Australia: President of the National Civic Council Urges Investigation of CCP Organ Harvesting Atrocities

By a practitioner in Australia

(Clearwisdom.net) The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China (CIPFG) recently sent an open letter to Chinese leaders Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. The CIPFG consists of more than three hundred political figures in many countries. In the letter, the CIPFG demanded that the CCP stop the persecution of Falun Gong and human rights lawyers like Gao Zhisheng by the 8^th of August, exactly one year before the Olympic Games are scheduled to open in Beijing. The letter stated that the Olympics and crimes against humanity should not coexist in China, otherwise it would be a disgrace to all of mankind.

One member of CIPFG, Peter Westmore, national president of the National Civic Council, said during a recent interview that China must open its doors and allow the international community to conduct independent investigations.

Mr. Westmore said, "I read the Kilgour-Matas report on organ harvesting. And I believe these are the gravest allegations of human rights abuses taking place in China. It is very clear that China had agreed to improve its human rights record in the run-up of the Olympic Games. What I want to do is not simply to allow the Chinese regime's silence to discourage people from investigating these very serious matters. What I have decided to do in conjunction with others in the coalition is to try to put a deadline when we anticipate that Chinese Government must act. Otherwise, we will call for a boycott of the Olympic Games."

He pointed out, "We can see that despite the Chinese government claims to be cleaning up their acts with regard to organ harvesting. The hospitals which are effectively created for this industry continue to operate. We insist that China open its doors it has promised to do so and allow full free access to China. So these matters can be investigated properly. And that those responsible for the grace human rights abuses should be brought to account. So it's not only a matter of my own concern for the future. We have to look what happened in the past."

He continued, "I have received correspondence from members of Parliament. These issues have been raised to government of Australia. They say that they have raised the matter to Chinese Government. However, I am not convinced that that the Australian Government has raised the issue forcefully with the Chinese. And I want our government to forcefully raise these matters with the Chinese with the view to try to join the cause which come from European Union, governments in North America, and US Congress to have a proper and opening investigation of these matters."

Regarding the Australian cancellation of its cricket team visit to Zimbabwe due to the poor human rights situation there, Mr. Westmore said, "If the Australian Government thought of the situation in Zimbabwe was such that Australian cricket team visit should be canceled, then in my view the situation in China is exactly analogous to that. In China we also have a government which is persecuting those who disagree. And if it is good enough for Australia to abandon the cricket tour of Zimbabwe, then it's equally important that it should take a stand on human rights in relation to China."

He continued, "I am very well aware that China is an important country in the world and throughout the twenty-first century it will become a more important country. But as China becomes more important particularly in the world, it's very important that China has to accept international observation of its human rights record, the same as Australia does, the same as the United States does. China must accept that its treatment of people who are human right advocates within China and people who do not support the Chinese Communist Party should be also a matter of open and public discussion."

"I believe that there has been subtle pressure put on. But we have the luxury as a non-governmental organization in Australia we are able to make our own decisions. And certainly my colleagues in our different branches in different parts of Australia have been one hundred percent behind what I have done in relation to this matter. Whatever the pressure is brought by the Chinese Government, as far as I am concerned, all are irrelevant and have no effect on what needs to be done here."

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