third countries.

Resettlement, including in the United States, is appropriate for refugees in urgent need of protection and for refugees for whom other durable solutions are inappropriate or unavailable. The United States considers for admission as refugees persons of special humanitarian concern who can establish that they experienced past persecution or have a well-founded fear of future persecution in their home country on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The legal basis of the refugee admissions program is the Refugee Act of 1980, which embodies the American tradition of granting refuge to diverse groups suffering from, or fearing, persecution. The act adopted the definition of "refugee" contained in the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. The following describes the program's efforts, by region, in meeting the needs of refugees worldwide who have faced religious persecution.

The U.S. admissions program processes refugee cases referred by UNHCR, U.S. embassies, and certain NGOs and works closely with them to strengthen this referral process.

Africa

For the majority of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, religious freedom is the norm, even where other conflicts hold sway or where there has been communal violence along sectarian lines as in Nigeria. The primary exceptions have been Sudan and Eritrea.

During the 22-year civil war between "North" and "South" the Government of Sudan conducted or tolerated attacks on civilians, indiscriminate bombing raids, and slave raids in the south, all with a religious as well as an ethnic dimension. Although the conflict in Darfur involves human rights abuses based on ethnic differences, it lacks the religious dimensions of the North-South conflict. With the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the North-South conflict, an interim National Constitution entered into force that includes specific religious freedom guarantees. The country remains in a state of political transition; however, the Government of National Unity has continued to impose restrictions on non-Muslims in the north, while permitting the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) to develop a secular administration respecting the rights of Christians, Muslims, and others in the south. During Fiscal Year 2006, 1,848 Sudanese refugees who had found refuge in Egypt, Ethiopia, and Kenya (primarily) were resettled in the United States. With the end of the North-South conflict and the current peace prospects in southern Sudan, efforts are now focused primarily on repatriation of refugees to Southern Sudan. However, UNHCR continues to refer a limited number of Sudanese refugees in need of protection for consideration by the U.S refugee admissions program.

The Government of Eritrea continues to engage in systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom, including harassing, arresting, and detaining members of independent evangelical groups (including Pentecostals), Jehovah's Witnesses, and a reform movement within the Eritrean Orthodox Church. It also sought greater control over the four approved religious groups: the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Evangelical (Lutheran) Church of Eritrea, and Islam. Often detainees held for their religious affiliations were not formally charged, accorded due process, or allowed access to their families, and some are reportedly held in harsh conditions that include extreme temperature fluctuations. While many were ostensibly jailed for evasion of military conscription, significant numbers were being held solely for their religious beliefs. Eritrea was one of the four countries of origin (together with Somalia, Burundi, and Liberia) that account for the majority of refugee arrivals to the United States in FY 2007.

East Asia

While many governments in East Asia permit freedom of worship, religious believers face serious persecution in some countries. The Department of State has designated Burma, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as "Countries of Particular Concern" for systematic, egregious, and ongoing violations of religious freedom.

Genuine religious freedom does not exist in the DPRK. Consistent with the intent of the North Korean Human Rights Act, the United States has recently resettled some North Korean refugees in the United States.

The Government of China either prohibits or severely restricts independent religious activities. The Government continues to suppress, intimidate, harass, detain, and imprison some followers of those religions or spiritual movements not registered with the Government, most notably the (underground) Catholic Church loyal to the Vatican, Protestant "house churches," some Muslim groups, Buddhists loyal to the Dalai Lama, and the Falun Gong spiritual movement.

In Burma the government maintains a pervasive internal security apparatus that generally infiltrates or monitors meetings and activities of all organizations, including religious groups. The government actively promotes Buddhism over other religions as a means of boosting its own legitimacy and continues harsh discrimination against members of minority religions.

In Vietnam there have been a number of significant improvements in law and practice over the past 2 years, and a vast majority of Vietnamese who wish to practice their religion do so freely, without harassment or interference. However, official oversight of recognized religions and harassment or repression of followers of some nonrecognized religions continues. Some religious practitioners, especially ethnic minorities in the Northwest Highlands, continue to suffer harassment, arbitrary detention, and physical intimidation, although reports of such incidents have declined. Vietnam has released a number of religious prisoners, but others face administrative and civil restrictions. In Laos Protestants in particular suffer occasional arrest and imprisonment.

Europe and Central Asia

In recent years the fear of newer religious groups, many of them with ties to coreligionists in other countries, has led to a backlash in a number of post-Soviet states. Most of these states regulate religious groups and activities, specifying a set of "traditional" religions with certain privileges denied to other groups. They require registration and use this as a mechanism of control; by refusing to register new denominations they make such groups vulnerable to charges of illegal association.

