Belgium: European Parliament Hearing on China Human Rights Abuses Held in Brussels

On the afternoon of November 26, 2007, the European Parliament held a hearing in Brussels on China Human Rights Issues. The hearing was hosted by Ms. Helene Flautre, Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee of the European Parliament. Over 200 people attended the hearing.

Well-known Chinese human rights advocate Mr. Hu Jia, candidate for the European Parliament Human Rights Award, spoke via telephone and answered questions from the Parliament Members. Hu said that millions of innocent Chinese people were being beaten, jailed, or even sent to mental hospitals. The international community and the Chinese people expected the Olympics to be an opportunity for China to improve in the areas of democracy, freedom, and law, openness and peace. But the Chinese Communist Party wants to use the Olympics like the Nazis did in 1936--to justify its dictatorship and tyranny and to legalize its authority. Working toward its goals, the Chinese Communist Party is committing numerous human rights violations, which are reaching new heights.

Vice President of the European Parliament Mr. Edward McMillan-Scott read a written statement from Mr. Yuan Hongbin, a Chinese judicial consul now living in Australia. In his statement, Yuan noted that the Chinese Communist Party Officials Group is the largest criminal group in human history. Their crimes have included enslaving people, murder, genocide, and the widespread use of torture. The politically motivated persecution of Falun Gong, started at the end of the last century, has already lasted for eight years. It is the most miserable human rights disaster in the modern world. The Party's flowers and cheers, based as they are on human rights violations, are insults to the Olympic spirit.

Researcher Mr. Phelim Kine from China Human Rights Watch pointed out that, in 2001, the International Olympic Committee stated that the Olympics would help China to improve its human rights. But since the Chinese Communist Party won the right to host the 2008 Olympics, many more human rights violations have occurred.

Ms. Sharon Hom, Executive Director of China Human Rights, emphasized the Chinese Communist Party's "blacklist" with regard to participation in the Olympics. Ms. Flautre turned to ask Mr. Pal Schmitt (who is on the Council of the International Olympic Committee) about why Falun Gong practitioners are not allowed to participate in the Olympics. She said that this was not acceptable.

Mr. McMillan-Scott said he had met several Chinese people in Beijing last year. Soon after, these people, including attorney Gao Zhisheng, were jailed. Two people were tortured in jail by the Beijing authorities. One of them was Ms. Zhang Lianying, because he had met with her husband. Another one was Mr. Cao Dong, who is now jailed in northern China. In Chinese forced labor institutions, he continued, millions of people--many of them Falun Gong practitioners--are forced to produce toys for export. The human rights situation in China is deteriorating and the persecution is still going on. There is evidence that over 3000 Falun Gong practitioners have died as a direct result torture. This is the real China. It is time for the International Community to wake up. The International Olympic Committee must take the responsibility to verify whether or not China has carried out its 2001 promise based on the Olympic Constitution and basic ethics and morality.

International Olympic Committee Council member, former Olympic Gold medal winner, and member of the European Parliament Mr. Pal Schmitt said, "We shall not turn our heads away from all of this." He said he would report to the International Olympic Committee. He believed that it was time for the International Olympic Committee to make an announcement. In the past, the Committee took similar measures against South Africa on the issue of segregation, so the Committee should do this again.

At its conclusion, Ms. Helene Flautre said she regretted that the representative from Chinese Embassy was absent. The Human Rights Committee would contact them. She said that the Human Rights Committee and the European Parliament must put pressure on Beijing to take proper measures to protect human rights in China before the Olympics.

Australia: Civic Leaders Welcome Human Rights Torch in Melbourne and Condemn the CCP's Brutality

It has been three months since the beginning of the Human Rights Torch Relay, initiated by the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG). During this time it has travelled to over 20 countries in Europe, and in Australia through many cities in the states of New South Wales and Queensland. At 7:30 p.m. on November 16, 2007, the Torch Relay reached the cultural capital of Australia: Melbourne, Victoria.

