(Clearwisdom.net) Czech Minister for Human Rights and National Minorities Mrs. Dzamila Stehlikova sent the following statement in support of the peaceful 24-hour gathering of Falun Gong practitioners in front of the Chinese embassy in Prague, which they held from August 7 to 8 on the eve of the start of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Human Rights Minister Dzamila Stehlikova

Text of the statement:

Dear Friends,

Today begins the 29^th Olympic Games, which are hosted by the capital city of the People's Republic of China, Beijing. From the monumental opening ceremony attended by nearly all the important politicians in the world (except Angela Merkel), we can see how important the activity is for this ambitious country. Dinner, which was arranged by Chinese President Hu Jintao, was attended by more than 70 state representatives and rulers. All the more important are gatherings such as this one, in Prague, in front of the Chinese embassy. The world must not neglect the fact that during the monumental opening ceremony, the secret police once again shut the doors of the homes of several thousand Chinese activists--confined to house arrest during the Games--and that 'uncomfortable' spectators were sent home, accompanied by a police escort. Chinese authorities have forbidden Olympic speed skating champion Joey Cheek, the American who did so much to inform the world about the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, from attending the Beijing Olympic Games. Media all over the world inform us about the persecution of Falun Gong and efforts to block media access to the Internet and free TV broadcasts. The persecution of human rights' supporters and media censorship are incompatible with the Olympic Charter. To point out these facts is worthwhile, because more intense and more systematic international pressure to uphold human rights can have an effect. We cannot be indifferent to the fates of hundreds of millions of Chinese people.

Dzamila Stehlikova

Source in Czech: http://www.dzamilastehlikova.cz/8375/83/clanek/podpora-ucastnikum-protestu-pred-cinskou-ambasadou-8-srpna-v-praze/