Clinton signs religious freedom law
US President Bill Clinton signed yesterday the "International Religious Freedom Act of 1998," which "calls for the President to take diplomatic and other appropriate action with respect to any country that engages in or tolerates violations of religious freedom," a presidential statement said.
He said his administration views religious freedom as an important part of its foreign policy, saying that the law will benefit people of all religions. "When we promote religious freedom we also promote freedom of expression, conscience, and association, and other human rights," the statement said.
Clinton's statement praised the law's flexibility, noting that in cases where measures are taken against a country under the law, there will be a range of measures to choose from, varying in duration, or even a possible waiver of economic measures altogether. The waiver would be available if violations of religious freedom ended or if the waiver was considered to further the goals of the legislation. The legislation has changed from its many previous incarnations, and most provisions have been changed to reflect the concern expressed about how a conclusion is made on whether a country is guilty or not, and as to who makes that determination, and how automatic are the penalties when such cases arise.
President Clinton said, "Although I am concerned that such measures could result in even greater pressures -- and possibly reprisals -- against minority religious communities that the bill is intended to help, I note that section 402 mandates these measures only in the most extreme and egregious cases of religious persecution. The imposition of economic measures or commensurate actions is required only when a country has engaged in systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom accompanied by flagrant denials of the right to life, liberty, or the security of persons -- such as torture, enforced and arbitrary disappearances, or arbitrary prolonged detention."
However, the statement criticized the legislation for allowing US citizens access to US diplomatic missions abroad for religious purposes, and noted a possible negative impact that some of its provisions could have on the US. The statement said, "The extension of this practice to U.S. citizens who generally enjoy no privileges and immunities in the host state has the potential to create conflicts with host country laws and to impair the ability of U.S. missions to function effectively."
The statement also raised questions of the bill's infringement in areas of presidential authority.