The U.S. refugee admission program provides resettlement opportunities to religious minority members (as identified in the Lautenberg Amendment) with close family ties to the United States. The Department of State continues to work with the UNHCR, NGOs (both faith-based and nonsectarian), human rights groups, and U.S. diplomatic missions to identify refugees for whom resettlement is appropriate, including persons who qualify under the 1980 act on religious grounds. The U.S. refugee admissions program has provided protection to Muslims, Jews, evangelical Christians, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians as well as individuals of other religious minorities.

Eastern Europe
In Belarus, and to a lesser degree in Russia, some minority religious groups suffer harassment and difficulties finding places to meet. In Belarus groups with international ties are sometimes accused of being security threats. In Russia there were indications that the security services treated the leadership of some groups as security threats. In some countries one's faith may be associated with ethnicity, patriotism, nationalism, or even with terrorism; and authorities may be suspicious of religious groups perceived as having political agendas and organizations.

Central Asia
In the case of Uzbekistan, members of Islamic groups not approved by the State are often seen as potential terrorists and suffer harassment or imprisonment; members of Christian groups with ethnic Uzbek members are seen as politically and socially destabilizing and also suffer severe harassment. In the case of Turkmenistan, although the level of harassment has decreased, the Government continues to restrict all forms of religious expression.

South Asia

Repression of religious minorities is common in some countries in South Asia. In Pakistan discriminatory legislation persists, and the Government fails to take action against religious intolerance and acts of violence and intimidation against religious minorities, including Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus, and Zikris. In India the central Government sometimes does not act swiftly to counter either societal attacks against religious minorities or attempts by some state and local governments to limit religious freedom. In Afghanistan, despite constitutional guarantees, religious freedom is limited because of legislative ambiguity, a developing judiciary, and deference to local interpretations of Shari'a Law. Years of weak democratic institutions have contributed to intolerance manifested in acts of harassment against reform-minded Muslims and religious minorities. The Department of State continues efforts to improve access to refugee processing through dialogue with NGOs organizations and human rights groups who may identify victims with valid claims based on grounds of religious persecution. The UNHCR also has addressed religious persecution issues in several regional workshops to increase the sensitivity of protection and resettlement officers to victims of religious persecution.

Near East

Repression of religious minorities is common in the Near East. In Saudi Arabia public non-Muslim worship is prohibited, as is conversion of a Muslim to another religion. In Iran members of minority religious groups continue to face arrest, harassment, and discrimination. In 2004 Congress passed a law that adds "members of a religious minority in Iran" to the list of categories of aliens who, in refugee processing, may benefit from reduced evidentiary standards for demonstrating a well-founded fear of persecution. Iranians who belong to religious minorities (Baha'is, Sufis, Jews, Zoroastrians, and Christians) are able to apply directly for U.S. resettlement processing.

The UNHCR and U.S. embassies in the region facilitate access to the admissions program for individuals of other nationalities, including those who may qualify on religious grounds. The UNHCR also has addressed religious persecution issues in several regional workshops.

Latin America/Caribbean

In general, religious freedom is widely recognized and enjoyed in Latin America. The key exception is Cuba, where the Government engages in active efforts to monitor and control religious institutions, including surveillance, infiltration, and harassment of clergy and members; evictions from and confiscation of places of worship; and preventive detention of religious activists. The Government also uses registration as a mechanism of control; by refusing to register new denominations, it makes them vulnerable to charges of illegal association. However, despite these obstacles to religious expression, church activity has grown in recent years. The U.S. refugee admissions program specifically includes religious minorities and other human rights activists among the list of eligible groups.



Released on September 14, 2007

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Release of the Department of State抯 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
John V. Hanford III, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom
Washington, DC
September 14, 2007
View Video  http://video.state.gov/?fr_story ... 64324aebfe8c8faf3dd

12:35 p.m. EDT

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Thank you, Madame Secretary, and thank you for your own personal commitment to the issue of religious freedom. It's a great honor to serve both a Secretary and a President who are passionate about advancing religious freedom worldwide.

As President Bush said earlier this year, "The freedom to worship is so central to America's character that we tend to take it personally when that freedom is denied to others." He continued, "Our country was a leading voice on behalf of Jewish refuseniks in the Soviet Union. Americans joined in common cause with Catholics and Protestants, who prayed in secret behind the Iron Curtain. America has stood with Muslims seeking to freely practice their beliefs in places such as Burma and China."

Indeed, there is no more fundamental issue for the United States than religious liberty, and today we have gathered to present the 2007 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. The report covers 198 countries and areas worldwide and offers the most comprehensive catalogue of both religious freedom abuses and improvements with respect to this fundamental right. The drafting of the report is an immense undertaking, but it's only element of the Department of State's continuous work to advance religious freedom for all persons and faiths.

Religious liberty is a revered pillar of our constitutional system, a cherished part of our history and our national character. Accordingly, the policy of the United States is to condemn violations of religious freedom and to promote the enjoyment of this fundamental right for all. Our continuous work on this issue all across the globe tangibly reflects the commitment of the American people to those who suffer religious discrimination or persecution as the cost of their faith.