On the evening of the 16th, on the outdoor stage of Federation Square in Melbourne's city centre, a magnificent welcome ceremony was held for the Human Rights Torch Relay. On the morning of November 17th at 11a.m., the torch relay in Victoria was officially started on the main streets of Melbourne's city centre. Representatives from the Melbourne Alliance of the Chinese Democratic Movement, along with members of the Polish, Sudanese and Vietnamese communities participated in the parade.

During the parade, more than 10 banners were prominently displayed to convey a clear message, and they attracted the attention of many bystanders. On the banners were phrases such as, "We support the Chinese people to hold an Olympics without the Chinese Communist Regime", "The Olympics and Crimes Against Humanity Cannot Coexist", "No Human Rights, No Olympics", and "Stop the Organ Harvesting from Living Falun Gong Practitioners."

A rally was held after the parade at Queen Victoria Park. In the two weeks to follow, the Human Rights Torch will pass through more than 50 regions of Victoria.

At the Torch Relay Ceremony on November 16, leaders and representatives from many community groups addressed the audience.

Aboriginal Elder: "The Human Rights Torch brings honour to this land."

Aboriginal elder Annette Xiberas of the Wurunjeri tribe addressed the audience with her daughter in her arms. She welcomed the Human Rights Torch to Melbourne, and said that the torch brings honour to the land. She said, "We don't think it's right for the Olympics to be held where people are still being persecuted. ... This torch relay has brought the issue to many shores, and hopefully will bring it to many more shores. Today I stand with my daughter and only hope that this torch is a stepping stone so we will not have to worry about our children's rights and their freedoms tomorrow."

President of the National Civic Council: "We have the obligation to stand in battle with those who are under persecution"

President of the National Civic Council and delegation leader for the CIPFG, Victorian Branch Peter Westmore is a firm advocate for human rights. He has dedicated his life's work to building a moral society. Mr Westmore said, "Let me say how privileged I am to be here. ... I say it's not only a privilege to be here, but it's our obligation to stand alongside those who are being persecuted in the course of life."

"In China, tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners are imprisoned today. Their organs are being harvested live and sold to people, including many people from overseas who need organ transplants. If you still don't understand the situation of human rights violations in China, you only need to download a report from the website of David Kilgour, to realize how the Chinese Communists are persecuting Falun Gong." He then provided the audience with the website address to download the report.

(http://organharvestinvestigation.net/)

With regard to the announcement made by the Chinese Communist regime on November 8 this year, "Athletes and tourists who hold religious beliefs will be allowed to bring religious items for personal use through customs. This policy does not apply to the Falun Gong group...", Mr Westmore said it is only under international pressure that the CCP is allowing believers of other religions to bring religious items into China, as these were originally forbidden. However the persecution of Falun Gong continues, and they continue to imprison Falun Gong practitioners--this has not changed one bit. Mr Westmore also said that if China does not improve its human rights situation, it is not qualified to hold the Olympic Games.

Former Olympian says that to hold the Olympics in Beijing is to tarnish the Olympic Spirit

The Australian Ambassador for the relay is Ms. Jan Becker, who was a swimmer on the Australian team in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In her speech, Ms. Becker said, "In 2001, I met up with some International Olympic Committee (IOC) members. They assured me that China would improve, that if China gets the Olympics, they would change their human rights abuse. It's been proven over the last seven years that they haven't. They've committed the worst atrocities that mankind has seen. And as an Olympian, I'm ashamed to say they are holding the Olympics in Beijing."

Australia: MP Candidate Subjected to Threats and Harassment after Writing Letter to Chinese Ambassador Calling for an End to the Persecution of Falun Gong

Prior to the federal election, Dr. Patricia Petersen, independent candidate running for the federal seat of Warringah in New South Wales, wrote to the Chinese Ambassador in Australia, Zhang Junsai, calling for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong and the immediate release of illegally detained Falun Gong practitioners in China. She also stated that she would continue calling for a boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympics unless China (the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP) improves their human rights situation. Two days after she sent the letter, Dr. Petersen was subjected to threats and harassment by people whom she believes were agents of the CCP.

