By a Falun Dafa practitioner in Delaware

(Clearwisdom.net) The Delaware State Senate unanimously passed Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 41 on June 20, 2006, denouncing the persecution of Falun Gong taking place in China and the atrocity of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. The resolution also called on President Bush to support the independent investigation over the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) atrocities of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. The resolution has been transferred to the Delaware State House of Representatives, to be put to a vote. This is another resolution adopted related to this subject, following resolutions adopted in the Wilmington City Council and the New Castle County Council on June 1 and June 13, 2006.

Falun Gong practitioner makes a speech

Senator Sokola reads the concurrent resolution

Senator Sokola (3rd from left) has a photo taken with practitioners

Ms. Laura Loogan (3rd from left) has a photo taken with practitioners

It was the second time that Delaware State Senator Sokala, State Rep. Valihura and Rep. Miro proposed this resolution, which won support from state senators. They urged President Bush to insist that the Chinese Government allow an independent international investigation of forced labor camps, concentration camps, prisons, hospitals and related facilities where Falun Gong practitioners are being illegally detained. They also called for an immediate end to the persecution of Falun Gong.

When Senator Sokala first proposed the resolution at the State Senate General Assembly, whether Falun Gong practitioners were persecuted in China was questioned. At that point, Ms. Laura Loogan, a staff member, used her personal experience to testify to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Laura has gone to China twice. Her journey to China allowed her to witness the brutal persecution that her friends who practice Falun Gong suffered. Her testimony might help the council to provide another opportunity for a discussion on this resolution.

Falun Gong practitioners in Delaware heard the news and came to the council to show their support. After Senator Sokola read aloud the resolution, a representative of the Falun Gong practitioners was invited to make a speech. The practitioner introduced the wonderfulness of Falun Gong in teaching people to be good, the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, and the recent revelation of the CCP's live organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in concentration camps. Eventually, the resolution was passed unanimously by the State Senate.

After the resolution was adopted, the Senator who had objected to the resolution last time shook hands with the Falun Gong practitioners one by one, as did many others present. Senator Sokola shook the practitioners' hands warmly and thanked them sincerely for their efforts.

Before the session, Falun Gong practitioners came into former Newark Mayor Hal Godwin, who is now working in a county of southern Delaware. When he was Newark's mayor, he once presented a proclamation for Falun Gong. Due to great pressure from the Chinese Embassy, he withdrew the proclamation. At the time, the practitioners clarified the truth to him numerous times, but the result was not ideal. Later, he lost the mayoral election and left for another location. This time, the practitioners once again talked with him about Falun Gong and the brutal persecution in China, and his attitude was quite different from before. He expressed that at the time, he himself, and even the state government received huge pressure from the CCP. He was very much regretful about that. He said in self-mockery, "The CCP banished me to the south."

Sponsor: Sen. Sokala & Rep. Valihura; Rep. Miro

Delaware State Senate 143rd General Assembly

(SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 41)

Urging the President of the United States to Demand That the Chinese Government Allow An International Investigation of All Labor Camps, Prisons, Hospitals, And Related Facilities in China Where Falun Gong Practitioners Are Being Detained

WHEREAS, Falun Gong (Falun Dafa), a traditional Chinese self cultivation practice, based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance that attracts millions of people of all ages and backgrounds is practiced in over 60 countries over the world; and

WHEREAS, the Falun Gong practitioners who peacefully cultivate high moral qualities and experience increased health and well-being, have been brutally persecuted since 1999 in China; and

WHEREAS, Sujiatun, Shenyang, one of 36 concentration camps in China, currently is harvesting organs of Falun Gong practitioners while they are still alive; and

WHEREAS, the number of Sujiatun detainees reached a peak of 10,000 in early 2005, and the largest camp holding over 120,000; and

WHEREAS, the Chinese Communist Party cremates the remains to destroy evidence or sell the organs for profit, making all attempts to hide this atrocity from the world; and

WHEREAS, in March 8th, Clearwisdom.net and The Epoch Times exposed these atrocities to the world, and, within three weeks, before Chinese officials addressed the issue to foreign media--Falun Gong practitioners held in an underground concentration camp in Sujiatun had been quickly relocated.

WHEREAS, investigation is currently underway and it is highly probable that some of the "disappeared" Falun Gong practitioners may have had their bodies sold to several body processing facilities in Northeast of China near Sujiatun and other concentration camps, and their plastinated bodies on display in several of the body exhibitions in many cities in the world, including Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China (CIPFG) has been formed in North America, Europe, and Asia to investigate activity of these underground concentration camps; and

WHEREAS, to insist the Chinese government to allow CIPFG and other international investigation teams to go to China to conduct its investigation, make provisions for the safety of each investigator, and release all practitioners being detained; and

WHEREAS, to use additional means such as satellite imaging that can provide information on the past and present activities in the concentration/labor camps to provide evidence of the persecution; and

WHEREAS, mainland China has a new form of genocide currently taking place; and

WHEREAS, a press conference took place Saturday, April 27, 2006 in Rodney Square to appeal to stop the organ-harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners and to stop the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China.

NOW THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Senate of the 143^RD General Assembly, the House Concurring Therein, that the President of the United States is urged to insist that the Chinese government allow an international investigation of labor camps of Falun Gong practitioners and call to end immediately the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

This Resolution urges the President to investigate atrocities taking place in China against the Falun Gong.

Author: Senator Sokola

Download original text of "Delaware State Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 41"(23KB)

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/6/27/131566.html