Here at the State Department, hanging over one of the entrances in the oldest part of the building is a strong visual illustration of this national priority. The 50 x 12 foot painting by Kindred McCleary was completed in 1942, at the height of one of the most challenging periods in our country's history. It depicts four freedoms which have been pivotal to our nation's heritage: freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press and freedom of worship. Many are seeing this recently restored mural for the first time and we've chosen to feature the portion devoted to freedom of worship on the cover of some of our annual report materials this year.

In all, the mural serves today as a potent reminder that even at times of great national challenge and threat, the heart of our nation's identity encompasses the protection and promotion of fundamental freedoms, including freedom of worship.

It's important to note that our commitment to religious freedom is not an attempt to export simply an American approach to this issue. Quite the contrary, religious freedom has been recognized as an inviolable human right under numerous international conventions and treaties. Despite this global consensus, too many governments ignore their international obligations. Millions suffer as a result, with individuals and communities forced daily to struggle against oppressive forces in order to realize this fundamental freedom. In some cases, religious believers are imprisoned or physically abused simply for the courage of their convictions. According to some estimates, half of the world's people live under persecution or serious restriction of their religious freedom.

It is this knowledge which drives our work on the annual report. The effort each year put into this 800-page compendium is extraordinary and I want give credit where credit is due. In addition to constantly monitoring, defending and promoting religious freedom around the globe, my staff in the Office of International Religious Freedom works diligently with our embassies and consulates abroad and with regional bureaus here in the Department to craft the report. Because of this meticulous work and its broad coverage, the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom is an invaluable resource read by both the powerful and the powerless, by the victims of religious persecution and by those with the ability to remedy that abuse.

Our work would be incomplete and misinformed without the close partnership of nongovernmental organizations, religious groups and individuals who are committed to defending religious freedom in their respective countries. Oftentimes, these organizations and individuals operate at the risk of their own safety, and I'd like to take this opportunity publicly to thank them for their contribution.

We also respect the work of the U.S. Congress in highlighting abuses and promoting improvements. The Congress plays a vital role in fighting for religious freedom.

Because of efforts documented in this report, as well as the efforts of many brave advocates for religious freedom around the world, we have seen significant progress this year toward reducing persecution and discrimination. We are pleased to be able to cite these improvements for many of the countries covered in the report.

Sadly, however, our work is not done, as far too many citizens of the world do not enjoy religious freedom.

In the case of China, U.S. officials, including President Bush, Secretary Rice and Deputy Secretary Negroponte, made a concerted effort to encourage greater religious freedom, condemning abuses while supporting positive trends. We continue to express our concern over the government's treatment of religious minorities. These concerns include the prevention of children in some regions from receiving religious education, new regulations that restrict the right of Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns to travel in order to receive religious training, the persecution of Christians not affiliated with government-approved denominations, and government efforts to effect the forcible return to China of Uighur Muslims for their peaceful religious activism.

In Iran, the regime is unrelenting in its repression of Baha'is and has created a threatening atmosphere for nearly all non-Shia religious groups, including Sufi Muslims, some Christian groups and members of the Jewish community.

The Government of Eritrea continues to harass, arrest and detain religious minorities, particularly Protestant Christians. Some NGOs estimate the number of religious prisoners in Eritrea to be as many as 1,900.

The Burmese regime continues to infiltrate and covertly monitor meetings and activities of virtually all organizations, including religious organizations.

We are also engaged with our allies, as we are concerned about laws that effectively institutionalize discrimination against religious minorities. Examples include the passage of a discriminatory religion law in Romania with a burdensome registration system, and the amendment to the religious registration law in the Slovak Republic that significantly toughens the already demanding registration requirements. While religious freedoms are enjoyed in both countries, it's my hope that these governments will create systems that facilitate religious liberties for all, rather than stigmatize small religious communities through tiered systems of recognition.

Other governments are taking important steps to open the door to greater religious freedom. In Vietnam, nearly all religious groups report improved conditions for religious practice as many places of worship were registered, restrictions were eased, and some of the harsher forms of suppression were curtailed. The Government of Turkmenistan recently released the former Chief Mufti, who had been jailed for 22 years, and we're hopeful of additional reforms improving religious freedom. In India, the Governor of the Rajasthan Province, who later this year was elected to the presidency of the country, refused to sign a provincial anti-conversion law, effectively nullifying the law. In Bangladesh, the government took steps to protect the lives and property of Ahmadis. And in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah called for increased religious tolerance and the government took steps to remove intolerant references toward other religious groups from educational materials.

These are just some of the issues covered by the annual report. The report is a natural outgrowth of our country's history and a current reflection of our values. As Secretary of State Rice has said, "We are mindful that too many people of faith can only whisper to God in the silent sanctuaries of their conscience because they fear persecution for their religious beliefs." She concluded, "Government simply has no right to stand between the individual and the Almighty."