During the pre-election campaign, Dr. Petersen learned that Hong Kong resident Ms. Zeng Aihua, the mother of Ms. Doris Chen, a resident in her district, had been imprisoned by the CCP for practicing Falun Gong and printing materials explaining the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution in China. After learning more about the persecution, Dr. Petersen wrote to the Chinese Ambassador on November 13, 2007, calling on the CCP to stop the persecution of Falun Gong.

The letter stated: "I respectfully request that you urgently attend to the following matter. Ms. Doris Chen's mother, Ms Zeng Aihua, a Falun Gong practitioner, was detained on 22 May 2006 in Shanghai on suspicion of printing and distributing Falun Gong materials. She is an elderly woman and on humanitarian grounds needs to be released immediately.

"I acknowledge that as a sovereign nation, the People's Republic of China is entitled to make and enforce its national laws. However, these rights are eclipsed by universal human rights.

"For more than eights years, China has sought to eliminate Falun Gong, which in 1999 had an estimated 70 million practitioners; it has likewise abused democracy activists, lawyers, human rights defenders, religious leaders, journalists, trade unionists, Tibetan Buddhists, Uighurs, 'unofficial' church members, and political dissidents.

"Communist China lost its bid for the 2000 Olympics because of its horrific human rights violations. Recognizing this concern, the Chinese regime explicitly promised to improve human rights in order to win the 2008 Olympics Games. Its subsequent record belies its empty promise. Human rights in China have not improved; they have grievously deteriorated.

"I shall be calling on the Australian Government to boycott the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing until such time as China addresses its atrocities, disregard for human values and its severe human rights violations.

"Specifically, to suggest that Ms Chen's mother is not relevant to me (as an electorate candidate) or the Australian government, as Ms Chen's mother is not an Australian citizen, is a moot point. Again, the People Republic of China, despite being a sovereign nation, is vulnerable to universal human rights law.

"Again, I request you ensure Ms Chen's elderly mother's safe and immediate release. To set her free would indicate a willingness on the Chinese government's part to address its human rights abuse issues, a commitment that China made in order to be able to host the Summer Olympics."

Dr Petersen has also written to Australian Prime Minister John Howard, calling on the Australian Government to boycott the 2008 Olympics unless the CCP stops the persecution of Falun Gong. At a public debate in Warringah District on November 17, 2007, when asked what she would do to help stop the persecution of Falun Gong, Dr. Petersen stated that she had written to Prime Minister John Howard. She also called on other candidates who were present, including current Minister for Health and Aging Tony Abbott, and the audience to work together to boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She asked the audience not to buy cheap products that might be produced in the CCP's forced labor camps. She said that what the Australian Government is doing now is not enough.

At present, the "Human Rights Torch Relay," which calls for attention to China's human rights violations and to stopping the persecution of Falun Gong, is traveling through Australia. Dr. Petersen suggested using the upcoming 2008 Olympics as a way to bring the Falun Gong issue to the international level. She said in an interview, "Especially since we are carrying the Human Rights Torch, I think it is an appropriate time to come out for the government to do exactly what I said, and address the human rights abuses in China. The Chinese Government has no right to treat Falun Gong practitioners in this fashion. It is absolutely appalling, and given that its just about to be put on the world stage in terms of the Olympics, the Australians, and the Australian Government have the duty of caring for Falun Gong practitioners in China and to insist that the Chinese Government treat them with the respect they deserve. And this needs to happen especially now because of the torch."

Two days after she sent the letter, Dr. Petersen began receiving constant harassment. On November 15, someone broke into her residence, the address of which she had given in the letter, and left some threatening objects. The same day, she was followed by two Chinese people, whom she believes were specials CCP agents.

In the face of the threats, Dr. Petersen said "I won't be backing down from this issue. I will be very vocal and very public about it, and I know the threats and intimidation were to stop me from speaking out about the issue."

