China. The Department of State, the U.S. Embassy and the Consulates General regularly encouraged greater religious freedom in the country, using both focused external pressure on abuses and support for positive trends within the country. On numerous occasions, both the Department of State and the Embassy in Beijing protested Government actions to curb freedom of religion and freedom of conscience, including the arrests of Falun Gong followers, Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, and Christian clergy and believers. The Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, accompanied by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, attended the U.S.-China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing. Religious freedom was a major agenda item. The Department of State brought Chinese religious leaders and scholars to the U.S. on International Visitor programs to see firsthand the role that religion plays in U.S. society. The Embassy also brought experts on religion from the U.S. to speak about the role of religion in American life and public policy.
In 2003 the Secretary of State designated China as a "country of particular concern" for the fourth consecutive time.
Georgia. The U.S. Government repeatedly raised its concerns regarding harassment of and attacks against nontraditional religious minorities with senior government officials, including the President, Parliament Speaker, Internal Affairs and Justice Ministers, and the Prosecutor General. Embassy attendance at the trial of excommunicated Orthodox priest Basil Mkalavishvili, charged with inciting violence against religious minorities, was instrumental in its moving forward. Embassy officials, including the Ambassador, frequently met with representatives of the Government, Parliament, various religious confessions, and NGOs concerned with religious freedom issues. The Ambassador at Large on International Religious Freedom met with officials from the Georgia Government about ending religious violence. In May, a visiting official from his office met with members of the Government, various religious confessions, and NGOs concerned with religious freedom issues and underscored the need for the Government to end religious violence.
In May, a visiting official from the Department of State met with members of the Government, various religious confessions, and NGOs concerned with religious freedom issues and underscored the need for the Government to end religious violence.
Germany. The status of Scientology was the subject of many discussions during the period covered by this report. The U.S. Government expressed its concerns over infringement of individual rights because of religious affiliation and over the potential for discrimination in international trade posed by the screening of foreign firms for possible Scientology affiliation. Mission officers facilitated contacts between the country's Scientologists and government officials as they took the first steps toward a dialog and encouraged the Government to designate an ombudsman, or central point of contact, for Scientology matters with whom U.S. officials and Scientologists themselves can carry on a more intensive dialog on the status of Scientology.
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