This annual report exists so that those who face religious persecution may know that the American people and government have not turned a blind eye to their plight, but are actively engaged in efforts to alleviate their sufferings and foster an environment where religious freedom may thrive. May this report give encouragement to persecuted communities that their stories will be told and that people of goodwill are standing with them in their hopes for a day when all may practice their beliefs without fear of restriction or reprisal.

I'll be happy now to answer any questions that you may have.

MR. CASEY: Now that you've had the musical interlude, do you want to try (inaudible)? (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Yeah. Can you comment on the report's findings on Iraq that religious freedom has deteriorated sharply over the last year?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Well, what we're dealing with in Iraq is really a security situation that makes it difficult for religious practice to occur in a normal way. The constitution of the new Iraqi Government actually provides rather robust guarantees, and this is something we're very pleased to see because it's a very good constitution for that region of the world. But religious minorities are vulnerable, sometimes due to their small numbers and lack of organization. For the most part, people are getting caught in the crossfire. In the case of these minorities, though, there have been cases where it's clear that certain groups have been targeted.

The real problem that we're dealing with is that with the sectarian violence, not necessarily focused upon religious practice, that at the same time religious practice winds up being affected.

MR. CASEY: Sylvie.

QUESTION: The report speaks about the deterioration of situation in Egypt. Is there a chance that Egypt could be listed as a Country of Particular Concern?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Well, we are not announcing today at this time what countries are going to be put on the list this year. We'll do that probably fairly soon. Last year we did it in November and perhaps about the same timeframe this year.


In the case of Egypt, there's a balance of considerations to bear in mind. For the most part, the large majority of citizens are able to practice their faith with some degree of freedom and there is a very large population of minority believers. Some of the problems that we have faced this year has to do, for example, with conversion, which of course is controversial throughout the Muslim world. The Government of Egypt has denied conversion to Christianity even by people who were born into a Christian family, later converted to Islam and then want to go back. And there are cases where converts have been held and sometimes received physical abuse.

We are pleased that one particular case that -- where a gentleman was held for 25 months, Bahaa al-Accad, that he was released not long ago, but now his life is under threat. Also we're very concerned about the Baha'i minority and there was a decision by the Administrative Court that would have given the Baha'is additional rights to have identity cards and the right, but the government appealed that decision because they did not want Baha'is to be able to have their religion on identity cards and succeeded in reversing what we felt was a positive decision by their own court system.

QUESTION: You say in the report that there have been improvements in Saudi Arabia.

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Mm-hmm.

QUESTION: I know you're not indicating who's going to come off the list, but do you think it's a marked improvement by Saudi Arabia or do you think they still have a long way to go?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: For the most part, the items which we highlighted last November and last summer that we had been discussing in ongoing engagement with the Saudis, for the most part these are issues which the government has confirmed and identified are their policies, but they're very much still in the process of being worked out. And this has to do with, for example, reining in the mutawwa'in, the religious police, from raiding religious gatherings. To a large extent, the government has been successful in stopping this practice. The government has guaranteed the right to private worship for people of minority faiths. And any given week, you've got an enormous number of Christians and Jews and Hindus and Buddhists who are meeting and freely practicing in homes and places like that without harassment. This is an improvement.

But we've also discussed with the Saudis the need to address the intolerant literature in their textbooks, in other educational materials that not only are used in Saudi Arabia but throughout the world because the Saudis have exported them. And they have given assurances that they are in the process, and we have been working to confirm the progress on this, of removing all intolerant references towards other faiths. They have made progress on this, but there is a ways to go for these references to be fully removed.

QUESTION: A follow-up? Can I follow on Saudi Arabia?

MR. CASEY: Yeah, go ahead.

QUESTION: Just a couple months ago, the Commission -- the Religious Freedom Commission said that it visited Saudi Arabia and was denied the ability to meet with any government officials on this issue. And when you talk about religious groups being able to meet in private, this is not a satisfactory situation for you, is it, that, you know, in the privacy of a home some people can, you know, practice their religion. I mean, you support the public free practice of religion, correct?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: That's certainly correct. In the case of Saudi Arabia, I think it's important first for there to be the freedom to securely meet, as has happened for many years, in homes, and for the raids and the other problems, the deportations, the arrests, to cease. I'm not sure that the security situation right now, even if there were people who favored allowing minority faiths to build places of worship, I'm not sure that would be a good idea at this point, frankly.

In the long run, we hope that there'll be certainly a much broader respect for religious freedom in Saudi Arabia. But for now, I think a realistic goal is to create space and security for people to be able to meet. And they do in relatively large numbers and are able in most cases to hold services and religious observances that are similar to what you would see in a place of worship.