Dr. Petersen said she had no doubt about the CCP's infiltration. Several weeks ago, an MP from Victoria also became a victim of the CCP's interference.

Russian Authorities Bow to Chinese Communist Party and Disrupt Falun Gong Practitioners' Activities

According to the Russian Falun Gong Information Centre, in the streets of Moscow, Russian Security and Police forcibly stopped Falun Gong practitioners from protesting against the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) atrocities of organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners. They also attempted to prevent the Russian Falun Gong Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference from going ahead as planned.

On the 19th of October 2007, Falun Gong practitioners from all over Russia and from other countries gathered in Moscow to participate in activities to expose the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong and to attend the 2007 Russian Falun Gong Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference. On the 19th of October, practitioners gathered in the streets of Moscow to demand an end to the CCP's atrocities of organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners.

Even though the practitioners had gained prior permission from the local government and the event was peaceful, a few dozen police and plainclothes officers showed up and set up barriers to prevent the spectators from getting close to the banners. They also took photos and recorded the event.

When the event organizers showed documents certifying the local government's permission, they were told that the local government was preparing a new decision to cancel the gathering. Thus, the peaceful protest lasted only one out of the originally planned three hours before the Security Bureau and Police demanded an immediate stop, and produced a new decree to cancel the event.

On the same day, the contract with the conference venue was cancelled. The manager of the venue informed conference organizers that the Police and Security Bureau demanded they refuse to accommodate the Falun Gong practitioners. He also mentioned that the place was filled with at least forty plainclothes police. Falun Gong practitioners from all over the world who came to Moscow that day were left stranded due to the unreasonable acts of the Russian Security and Police.

Organizers had to find a new venue, but several places cancelled within ten minutes of booking, owing invariably to interference by the Security and Police. Apparently, the organizers' telephones were being monitored by the Russian authorities. With painstaking efforts, organizers finally secured a venue for the conference some one hundred miles away from Moscow.

The bus to transport practitioners was followed by the police and was constantly stopped for "routine" checkups by traffic wardens and plainclothes policemen. It took the bus six hours to cover one hundred miles. With no alternative, some practitioners stood in the cold streets of Moscow for a whole night waiting for the bus.

The conference started as planned on the 20th. A lot of uniformed and plainclothesmen gathered at the venue. During the conference, they even walked on to the stage demanding to check identifications, especially of foreigners.

Checking identification is a familiar pattern of human rights abuse by the Russian authorities. In this way they can supply the Chinese Embassy and Russian Customs with blacklists to facilitate the next round of persecution. During the conference, the Russian police illegally deported a practitioner from Ukraine.

The head of the Russian Falun Gong Association said, "The Security Bureau and the Police exceeded their jurisdiction. It was a violation of Falun Gong practitioners' human rights. We are not interested in politics. We do not have any political ambitions. We want to meditate peacefully in parks. However, when our fellow practitioners in China are brutally persecuted, and their organs harvested while they are still alive for huge profits, we feel obligated to expose the crimes of the CCP and its overseas institutions, and to call upon kind people in the world to help stop the atrocities."

Practitioners also said that after the CCP's brutality came to light, kind people all over the world condemned its crimes against humanity. The Russian authorities, on the other hand, acted in a way which aided the persecutors.

The Russian Falun Gong Information Centre asks that the Russian authorities, including its Security and Police, stop violating Falun Gong practitioners' human rights and abusing the Russian Constitution in order to curry favour with the CCP. We hope that the Russian authorities can resist pressure from the CCP and its Embassy and Consulates.

Denmark: Exposing the CCP's Brutal Persecution at a Seminar on Freedom of Speech in China

On November 4, 2007, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the Danish Freedom of the Press Association (Trykkefrihesselskabet) held a large-scale seminar on the subject, "Freedom of Speech in China" in the capital city, Copenhagen.

