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Taiwan Falun Dafa Society Writes to Four International Human Rights Organization in Response to Singapore's Unjust Verdict
(Clearwisdom.net) In response to the Singapore Court's unjust
conviction of two Falun Gong practitioners on April 27, 2005, Taiwan's Falun
Dafa Society wrote letters to four international human rights organizations,
including "Petitions Team, Office of the High commissioner for Human
Rights, United Nations Office at Geneva," "Human Rights Watch,"
"Freedom House," and "Amnesty International," as well as the
"Chancery Bar Association" in United Kingdom. The letter requested
these renowned human rights organizations to investigate and reveal the human
rights violations against the Singapore Falun Gong practitioners in this case.
The letter also called upon them to support the basic human rights of the two
practitioners. Copies of the letter were also sent to Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore
Minister Mentor, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore Prime Minister and Professor S
Jayakumar, Singapore Minister of Law. The following is the text of the letter: (Addresses of the organizations are omitted) May 6, 2005 To whom it may concern This letter is asking your serious attention and concern on an unfair and
unjust judgment granted by Singapore court on April 27, 2005 against two Falun
Gong practitioners in Singapore. On April 27 in Singapore, two women were found "guilty" on
"assembly without a permit" and "possession and distribution of
illegal VCDs" under respectively MISCELLANEOUS OFFENCES (PUBLIC ORDER AND
NUISANCE) ACT)and Film Act. Their crime?
Handing out materials to passers-by in a public park that document the human
rights atrocities inflicted upon those who practice Falun Gong in China. Two Countries, One System?? It is a fact well-known throughout the world that the Chinese Communist Party
has been waging a campaign of suppression against Falun Gong inside China for
the past 6 years -- a campaign that is vast in scope and horrifying in its
implementation. Human rights workers have documented over 42,000 cases of severe
abuse or torture in prison camps and detention centers of Falun Gong
practitioners. Thousands are dead. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions,
languish in labor camps and detention centers throughout China íV many sent
there merely for letting their fellow citizens know about the abuses unleashed
on Falun Gong. Up until two days ago, only in Communist China would people be punished by
authorities for distributing these materials. How is it that Singapore's justice
system would punish people for speaking the truth? It is appalling and
disturbing that in Singapore íV a society that is supposedly governed by rule
of law íV two Falun Gong practitioners would be found "guilty" and
fined simply for giving away CDs and information about China's persecution of
Falun Gong for free to the public. Falun Gong Practitioners' Fundamental Rights and Liberty are Being Curtailed Defense counsel for the two accused women has stressed that the issue in this
case is about whether it is fair to the Falun Gong practitioners that their
fundamental rights and liberty is being curtailed by way of the discretionary
administration of certification and refusal to grant a certification for their
VCDs. They were merely exercising their Constitutional rights, and such rights
expressed peacefully and orderly should not be curtailed by any other law of the
land. Discrimination against Falun Gong on the grounds of religion/belief The evidence suggests that no other group, religious organization and qigong
activity has faced similar close scrutiny since July 1999 and faced such similar
charges. But, there is an SOP for the Falun Gong, there is close monitoring of
the Falun Gong practitioners in Singapore. There is a clear directive that
states that all Falun Gong related reports falls under the purview of the Senior
Investigation Officer, and they have constantly been subject to police
inspection and the taking down of their particulars, their items seized,
confiscated, and they are told to leave their place of practice. Article 12,
Constitution of the Republic of Singapore states clearly that 'All persons
are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law'. It
goes on to state that, "...there shall be no discrimination against
citizens of Singapore on the ground only of religion, race, descent or place of
birth in any law...". Falun Gong practitioners in Singapore have been
subjected to being singled out, victimized, particularized, carefully
scrutinized and subjected to inequality before the law. This is in violation of
their fundament right. Defense counsel has submitted the notice of appeal to the court. We Falun
Gong practitioners in more than 60 countries have called upon the government of
Singapore to reverse this decision and handle this case justly in accordance
with the law. We know your organization is dedicated to protecting the human rights of
people around the world and stand with victims and activists to prevent
discrimination, to uphold freedom. I would like to ask you to investigate and
expose any human rights violations in this case and enlist the public and the
international community to support the cause of human rights for accused Falun
Gong practitioners in Singapore. Sincerely, __________________ Chang, Ching-Hsi Chairman, Taiwan Falun Dafa Society |