In terms of the commission's meetings, they were able to meet with some government officials. I think there were some officials that they requested to meet with who weren't available, and so they were disappointed by that.

MR. CASEY: Michel.

QUESTION: Saudi Arabia. Will you keep Saudi Arabia on the list of states with special concerns?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Well, I can't indicate now. That's a decision ultimately that the Secretary of State makes and we've not even gone to her with our thoughts and recommendations.

But to explain a little more what I said earlier, some of the things which we have shared over the last year that we're encouraged by are in the early stages of implementation. And I think these are -- these are significant given the context in Saudi Arabia and given the history. And we are -- I think here King Abdullah deserves a lot of credit. He has very publicly called for tolerance. He is working, for example, to grant greater representation by the Shia minority and there've been -- you know, there's been some significant success there where we now have seven Shia judges. There need to be more, but that's two more than a year ago. And so he's moving to create a more tolerant society that allows people of minority faiths to practice more freely.


But what we call in our report "positive developments" or "policy announcements" does not necessarily mean that that has been worked out and implemented yet.

MR. CASEY: Let's go to the back.

QUESTION: While the report itself is seen as effective in capturing abuses and perhaps publicizing these abuses, how do you see the sanctions that come with this identification of countries that abuse religious people? Are they effective?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: That's a very hard question to answer, not only on sanctions that are connected with our Government's stance in favor of religious freedom, but across the board where sanctions are imposed for other human rights issues or other types of issues. And I think you'd have to say, if you look at it over a long period of time, there's been a mixed history. You can look at efforts to address apartheid in South Africa and I think see that sanctions were very effective. In other cases, they're only -- they're questionable.

But the reason Congress placed into the International Religious Freedom Act the requirement that the Secretary of State should take some action where a country has participated in what are called "severe violations" of religious freedom, where a country crosses over that threshold -- it's a pretty high threshold -- and becomes a Country of Particular Concern was to make a clear statement to the world that this is an issue that the United States is so committed to that we feel in representing our population's concern and passion that something must be done. Sometimes governments shrug it off and, you know, changing policies affecting the entire population or affecting minority faiths where there's a lot of suspicion and historic tension, those are tough uphill climbs. Nevertheless, we are taking position on principle when we impose those sanctions.

And we hope that -- I try to follow up. Our goal is not to simply punish on this issue. Our goal is to try to open a door for continuing to work. In the case of Eritrea, for example, I really grieve over what has continued to happen there. The numbers of prisoners continue to climb. I think one would have to say the sanctions there have not borne fruit.

MR. CASEY: Let's go to this gentleman back here. And then, Samir, we'll get to you next.

QUESTION: On Cuba, please, any comment about the situation in Cuba? Have you seen change under Raul Castro's regime?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Well, this last year, religious groups, which are required to register with the government -- the Ministry of Justice did grant registration to a number of groups, legal registration. But other groups have not been granted that registration and the Ministry of the Interior is guilty of surveillance and infiltration and harassment of religious -- both professionals and laypersons.

There were new regulations put into place a couple of years ago that require house churches to register and this puts these churches in a very vulnerable position. There are about 10,000 house churches and they are technically illegal and vulnerable to government pressure. And then a problem that has been going on for a long time; I visited Cuba, as, I was a part of the first staff delegation from Congress when I worked up on the Hill to visit Cuba about 18 years ago or so and even then, places of worship found it almost impossible to do repairs, to do construction, to get permits. And so their National Council of Churches has stated that I think -- in the past year, virtually none of this has been allowed by the government.

MR. CASEY: Samir.

QUESTION: In comparison with last year's report, what is, in your opinion, the new and most significant development in this new report?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: I think on a positive front, I would point to Vietnam as the trend towards progress has continued. It has slowed. And we hope that that -- we hope that it will pick up again. But when I began in this job several years ago, there were dozens of religious prisoners, hundreds of places of worship had been closed, over a thousand. There was a national campaign in some regions at least, that involved forced renunciations of faith. The Government of Vietnam made a very conscious decision to change their policy and to grant a much higher degree of religious freedom. And they've reversed most of this.

As of last September, the last prisoner on our list that we were working with them on was released. So we've had dozens of prisoners released. They passed a whole new legal system, which has banned the practice of forced renunciations of faith and this has almost entirely stopped anywhere in the country. And virtually all of the places of worship which had been forcibly closed have been reopened.

They've gone beyond that. They've allowed for a new Catholic seminary, a new Protestant institute -- training institute to be set up. They've registered whole new religions that weren't even legal before. Nevertheless, there are still groups which are banned or where there are leaders which are under house arrest. It is our belief that in most cases, this is a result of the political views of these religious leaders and the positions that they've been taking publicly and we respect that and we, of course, believe in their freedom to do that. But we believe that the restrictions that they're placed under are not the result of their religious practices.

MR. CASEY: Let's go to this gentleman back here and then we'll come down this row. Go ahead, sir. Yeah.

