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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 7, 2021 11:33 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Doug Mastriano |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Pennsylvania Divestment from the Chinese Communist Party |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation providing for the gradual divestiture by the State Treasurer, the State Employees Retirement System (SERS), and the Public-School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) of investments in companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). For far too long, Pennsylvania has invested hundreds of millions in government funds to a regime that continues to trample on human rights. The atrocities are wide-ranging and include the suppression of basic freedoms. Under international law and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the widespread and systematic persecution of the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities on religious, cultural, ethnic and gender grounds; constitutes crimes against humanity. According to the United Nations, it is estimated that 2 million Uyghurs Muslims are currently or have been held in large scale concentration camps for the purpose of torture and cultural genocide. Reports from the lucky few who have escaped these camps are nothing short of horrendous. The CCP’s chief goal in Xinjiang has been the destruction of an entire group by wiping out their religion, language, and ethnic identity. The CCP has also used force and aggression to methodically erode self-rule in Hong Kong, weaken democracy in Taiwan, and abuse basic human rights in Tibet. It is far past time to separate our state funds from companies controlled by the CCP. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation. |