News and Events from around the World -- December 17, 2006

Issued by Clearwisdom Net

On November 28, 2006, the Epoch Times newspaper and Human Rights Without Borders held a forum in the European Parliament in Brussels on the issue of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) suppression of religions. A representative of the Falun Dafa Association of Europe was invited to give a speech to expose the CCP's brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China since 1999, and to request the European Union to condemn the CCP's human rights abuse openly.

The forum about the CCP's suppressing of religions was held in the European Parliament in Brussels

A representative of the Falun Gong Association Europe, Ms. Waltraud Ng condemns the CCP's persecution

Mr. Simon Coveney, Irish European Parliament member and the European Parliament's biggest party spokesman, took charge of the forum

Mr. David Kilgour points out that the CCP's reaction has verified the authenticity of the report

Mr. Edward McMillan-Scott believes that the genocidal crime of harvesting organs from living people must be stopped immediately

The forum were hosted by Mr. Edward McMillan-Scott, Vice President of the European Parliament and Mr. Simon Coveney, European Parliament member and spokesman of the EPP, the biggest Party in the European Parliament. An expert on Chinese issues, Dr. Thomas Weyrauch from Germany, Mr. Erping Zhang, a scholar from Stockholm University Asia Research Centre, and Mr. David Kilgour, the former Canadian Asia-Pacific Secretary of State were invited to attend this seminar. In addition, different religions and belief groups were invited to join.

To start off, Mr. Coveney discussed the incident of the Tibetan nuns who were shot at China's border, as well as the investigation report made by David Kilgour and David Matas concerning the organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners, which has aroused strong attention from the European Parliament and many other countries' governments.

As a European Parliament human rights spokesman, Mr. Coveney clearly pointed out that his duty is to safeguard human rights. It is appropriate to have such a forum in this time of economic cooperation and trade between the European Union and China, in order for the European Union to bring up major issues with the CCP and conduct an open and sincere discussion.

When European Parliament Vice President McMillan-Scott presided over the forum, he talked about his 1992 proposal concerning European Union democracy and human rights, to transform the former Soviet Union Communist Party camp. Currently, the CCP is a very brutal and repressive regime. He met with Falun Gong practitioner Cao Dong in Beijing in May of this year, after which Mr. Cao was arrested and imprisoned. In his meeting with Mr. McMillan-Scott, Cao Dong discussed how he had seen dead bodies of Falun Gong practitioners after their organs were harvested. Mr. McMillan-Scott stated that the genocide of harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners for profit must be stopped immediately. He does not believe that under such circumstances should the 2008 Olympic Games be held in China.

Dr. Thomas Weyrauch, a Chinese issues expert from Germany, published a monograph called "The Huge Suffering Dragon" in September last year, which introduced China's human rights status in the last stage of CCP control of China. It was awarded a human rights news special award by the German ''International Human Rights Association.'' In his speech, Dr. Weyrauch pointed out that China's constitution and the international human rights covenant are to ensure citizens' rights of freedom of belief, but up to now, religious activities are still persecuted in China. In order to have "freedom of belief," believers must register in religious groups which are controlled by an atheistic government. It is so strange and even self-contradictory that in China, religious activities are set by the atheistic government under the control of the CCP. This party defines "legal religions," and labels all of the other religious and belief groups as cults in order to suppress them. The persecution of religions and different belief groups by the CCP generally entails sexual abuse of women, including Christians, Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetan nuns. The practice of Falun Gong was hailed and promoted by the government in the beginning, but later was suppressed. Doctor Weyrauch discussed the ''610 Office", an agency which specifically persecutes peaceful Falun Gong practitioners and receives orders directly from the CCP. He said that currently, in China there is no freedom of belief at all.

Mr. Erping Zhang, a scholar at Stockholm University Asia Research Centre, Asia Research Association director, gave an in-depth analysis of China's different religions and beliefs, especially Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism and Falun Gong cultivation. They all originate from traditional Chinese culture, and have a fundamental difference from the doctrines of the CCP's Marxism. Mr. Zhang discussed the persecution of different religious and belief groups in China, especially the Falun Gong cultivation group.

Former Canadian Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific), Mr. David Kilgour came especially for this forum. He pointed out that the CCP only found two errors in his report -- the spelling of certain place names, which verified the authenticity of the report. This report has been translated into sixteen languages. Mr. Kilgour also talked about his journey in August this year, when he and Mr. McMillan-Scott visited Australia and New Zealand and promoted investigation of the CCP's organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners. Not long ago, he was told that a group of Australians was planning to go to China for organ transplants but changed their plans as a result of their efforts in Australia.