QUESTION: The report said that the -- most religious abuse in Iraq is mostly non-state actors, not the government.

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: That's right.

QUESTION: So are you alarmed by the violence by some government agency like the national police personally on the use of their sectarian violence in general?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Well, the problem here is that, you know, we believe and I think it's been clearly confirmed that some insurgents are -- and sectarian militias are putting on police uniforms and inciting sectarian violence and trying to discredit the government. And so it's very difficult to find the sort of proof that there's an organized attempt by the government to clamp down on religious practice. I think the government is committed to the principle of religious freedom. But we are not going to see that able to flourish until the violence ceases.

MR. CASEY: Go ahead.

QUESTION: Thank you. Do you have any information -- that the number of religious prisoners in North Korea? Also, how many U.S. citizens religious prisoners in North Korea and China?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Well, we -- in North Korea, it's very difficult to get accurate information. We are able, in the case of defectors, or people who cross over into China and pass on information or -- there are very good sources in South Korea at times that give us good information. It's clear to us that there is a suppression of religious practice and an aggressive persecution that is unparalleled. I think it's fair to say that North Korea is the worst violator of religious freedom in the world. There basically is not allowance for any real religious practice, as far as we can tell. We do not have accurate numbers for the number of prisoners.

But people that have come out of prison report that often, religious prisoners received the worst treatment; in some cases, torture, deprivation of food. And we believe that there are large numbers of people in prison there simply because of their faith. Also, there are people that the government has -- that when people have come back and gone into China and had any contact at all with religious believers there, this has been viewed very negatively by the government and as far as we can tell, has resulted in extremely harsh treatment for the people who are determined to have had religious contact in China.

QUESTION: So you don't have any data for U.S. citizens in prison in China, so --

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: In China?

QUESTION: Yes.

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: That's -- I don't. I mean, we can get back to you on that. In China, they're -- we are concerned because especially this summer, it appears that the government has been moving to crack down on religious groups to a certain extent and this has involved even the denying of visas or the expulsion of some Americans who are -- who have been accused of practicing illegal religious activity there. The fear of many is that the government is wanting these westerners out of the country; that their goal is to crack down on any chance that there might be protest in the run-up to the Olympics. And our hope is that the government will take the opportunity of the Olympics and of the worldwide spotlight that will be shown to respect religious citizens and their practice rather than to repress it.

There are a number of examples of ways in which the government seems to be clamping down on their unprecedented restrictions on Tibetan Buddhists. There have been very aggressive efforts made towards Uighur Muslims going out to some governments in South Asia and the Middle East and Europe to forcibly return Uighur Muslims to China who have spoken out about religious freedom and the like. They've denied permission for many who wish to go on the Hajj to go. And there have been cases of Protestants and Catholics who have suffered harsh treatment.

Just a few days ago, there was a Catholic priest loyal to the Vatican who died in prison and was cremated within six hours, meaning, no one got to see his body. Another Catholic priest was arrested and tortured Father Li Huisheng in Hebei, as they attempted to force him to join the Catholic Patriotic Association. And there are similar cases of Protestants too that have been beaten and harassed in this sort of aggressive way.

QUESTION: Yes. How would you assess progress in Laos at this point? I know that it -- it's been measured as having gone forward? And then there were reports of meddling with Christian groups in the Highlands. What's happening there?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: That's right. I've traveled there and we were pleased to see general progress in Laos. And I would say the situation is improved over what existed several years ago. The absence of rule of law has created problems and there's somewhat of an arbitrary application of the law as well, particularly in certain regions, Savannakh閠 and Savannakh閠 Province. There continue to be problems there. There are about 40 churches that were -- that remain closed -- that were closed there, although we're pleased that several of the closed churches have been open this year. And so we point to that progress.

There's also been pressure to force minority Christians to renounce their faith and this is something that had largely ceased. When I traveled there about three or four years ago, it's interesting that Laos and Vietnam were using the very same forms to force people to sign, renouncing their faith, so there was some cross-border cooperation going on there. At that point, Laos was in better shape on this practice than Vietnam. But in the case of Laos, this is cropping up again. And they've refused to register Methodists. So there continue to be scattered problems there.

MR. CASEY: Mr. Lambros.

QUESTION: Ambassador Hanford, any progress to report since the last time about the reopening of the Theological School of Halki and the religious and property rights of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, based in Istanbul, Turkey under the auspices of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Yeah. Well, we have raised this issue. We've continued to raise it at the highest levels. And we are very frustrated that no progress has been made. The Halki Seminary remains closed. This could easily be reopened and flourish again, as it had for so many decades, as a place of training. And we've also explained over and over again the problem of restricting the patriarchate to people who are citizens of Turkey, since there are only 2,500 left. And so it's very difficult to find trained successors to the Patriarch. And so we continue to raise this and we are sad to say that there is not progress that I can report.

