Colorado State Senate Unanimously Passes Resolution Condemning China's Ongoing Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners

(Clearwisdom.net) On April 30, 2004, the Colorado State Senate unanimously passed a resolution which praised the great compassion and tolerance demonstrated by Falun Gong practitioners, condemned China's brutal persecution of Falun Gong, and requested that China end the persecution immediately and release all detained practitioners.. Below is a part of the original resolution.

Colorado State Senate

Sixty-Fourth General Assembly

Resolution

(SR04-010)

WHEREAS, Jiang Zemin, who has been sued in United States federal district court for genocide against Falun Gong, and Zemin's Gestapo-like "610" office have persecuted not only tens of millions of people who personally practice the peaceful and apolitical spiritual belief system, but also the family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues, educators, and employers who are implicated by association with Falun Gong practitioners; and

WHEREAS, In order to justify the persecution of Falun Gong, the Jiang regime passed an anti-cult law, which action has brought renewed intensity to the persecution of other religious and spiritual groups, such as Catholics, Protestants, and Christian house churches; and

WHEREAS, Female Falun Gong practitioners have been subjected to unconscionable forms of sexual violence, including gang rape, sexual assault with electric shock batons, and forced late-term abortions; and

WHEREAS, The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is not isolated to mainland China but extends well beyond geographical boundaries and borders, with practitioners continuing to report harassment and acts of violence at the hands of Chinese foreign nationals that have occurred against them during peaceful protests in the United States and other countries; and

WHEREAS, The Chinese government's abusive treatment is directed not only against Chinese citizens, but also against Falun Gong practitioners who are citizens or residents of other countries who are visiting China and who have been illegally arrested, interrogated, and detained by the Chinese government; and

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-fourth General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

That we, the members of the Colorado Senate:

Praise the great compassion and tolerance demonstrated by Falun Gong practitioners in their steadfast and unwavering commitment to the principles of their beliefs under the most severe environments and even under threat of violent reprisal by the Chinese government and condemn China's brutal persecution of Falun Gong and request China to immediately cease the persecution and release from detention of all practitioners of Falun Gong; and

Recognize the importance of individual freedom, democratic government, and human rights around the world and condemn the ongoing and egregious human rights abuses that have occurred at the direction of the government of the People's Republic of China.

Be It Further Resolved, That we request President Bush and the United States Congress:

(1) To use every appropriate opportunity and action to continue to insist that the People's Republic of China recognize and adhere to fundamental human rights principles and cease immediately the oppression and persecution of Chinese citizens for the exercise of their legitimate, fundamental human rights such as the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion, and allow the Chinese people the full and unfettered enjoyment of these inalienable rights;

(2) To take measures to urge the appropriate representative of the United States at the Sixtieth Session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission to pass a resolution calling upon the People's Republic of China to end its human rights violations and meet internationally recognized standards for human rights;

(3) To zealously defend and support the global advancement of human rights and to continue to speak out against Chinese repression of religious and political freedom and its escalating human rights violations against persons on the basis of their political and spiritual beliefs and their ethnicity.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be sent to George W. Bush, President of the United States; the entire Colorado Congressional delegation; Colin Powell, United States Secretary of State; and Jiechi Yang, Chinese Ambassador at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China.