A representative of the European Falun Gong Association, Ms. Waltraud Ng spoke about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China since July 1999, especially the atrocity of organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners exposed this year. Ms. Ng also talked about the situation of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng who sent three open letters to the CCP leadership, speaking up for Falun Gong. Attorney Gao is now being persecuted in China. She called on the CCP to stop the persecution of Falun Gong and release all Falun Gong practitioners in detention. She also called for bringing the criminals of this persecution to justice. Ms. Ng requested the European Union to condemn the CCP's human rights abuses openly.

Other European Parliament members and their assistants, representatives of non-governmental organizations, experts and media reporters and others also joined the forum. The two CCP officials in the European Union, as well as reporters from the CCP Xinhua News Agency and the Economy Daily also came to listen.

Regarding Falun Gong practitioner Ng Chye Huay and Erh Boon Tiong being unlawfully tried and imprisoned by the Singapore authorities, the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group (FGHRWG) submitted a human rights violation report to the UN recently. The report revealed Singapore's long-term violation of the fundamental human rights of Singapore's people, and reminded the international community to be clear about the Singapore government.

Group photo of Falun Gong practitioners from Singapore and UN Special Rapporteur in Geneva, September 2006

The report pointed out that the two Falun Gong practitioners were accused and detained merely because they sat in front of the Chinese Consulate to protest the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. In the process of the trial, the Singapore authorities rejected all the evidence and witness statements about the persecution that the two practitioners provided. Without evidence, witnesses or victims, only a police officer's speculation, the charge of "harassment" was upheld. Furthermore, the court did not honor the UN's reports on Falun Gong practitioners' human rights violation in China.

In order to isolate practitioners, the administration in Singapore also threatened attorneys to prevent them from handling the case. Stemming from conscience and justice, the only human rights lawyer in Singapore, Mr. Ravi took the case. But Lee Kuan Yew's regime constantly harassed, threatened and even attacked Mr. Ravi. In September 2006, Attorney Ravi was invited to testify before the Human Rights Council of the UN, but he was taken away by police right on the day for departure, so he couldn't attend the meeting. Afterwards, he was forced to enter a psychiatric clinic, and was injected with some psychiatric drugs. Finally, Mr. Ravi's license for practicing law was revoked by the authorities.

Without an attorney, the two practitioners had to defend themselves. In court, without sufficient evidence and disregarding the dignity of the law, the judge ruled that the two practitioners were guilty, even though they conducted a strong defense of their innocence. Furthermore, the judge violated the legal process by not allowing the practitioners to appeal immediately, but put the two practitioners in prison. The court's unlawful activities ignoring human rights have defamed itself severely. How could the people of Singapore believe their government? Singapore's lack of rule by law has been clearly revealed to the international community.

Lee Kuan Yew regime's dictatorship in Singapore has drawn more and more attention from the international community. There is no freedom of speech in Singapore, even though freedom of speech is one of the important components of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The FGHRWG calls for UN to investigate and condemn the Singapore government's long-term violation of the International Human Rights Convention. FGHRWG also calls for attention from the international community over Singapore's violations of human rights .

( provided by FGHRWG )

Beginning on October 24, 2006, Falun Gong practitioners in Hiroshima took part in a car tour through Hiroshima, Tottori, Shimane and Yamaguchi counties. They visited county heads, city council members, and the mayors of 39 cities. The practitioners exposed the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) cruel nature and the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China.

Exposing the CCP atrocities of organ removal from living Falun Gong practitioners was a major focus of the car tour. Practitioners also submitted a petition letter to request people to write to the Japanese Government, international organizations and human rights organizations, calling for investigation of the CCP’s illegal organ harvesting. In the letter, the practitioners also requested people to write to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and related organizations, to investigate those intermediary organizations involved in organ transplantation in China.

On December 24, the practitioners arrived at a city in Hiroshima. The city council had a meeting at 9:30 a.m., followed by a 30-minute break. After learning that the practitioners had come from a long distance and the purpose of their trip, the mayor and speaker of the council met with the practitioners right away and accepted the petition letter.

The practitioners then traveled to another city and met the new mayor there. The mayor knew about Falun Gong since 2003, as he was county council member then. He knew about the rescue of Ms. Kaneko Yoko, who was arrested in Beijing for distributing truth-clarification materials. He said, "In order to rescue Kaneko Yoko, I would not have minded losing my council membership. Today I still support Falun Gong. My city government and city council will consider your requests in the petition letter."

