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Falun
Gong Today is a newsletter about Falun Gong and Human Rights
from Australia and around the world. Falun Gong is also known as Falun
Dafa. http://www.falunau.org
1.
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U.S.
Congress, with vote 420 - 0, Unanimously Passes Resolution Calling
on Chinese Regime to Cease Persecution of Falun Gong (full
text)
H. Con. Res. 188
2d Session
(7/25/2002 14:46)
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas
Falun Gong is a peaceful and nonviolent form of personal belief
and practice with millions of adherents in the People's Republic
of China and elsewhere;
Whereas the Government
of the People's Republic of China has forbidden Falun Gong practitioners
to practice their beliefs, and has systematically attempted to eradicate
the practice and those who follow it;
Whereas this policy violates the Constitution of the People's Republic
of China as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Whereas Jiang Zemin's regime has created notorious government `610'
offices throughout the People's Republic of China with the special
task of overseeing the persecution of Falun Gong members through
organized brainwashing, torture, and murder;
Whereas propaganda from state-controlled media in the People's Republic
of China has inundated the public in an attempt to breed hatred
and discrimination;
Whereas the number of known deaths from torture has reached 422
so far, tens of thousands have been tortured while confined in labor
camps, prisons, and mental hospitals, and hundreds of thousands
have been forced to attend brainwashing classes;
Whereas official measures have been taken to conceal all atrocities,
such as the immediate cremation of victims, the blocking of autopsies,
and the false labeling of deaths as from suicide or natural causes;
Whereas women in particular have been the target of numerous forms
of sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, and forced abortion;
Whereas the campaign of persecution has been generated by the Government
of the People's Republic of China, is carried out by government
officials and police at all levels, and has permeated every segment
of society and every level of government in the People's Republic
of China; and
Whereas several United States citizens and permanent resident aliens
have been subjected to arbitrary detention, imprisoned, and tortured
in the People's Republic of China: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved
by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it
is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Government of the People's Republic of China should cease
its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, and its representatives
in the United States should cease their harassment of citizens and
residents of the United States who practice Falun Gong and cease
their attempts to put pressure on officials of State and local governments
in the United States to refuse or withdraw support for the Falun
Gong and its practitioners;
(2) the United States Government should use every appropriate public
and private forum to urge the Government of the People's Republic
of China--
(A) to release from detention all Falun Gong practitioners and put
an end to the practices of torture and other cruel, inhumane, and
degrading treatment against them and other prisoners of conscience;
and
(B) to abide by the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by allowing
Falun Gong practitioners to pursue their personal beliefs; and
(3) the United States Government should investigate allegations
of illegal activities in the United States of the Government of
the People's Republic of China and its representatives and agents,
including allegations of unlawful harassment of United States citizens
and residents who practice Falun Gong and of officials of State
and local governments in the United States who support Falun Gong,
and should take appropriate action, including but not limited to
enforcement of the immigration laws, against any such representatives
or agents who engage in such illegal activities.
Passed the House of Representatives July 24, 2002.
Attest:
Clerk.
107th
CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 188
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress that the Government of the People's
Republic of China should cease its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.
END
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2.
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New Zealand
Herald Editorial: Freedom cast aside (7/19/2002)
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July
18, 2002 -- Governments have every right to complain about
occurrences in other nations when they feel their interests
threatened. Usually, this criticism will be broad, directed,
perhaps, at a policy which has implications for the complainant's
economy. Never should it stoop to minutiae, as seems to be
the extraordinary predilection of the Chinese Government.
At that point, it becomes an unwarranted intrusion in a country's
domestic affairs.
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Twice
this year China has resorted to such tactics. First it objected
to banners strung up in Auckland for the Dalai Lama's visit. Now
it has objected to a display at Auckland Airport promoting the Falun
Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China.
Its
bullying has paid off. The Auckland City Council removed the two
offending banners, one because it breached city guidelines and the
other "to follow Foreign Affairs guidelines which recommend
a non-inflammatory line on matters re Tibet/China". Likewise,
Auckland Airport has removed the Falun Gong display, saying it had
received complaints from travellers as well as the Chinese Embassy.
That seems highly unlikely. Quite simply, the airport has bowed
to Chinese pressure, as did the city council before it. Freedom
of expression has been denied, as well as, in the case of the airport,
a legitimate advertising contract. Foreign Affairs might be wary
of Chinese sensibilities, but surely even it could not have expected
reactions so supine that a basic New Zealand freedom has been cast
aside.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=2098168&thesection=new
s&thesubsection=general
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3.
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Statement from
the Vice President of Taiwan on July 20, 2002 in Support of Falun
Gong
My
sincere greetings to all Falun Dafa brothers and sisters as well
as to friends who have a deep love for freedom and democracy!
I am Lu Xiulian, the Vice President of Taiwan. I am also the chairman
of the Human Rights Consultant Group in the President's Office.
In the past, in the fight for human rights and freedom, I also was
imprisoned for political reasons for as long as 1,933 days. Today,
through this recorded message from the Taipei President's Office,
I would like to relay the concern and goodwill of the 23 million
people of Taiwan to all of our Falun Gong brothers and sisters.
Human beings are created free and equal. As part of the same big
family, we are not only entitled to the basic rights of a healthy
life, at the same time we also have the freedom of action, behavior,
thought, and belief. These are the rights of every person in the
family of the human race on Earth, entitled at birth, and not allowed
to be taken away or abused by any government or individual.
