Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to continuing human rights abuses and the conduct of Soviet military forces in Afghanistan.

Condemns the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Holds the Soviet-backed Afghan regime responsible for continuing human rights abuses. Calls for: (1) a halt to the placement of lethal weapons in the Afghan countryside; (2) the withdrawal of all Soviet forces from Afghanistan by February 15, 1989; (3) restoration of a freely chosen Afghan Government; (4) close scrutiny by the international community of human rights abuses in Afghanistan; and (5) continued support of the Afghan people through the provision of material if Soviet forces are not withdrawn.

 
HRES 43 IH
101st CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 43
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to continuing
human rights abuses and the conduct of Soviet military forces in Afghanistan.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 19, 1989
Mr. SOLOMON (for himself, Mr. PETRI, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. DREIER
of California, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. COBLE,
Mr. PENNY, Mr. DORNAN of California, Mr. COX, and Mr. ARMEY) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to continuing
human rights abuses and the conduct of Soviet military forces in Afghanistan.
Whereas December 27, 1988, marked the 9th anniversary of the invasion of
Afghanistan by the Soviet Union;
Whereas the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan has been characterized by
extreme brutality and a campaign of indiscriminate violence that has taken
the lives of an estimated 1,000,000 Afghans and that has displaced more than
4,000,000 others;
Whereas the 43rd Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations
has found that (1) violations of human rights persist with the same
frequency as in the past, (2) over 2,000 persons remain in prisons of the
Soviet-supported Afghan regime for political reasons, (3) allegations of
torture and ill-treatment of prisoners and disappearances of individuals
continue, and (4) the economic, social, and cultural situation in Afghanistan
has deteriorated and has now become critical after years of conflict; and
Whereas it is reported that Soviet military forces continue to place thousands
of hard-to-detect, plastic, antipersonnel mines in areas from which they
are now withdrawing: Now, therefore, be it
  Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
  (1) renews its condemnation of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan,
  which has been conducted in a manner that violates all acceptable military
  standards of conduct and which contravenes all recognized principles of
  international law;
  (2) finds the Soviet-supported Afghan regime to be equally responsible
  for the continuing abuses of human rights in Afghanistan;
  (3) calls upon the Soviet Union to halt the further emplacement of
  antipersonnel mines and other lethal weapons and substances in the Afghan
  countryside;
  (4) calls upon the Soviet Union to complete the withdrawal of all its
  military forces from that country by February 15, 1989;
  (5) calls for the restoration of a truly independent, broad-based, and
  freely chosen Afghan government;
  (6) calls upon the international community to keep human rights abuses in
  Afghanistan under close scrutiny; and
  (7) renews its commitment, should the Soviet Union fail to withdraw its
  military forces from Afghanistan by February 15, 1989, to support the
  people of Afghanistan through the provision of appropriate material support.