QUESTION: One more question, Ambassador. Since the Turkish authorities recently are challenging systemically the ecumenical title of the patriarchate and of the Patriarch Bartholomew, who is the head of the Orthodox church worldwide, may we know your position on this issue and when you are raising your concern to the Turkish Government too?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Yes. We discussed the whole range of these sorts of issues and wish for the Orthodox community to be able to practice and train leaders and have full respect for their religious community.

MR. CASEY: I think we have time for a couple more. Let's go to this woman here. I understand she had her hand up for a while, then finally we'll go back to you after.

QUESTION: Okay. Just going to back to Saudi Arabia, when you talked about the progress on, you know, removing statements of intolerance in the religious literature, has any of that actually been done or is it just statements of intention at this point?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: No. There has been progress. We've -- you know, we've seen the materials and it's clear that there has been progress. And I think the dissemination issue has also been significantly addressed in terms of the government sending these materials around the world. As you know, some of those materials were showing up right here in Washington. Some were found this year at a school in London, I believe it was, but -- we do see progress, but it's clear that there are still some intolerant references that remain. And so --

QUESTION: And -- sorry, is that largely in the school textbooks or where are you seeing this mostly?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Yes, the textbooks are what I'm primarily referring to.

QUESTION: Okay.

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Now there are a lot of textbooks and it's a big job to look these over. And we're taking this on as best we can and there are, of course, good nongovernmental organizations out there that have done a good job of getting copies of these and reporting intolerant references. And they provide a good service and we follow up on those items as well.

QUESTION: I was wondering about Vietnam. You mentioned that as, like, the biggest positive improvement and yet the commission in May recommended that it be restored to the list --

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: Right.

QUESTION: -- in November. How do you explain that difference? You also mentioned today that progress there, in fact, has slowed.

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: You know, I would say in my 20 years of working on religious freedom issues, I've never seen a country turn around -- when it was moving so strongly in one direction, turn around and undo much of the serious repression in a period of only two years without total regime change. And one would hardly ever see this sort of progress even with a total regime change. And so we feel like credit needs to be given where credit is due.

In the case of Vietnam, I've traveled there five times. I am confident that decisions were made at the highest levels to grant a greater degree of religious freedom. I think it comes down, then, to how you interpret the International Religious Freedom Act when it talks about systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom. And if you read the language, it focuses in on abusive practices which I think were a problem before; forced renunciations; people being beaten; people being imprisoned. There's a certain threshold, a pretty high threshold that needs to be met. And that's why there are only eight countries currently on that list.

Vietnam has -- there are still problems there. There are still restrictions. But Vietnam has gone beyond just addressing the harsh measures which we felt merited the CPC designation. They have addressed those rather significantly. And now, they're moving to register and make legal groups that -- like house church groups and the Baha'is have been registered and other groups that never before were able to exist legally. They're going beyond just the things that got them on the list and they're really exercising evidences of what religious freedom looks like.

Now there's a ways to go. There are still significant restrictions and there's still hoops that groups have to jump through. And we're disappointed with the progress in the North and the Northwest Highlands in the registration process, as there are many places of worship that wish to register that are having a very slow time of getting permission. The government has told us we're going to test some and see how it goes. But this is something where I think we all need to feel good that our work together with the Government of Vietnam has produced real tangible results.

MR. CASEY: Okay, last question. Go ahead, Joel.

QUESTION: Ambassador Hanford, today, there's a report that Umar al-Bashir of Sudan from Khartoum is visiting Italy. He's considered one of the world's worst human rights abusers. There's been a war between the North and the South and he's going to meet with Pope Benedict. What do you think will come from that meeting?

AMBASSADOR HANFORD: That's a question that I really am not in a position to answer. I think that it's probably a positive thing that those discussions are occurring and -- you know, we continue to be deeply concerned at the travesty of human rights which is occurring in Sudan in the Darfur region. However, in all fairness, there have been some improvements in certain cases and certain regions, particularly in the outworking of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. And so in the South now, you have a significant degree of religious freedom.

In Khartoum, in the North, it's more problematic with the application of Sharia law and the influence of the government on the schools and the requirement of Islamic education all the way through the years of schooling. But there is progress being made there as well.

MR. CASEY: Thank you.

2007/763

[ 本帖最后由 令狐药师 于 21.9.2007 20:22 编辑 ]

令狐药师

Remarks on the U.S. Department of State's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Washington, DC
September 14, 2007
View Video   http://video.state.gov/?fr_story ... 93bb7f4f67ace3d7969


(12:32 p.m. EDT)

SECRETARY RICE: Good afternoon. Today, I have transmitted to Congress the 9th Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. We hope that this report, which is also available on the Department's website, will continue to serve as a resource for all in the United States and in the international community who share our concerns about religious freedom. We also hope that it will serve to encourage those whose plight is documented in this report and whose right to believe, practice and worship freely is denied by their governments.

