(Clearwisdom.net) The Norwegian Parliament was the venue for
a seminar on the human rights situation in China, which was hosted by Parliament
members and co-arranged by the Norwegian Falun Dafa Association. Many parliament
members, along with representatives from human rights organizations and
persecuted groups attended.
Prominent guest speakers were the Executive Director of the
Association for Asian Research Mr. Erping Zhang, renowned Canadian attorney Mr.
Clive Ansley, the Executive Director of the Laogai Research Foundation Mr. Harry
Wu and the State Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Vidar
Helgesen. Representatives of other NGOs were also in attendance. Peder Giertsen
from the Norwegian Falun Dafa Association was speaking for Falun Dafa
practitioners, together with Jane Dai and her daughter Fadu.
The seminar was opened by MP Mr. Modulf Aukan. He related how
he became involved with the human rights situation in China after meeting Falun
Gong practitioners several times. He said that in the current situation where
economics has taken center stage, human rights are submerged. However, he wanted
to put human rights in the spotlight with this seminar.
The next speaker was Vidar Helgesen, the State Secretary for
the Ministry of Foreign affairs. He introduced the human rights dialogue that
began in 1997 between the Norwegian and Chinese governments.
Renowned Canadian attorney Mr. Clive Ansley gave a speech
entitled 'The Rule of Law vs. Rule by Law'. He said that although China has had
a legal system since 1979, this certainly does not mean that one can expect a
just ruling from a Chinese court. The court and law system in China is
politicized. Everything, including court rulings, is decided on a political
level.
Erping Zhang, Executive Director of the Association for Asian
Research, was the next speaker. He spoke about freedom of speech and the
information blockade in China, where everything is controlled by the central
government and the media is a tool for the political leadership. He also spoke
of the so-called 'Golden Shield', an effort by the Chinese government to control
what goes on the Internet and what browsers can access. With the help of Western
companies that deliver the equipment, they install monitors and filters. The
websites of Falun Gong and Reporters without Borders are among the half million
that are blacklisted.
Executive Director of the Laogai Research Foundation Mr.
Harry Wu spoke next about the slave labor camp system in China. One of the
points he addressed was that you need permission from the government before you
do anything; if not you can be arrested and be sent to a labor camp, where you
will be brainwashed and set to work. Many products imported from China to
Western countries are made in slave labor camps.
A representative of Amnesty International in Norway talked
about their efforts to stop torture and executions. She said that there is a lot
of known torture and many executions happening in China, but there is no debate
around it.
The speakers for the Falun Dafa Association in Norway gave a
very clear presentation about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in
China. Mr. Peder Giertsen began by telling the participants what Falun Gong is,
how it became so popular and why the persecution started in 1999. He explained
how Falun Gong benefited society so much, and how people who practice Falun Gong
also personally benefited a lot from the practice. He used himself as an example
in that regard. After his speech Jane Dai and her daughter Fadu told their short
but gripping story about how their family was destroyed by this persecution.
Just because they wanted to be better, kinder people, her husband was killed and
her sister-in-law was sent to a labor camp. The listeners were very touched by
her speech.
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Representatives from the Norwegian Mission in the East and
the International Tibet Support Network then revealed the situation of
Christians in China and the situation in Tibet. A representative from the
Norwegian Labor Union then talked about their work with their equivalent in
China.
The seminar was closed by parliament member Mr. Bjørn
Jacobsen, who said he had learned a lot from this seminar. They need to learn
more in order to do things better, in that regard this seminar is just a start.
He cited a few lines from a very famous poem by Norwegian poet Arnulf Øverland:
"You should not bear so heartily well, acts of injustice not striking yourself.
I am calling out to the end of my breath; You must not just live on and forget."
* Norway has a tiny voice, but can still make others listen.
*From the poem "Du må ikke sove", Den Røde fane, 1937.
Source:
http://clearharmony.net/articles/200405/19954.html
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