All Falun Gong brothers and sisters have undergone much study and
made many contributions in cultivating their minds and healing their
illnesses, since they have been able to experience the fundamental
spirit of Falun Dafa, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance."
I personally have great respect and admiration for them.
However, beginning three years ago, I was surprised to find through
different channels that you are suffering from various forms of
persecution by the government of the People's Republic of China,
simply because you insist on practicing "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance,"
and because you insist on learning Falun Dafa. This is appalling.
In Taiwan, two years ago, Taipei also held activities to support
Falun Gong practitioners' human rights. I also personally attended
these activities to show concern on behalf of Taiwan.
Today, this activity to support the human rights of Falun Gong is
being held on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the capital of the
United States. Although I cannot personally participate, I am very
eager to express the sincerest concern and best wishes on behalf
of the people of Taiwan.
In Taiwan, when martial law reigned supreme, people's fundamental
human rights were also abused. Freedom and democracy were luxuries.
However, through years of effort and struggle, today, the 23 million
people who live in Taiwan enjoy all of the fundamental human rights.
These are the results gained through everyone's joint efforts. We
would like to express our concern and to further extend our support.
Recently, I saw news from various sources that shocked and saddened
me. An Australian Falun Gong sister was put into jail in Beijing.
It is shocking not only because she was treated so brutally in prison,
but also according to her account, some felons even obtained deductions
in their terms because they had tortured and abused her excessively.
I don't know ... if these are true, then how can Beijing's People's
Republic of China stand firmly in the world of the 21st century?
I have also read several reports about a female doctor from Canada,
a Falun Gong sister. She flew to Hong Kong on business, but unfortunately
her name was on a black list. Upon arriving at the Hong Kong Airport,
she was immediately arrested by the Hong Kong police. At the same
time, without allowing her to speak, they covered her head with
a cloth bag and forcibly deported her from Hong Kong.
In another case, there is also an outstanding female doctor from
Taiwan, who also believes in Falun Gong. Consequently, for no other
reason she was put on the black list -- simply because she practices
Falun Gong. When she took a plane from Taiwan to Hong Kong, she
also experienced such treatment.
I wish that these things were not true! If these stories are indeed
true ... but I think the facts prove that they are true. This is
because they all bravely stepped forward to give eyewitness accounts.
How prosperous and free Hong Kong used to be! Yet, simply because
it has been returned to the PRC for five years, the fundamental
human rights have been trampled upon in such a way. And this is
not just toward the people of the Mainland, the people of Hong Kong,
Australia and Canada, even an outstanding female doctor living in
free Taiwan was also treated so inhumanely when she traveled to
Hong Kong!
I think these facts tell us that Falun is innocent. Those who persecute
human rights are guilty! Here again, I repeat my best wishes to
each of you.
I hope that the Falun continues to rotate freely.
I hope that each of you reaches Consummation of virtue in your cultivation.
Thank you, everyone.
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4.
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Statement
by Physicians for Human Rights on the Persecution of Falun Gong
There
are many revolting human rights abuses in the world. But there are
none more despicable than a government punishing people for their
thoughts and peacefully expressed religious views. The Chinese government's
persecution of the Falun Gong has earned it a disgraceful place
in the world.
On
this third anniversary of the beginning of the Chinese Government's
campaign to persecute and eradicate the Falun Gong, Physicians for
Human Rights offers its sympathy and support to the victims of religious
persecution. We appeal to China to lift the ban on Falun Gong, release
all those jailed for the peaceful expression of religious views,
and make restitution to the family members of those Falun Gong members
who died in official custody.
As
we remember today the peaceful victims of religious repression in
China, it is worth remembering the fate of other regimes who punished
and abused peaceful practitioners of their faith or values. Among
its many abuses, the Soviet Union was perhaps most shamed internationally
for its persecution of Jews and Pentecostal Christians. The Taliban
in Afghanistan will forever be remembered -- and reviled -- for
its destruction of precious religious artifacts and gross abuses
against those who departed from its official religious orthodoxy.
Gone
are the days when governments can jail, torture, and murder their
citizens in secret. Today's gathering by faithful adherents of Falun
Gong in memory of their brothers and sisters and the support by
hundreds of Members of Congress as well as American nongovernmental
organizations shows that the worlds knows -- and is horrified by
-- what the government of China has done to the Falun Gong. It can
never occupy a respected place in the international community while
such abuses continue and proliferate.
(Physicians for Human Rights 7/29/2002 17:6)
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>Update |
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To
date, 445
Falun
Gong Practitioners have been verified to have died from Police Torture
in China.
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7.20
in Queensland |
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July
20, 2002 marked the 3rd anniversary of the Jiang regime's brutal
persecution of Falun Gong. At 11 AM, Falun Gong practitioners from
Queensland gathered solemnly at King George Square and started a
one-day memorial activity.
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7.20
in Sydney |
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Practitioners
Hold a Memorial Candle Light Vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate
in Sydney
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7.20
in Melbourne |
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On
July 20 2002, from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., Falun Dafa practitioners
from Melbourne meditated in front of the Chinese Consulate to commemorate
the thousands of Falun Gong practitioners who have been tortured
to death by Jiang's criminal regime over the last three years. They
also protested the Jiang regime's usurpation of state power, violation
of national law, and going against the will of the people to carry
out the brutal persecution and illegal suppression of Falun Gong
practitioners.
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