It is fitting that this week also marks the congruence of two major religious faiths. All around the world and here in the United States, Muslims are observing the month of Ramadan and Jews are observing Rosh Hashanah. By continuing the American tradition of worshiping freely and respectfully, American Jews and American Muslims are strengthening the freedom and pluralism that defines for us what it means to be an American.

Religious liberty is deeply rooted in our principles and history as a nation, and it is our belief in this universal human right that leads us into the world to support all who want to secure this right in this lives and in their countries.

Freedom of religion is also integral to our efforts to combat the ideology of hatred and religious intolerance that fuels global terrorism. This past Tuesday was the sixth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. As we reflect on the tragedy of that day, we are reminded of the true importance of this report and we reaffirm our commitment to help us shed light on all countries where citizens are subjected to government censorship, hate crimes, discrimination and violence for their thoughts and beliefs.

With this year's Report on International Religious Freedom, the State Department is helping to advance President Bush's vision of a world that is growing in freedom and peace. Through our bilateral relationships, our work in international forums, and our many ongoing discussions on this issue with people across the globe, the United States will continue working to promote religious freedom, to nurture tolerance and to build a more peaceful world for people of all faiths.

It is now my pleasure to introduce Ambassador Hanford, who will provide details about the report. Thank you.

2007/761

令狐药师

美国国务院9月14日向国会呈交第九期《国际宗教自由年度报告》(Annual Report on International Religious Freedom)。 國務卿賴斯(Condoleezza Rice)在報告發佈儀式上發表講話。 以下是講話全文﹐由美國國務院國際資訊局翻譯。


-----------------

美國國務院

發言人辦公室

即時發佈

2007年9月14日  

2007/761

國務卿賴斯就美國國務院發佈國際宗教自由年度報告發表講話  

2007年9月14日  

華盛頓特區

(東部夏令時間中午12時32分)

國務卿賴斯﹕下午好。 今天﹐我向國會呈交了第九期《國際宗教自由年度報告》。 我們希望這份報告──它也載於國務院網站──繼續成為美國和國際社會中所有同我們一樣關注宗教自由的人士可以利用的資源。 我們還希望這份報告能夠為報告中所記錄的那些信仰﹑信教和敬拜的權利遭到政府剝奪的人帶來鼓舞。

本週適逢兩大宗教同慶節日。 在世界各地和美國國內﹐穆斯林迎來了萊麥丹齋月(Ramadan)﹐猶太人則在歡度猶太新年(Rosh Hashanah)。 通過發揚美國自由信仰和尊重信仰的傳統﹐美國猶太人和美國穆斯林在增強自由和多元化這兩大美國特征。

宗教自由深植於我國的立國之本與歷史中。 正是我們對這種普遍人權的信仰引導著我們在全世界支援一切想要在今生今世及在自己國家內獲得這項權利的人們。

宗教自由也是我們反擊助長全球恐怖主義的仇恨和宗教不寬容意識形態的不可分割的努力之一。 星期二是9.11事件六周年。 紀念那個悲劇時刻也讓我們認識到這個報告的真正重要性﹐我們再次重申我們的承諾﹐將公民因思想和信仰而遭受政府審查﹑仇恨犯罪行為﹑歧視和暴力的所有國家曝光。

國務院通過本年度的國際宗教自由報告輔助說明推進布希總統提出的發展世界自由與和平的目標。 通過我們的各種雙邊關係﹐我們在國際論壇中的努力﹐以及我們就這一問題與全球各地不斷進行的討論﹐美國將繼續努力促進宗教自由﹐鼓勵寬容﹐為不同信仰的所有人建設更加和平的世界。

我現在高興地請漢福德大使(Ambassador Hanford)向大家介紹報告的詳細內容 。 [英文]

（完）

令狐药师

新华网快讯：外交部发言人姜瑜20日表示，中方对美国国务院“2007年度国际宗教自由报告”涉华内容表示强烈不满和坚决反对。


　　外交部发言人姜瑜就美国务院“2007年度国际宗教自由报告”涉华内容答记者问
　　问：近日，美国国务院发表了“2007年度国际宗教自由报告”，其涉华部分继续指责中国的宗教政策和宗教自由状况。请问你对此有何评论？
　　答：美国国务院所谓“2007年度国际宗教自由报告”涉华部分继续无端指责中国的宗教和民族政策，有违国际关系基本准则，公然干涉中国内政，中方对此表示强烈不满和坚决反对。

　　中国各民族、各地区人民依法享有充分的宗教信仰自由。尊重和保护公民的宗教信仰自由是中国政府的一项长期基本政策。这是不容否认和歪曲的事实。我们要求美方立即停止利用宗教等问题干涉中国内政，多做有利于增进中美相互了解和信任的事。