Falun Gong practitioner Zeng Zheng from Australia, human rights lawyer Guo Guoting, who has defended Falun Gong practitioners, and Ms. Zhou Lei, editor of the European edition of The Epoch Times newspaper, were invited to take part in the seminar. Many more speakers, both Chinese and Westerners from Australia, Canada, Germany, Sweden and Denmark were also invited by the Danish Freedom of the Press Association. The host of the seminar was the Chairman of the Association, senior reporter and historian Lars Hedegaard Jensen. Easterners and westerners who are concerned about issues related to China attended the meeting.

Ms. Zeng Zheng gave a talk about the suffering she experienced and personally witnessed in China's labour camps. She said, "Once, someone asked me whether I missed my husband and children in the labour camp. I said no. Though it sounds strange, it is unimaginable if you have not had such an experience. In that harsh environment, subjected to various tortures and intensive forced labour, a person is stretched to the extreme of his physical endurance. Every day my strongest desire was to sleep for a few minutes, even giving up the time for washing my hands after going to the restroom. The most painful thing is, under the high pressure of that oppressive environment, you are forced to give up your belief. It meant so-called freedom if you gave up [practicing Falun Gong]. Otherwise you would suffer continuous torture. The torture, both physically and mentally, makes a person lose his normal thinking capacity. I witnessed some Falun Gong practitioners who suffered severe mental collapse or were tortured to death."

When Ms. Zeng showed photos of Falun Gong practitioners who had suffered from brutal torture, people in the seminar were visibly moved. She added, at that time in the labour camps, all Falun Gong practitioners were forced to have blood tests and physical examinations. It even caused other prisoners to become jealous, since they thought that Falun Gong practitioners were getting special treatment (most prisoners never received a physical check-up). It was not until the crime of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners was exposed, that many Falun Gong practitioners who were illegally detained in the labour camps realized what was taking place: the reason why only Falun Gong practitioners were taken for blood tests and physicals was to establish a database for organ harvesting.

Ms. Zhou Lei, editor of the Epoch Times European edition in Germany, told the seminar audience about the media control system in China. She also discussed the tide of withdrawals from the CCP that is happening in China since the publication of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party by the Epoch Times.

Human rights lawyer Guo Guoting, a refugee from China living in Canada, recounted his experience of being persecuted many times in China, from the time he was twelve years old until 2004. After he became a lawyer, he defended Falun Gong practitioners who were being persecuted by the CCP. He was then arrested and forced to shut down his law office. Finally, he had to leave China and seek asylum in another country. Lawyer Guo said, "There is no law and justice in China. The judicial system is very corrupt. If a lawyer wants to have a career there and earn money, he or she must cooperate with the CCP and operate against their conscience."

According to Attorney Guo, there are a total of twelve lawyers who have dared to defend Falun Gong practitioners suffering persecution in China. However, these twelve lawyers have themselves been persecuted by the CCP for this. In 2003, Guo Guoting published a series of six articles exposing the CCP's brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. In 2004, he was a defence lawyer for two Falun Gong practitioners. One of these practitioners was severely persecuted and tortured until he was in a vegetative state. He eventually died in January 2007.

On the day of the seminar, Attorney Guo was on a hunger strike to support fellow attorney Gao Zhisheng. Gao Zhisheng is also a human rights lawyer who is currently under persecution by the CCP for defending Falun Gong practitioners. Mr. Guo said, "Seven of us lawyers have kept up a hunger strike relay for the past several years. One person fasts for one day each week. At present, lawyer Gao still has no freedom. I intend to maintain the relay hunger strike to support Attorney Gao." Guo Guoting firmly believes that in China, lawyers who refuse to defend Falun Gong practitioners are not genuine human rights lawyers.

When asked by a journalist the reason for holding the seminar, Chairman Lars Hedegaard Jensen responded, "The Beijing Olympics are approaching and we need to understand the human rights situation in this country, with its fast-developing economy. We need to understand whether they are improving their human rights situation, or whether on the contrary, at the same time as rapid economic development, freedom is being suppressed. Knowing that such suppression is still happening, we should decide very carefully whether to attend next year's Olympics."

The prominent Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published a lengthy report about the seminar.