Public Statements
Sep 11, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter to the Algerian Ambassador, Co-Chairs James P. McGovern (D-MA) and Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) expressed their concerns for press freedom in Algeria and urged the immediate and unconditional release of renown journalist and Defending Freedoms Project prisoner of conscience Khaled Drareni.
Sep 10, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a letter led by TLHRC member Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) and Co-Chair James P. McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chair Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) and 31 members of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission joined 100+ members of Congress in requesting the State Department to send to Congress a detailed strategy to continue robust human rights monitoring in Tibet and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Aug 25, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmen James P. McGovern (D-MA) and Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in the U.S. Congress, issue a statement on the third anniversary of the start of the violent campaign that displaced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from Burma to Bangladesh calling for a renewed commitment to a safe and secure future for the Rohingya.
Jul 15, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman James P. McGovern and Christopher H. Smith, Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, along with 48 other members of the U.S. House of Representatives, have written to Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez of the Republic of the Philippines to express deep concern over the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 recently signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Jun 9, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) and a leading congressional supporter of human rights around the world, welcomed the news that Bahraini human rights defender Nabeel Rajab has been released from prison under an alternative sentencing arrangement.
Apr 27, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmen Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) and James P. McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, have released a letter to the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Hon. Carrie Lam, expressing grave concern over the arrests of several prominent human rights activists and the apparent endorsement of the Beijing government’s interference in the internal affairs of Hong Kong.
Apr 24, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), co-chairs of the Senate Human Rights Caucus, and Representatives James McGovern (D-MA) and Christopher Smith (R-NJ.), co-chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, call on foreign governments to release arbitrarily detained Americans and all prisoners of conscience on humanitarian grounds immediately.
Nov 20, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressmen Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, have released a letter to the Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal urging the Nepalese government to fully protect the human rights of Tibetans in Nepal.
Aug 16, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today Reps. James P. McGovern and Christopher H. Smith, Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, released a joint letter with Rep. Eliot L. Engel and Rep. Steve Chabot to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging that an upcoming visit by an official United States delegation to Burma not be construed to promote American or international business engagement with military-owned enterprises in that country.
Aug 2, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Responding to the deteriorating human rights situation in Hong Kong, today Reps. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) and James P. McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, issued a letter calling upon Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to suspend future sales of munitions and crowd and riot control equipment to the Hong Kong police force.