After visited 15 cities and county governments in Hiroshima County, the practitioners traveled to Shimane County. A speaker of a city council met them and talked with them for about 30 minutes. He said, "I like China. But don’t misunderstand me. Liking China does not mean liking the CCP. Because I like China, I won’t let the CCP do such wrong deeds." He further said, "Explaining the facts has little impact. We can learn the facts but do nothing. If you submit a petition, I can expose the CCP’s crimes in a city council meeting. The motion can be voted on and a resolution can be passed to condemn the CCP’s atrocities." He continued, "A petition to the council needs the introduction of one or two council members." The practitioners said, "We come from another county and don’t know any council members here." The speaker said, "No problem. We will contact you after a discussion."

In the beginning of November, the car tour team arrived at another city and met the speaker of the city council. He told the practitioners that the city was conducting an activity entitled, "Love life and respect human rights." After hearing about the organ removal from living Falun Gong practitioners, he said, "The city council will have a meeting on December 5. In the meeting of the human rights committee, we will consider your petition letter and vote on it. I believe that you will get a satisfactory result."

In the Yamaguchi County Council, the speaker met the practitioners and said, "I received your truth-clarification materials at the beginning of June. I discussed the facts in a general meeting of the council. This time you come in person to tell me more about the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. I’ll tell the facts to all the council members. From now on, I’ll tell the facts to everyone I meet."

In a city in Tottori County, the director and a woman section chief in an organ transplantation center met with the practitioners. After hearing about the CCP’s brutal atrocities of live organ removal, and of Japanese patients going to China for organ transplants, the director was very indignant and had tears in her eyes. The practitioners presented the petition letter. The director and section chief said they supported Falun Gong practitioners wholeheartedly in their efforts to stop the CCP’s illegal organ harvesting.

During the car tour, the practitioners also met some local officials who held prejudice towards Falun Gong due to lies from the CCP’s embassy in Japan. The practitioners explained the facts to them in detail; especially that the Falun Dafa Association of Japan was approved as a non-profit organization by the Tokyo government on August 27, 2004. After learning the facts, the local officials changed their view on Falun Gong.

This car tour helped many people from all circles understands the facts of Falun Gong. The practitioners also handed out truth-clarification materials to staff members in press clubs in each county and city and asked them to transfer the information to reporters. In the 12 days of the car tour, more than one thousands local officials and their staff members learned the facts. The practitioners also distributed several thousands flyers and truth-clarification materials to citizens along the way. They were welcomed in each place they stopped.

December 10, 2006 is the annual date for awarding the Nobel Prizes, and it was also International Human Rights Day. Dafa practitioners from Stockholm and the surrounding cities came to the Stadshus, located in the center of Stockholm, to attend the activity and to call for people's attention to the Chinese Communist Party's human rights violations and the persecution against Falun Gong.

Despite the cold weather, the practitioners spread the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution

The Nobel Prize awards ceremony was held in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, as well as the Norwegian capital, Oslo, on December 10. The Peace Prize award ceremony was held in Oslo, and the other five prizes' awards ceremonies, for Literature, Medical Science, Physics, Chemistry and Economics were all held in the Konserthuset in Stockholm. The guests then moved to the Stadshus to hold the Nobel dinner.

The Falun Gong practitioners came to the Stadshus at 6:00 p.m. to display three big beautiful wreaths with the words, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" in three languages and two big banners worded "Falun Gong" and "Please help rescue Falun Gong practitioners in China."

The soft light of candles and the lotus flowers made the wreaths and banners very beautiful. Passers-by, and the guests who attended the Nobel dinner all gazed at them. The Swedish King and Queen's motorcades also passed by the appeal slowly to enter the Stadshus. Many media reporters took photos of the peaceful demonstration. Large numbers of people received the truth-clarification literature distributed by Falun Gong practitioners.

It was a freezing day. The practitioners all maintained righteous thoughts while standing, sitting, distributing the materials, or demonstrating the exercises, and formed a strong energy field in front of the Stadshus. They felt very happy after the activity. The practitioners felt that it was very meaningful to bring the truth and beauty of Falun Dafa to the people.

December 10, 2006 was World Human Rights Day. Many human rights-oriented societies and groups of people who feel that their rights have been threatened, have used this occasion to participate in peaceful demonstrations and parades.

For the third consecutive year, Falun Gong practitioners in Jakarta were invited by the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation to participate in this march, which is centered around the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout, in the heart of Jakarta’s Central Business District (CBD).

Approximately 50 Falun Gong practitioners stood on the sidewalks and around the water fountain of the Welcome Monument. Practitioners held banners with written statements opposing the acts of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), condemning the CCP for the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and asking for this irrational crime to be stopped immediately. Practitioners also exposed CCP's illegal organ removal from living Falun Gong practitioners and the cremation of the bodies to destroy evidence.

Besides conveying their message through the banners, practitioners also performed anti-torture reenactments to expose the atrocities of the Chinese police towards Falun Gong practitioners in China. Many TV stations and mass media covered this event, and interviewed one of the practitioners.