Announcement Regarding Investigations of the Mass Arrests of Falun Gong Practitioners in China in the Run up to the Olympics

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has conducted a genocidal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, arresting, detaining, and torturing them and causing severe injuries and death since July 1999. In 2001, the CCP won the privilege of hosting the Beijing Olympics. The persecution has only gotten worse since then. The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG) posted an "Urgent Announcement to Investigate the Mass Arrests of Falun Gong Practitioners in Beijing, Which Is Using the Olympics as an Excuse" on March 1, 2008. The facts now show that the arrests are reaching far beyond Beijing in a new round of escalation of the persecution all over China, including 29 provinces, cities (four at the provincial level), and autonomous regions.

1878 arrests have been documented from the end of 2007 to March 11, 2008. Based on the CCP human rights violations' record, the real number may far exceed those we have collected. We are investigating the work units and individuals primarily responsible completely to further verify the facts of these crimes.

Work units and individuals primarily responsible:

• CCP Central Politburo Committee member, CCP Central Political and Judiciary Committee Secretary, CCP Central Committee for Comprehensive Management of Public Security Chair Zhou Yongkang;
• CCP Qinghai Province Committee Secretary, former Beijing CCP Committee Secretary, Beijing Olympics Security Task Coordination Group Leader Qiang Wei;
• Olympics Security Task Coordination Group Deputy Leader Ma Zhenchuan;
• Beijing Deputy Mayor, Olympics Security Task Coordination Group Deputy Leader, Beijing CCP Political and Judiciary Committee Secretary Ji Lin;
• Legal System Department Chair of Public Safety Ministry Ke Liangdong;
• Public Security Management Department Chair of the Public Safety Ministry Wu Mingshan;
• Tongzhou District (in Beijing) CCP Standing Committee member Li Yujun;
• "Civil Merit-Award" Security guard Li Weiju (male), under Jianwai Neighbourhood Administration in Beijing;
• Each district CCP committee, neighbourhood administration, police station, domestic security division in each level of police department, Yayuncun Neighbourhood Administration, etc.

Our rule is that whoever committed the crimes will be held accountable. For group crimes, the individuals involved will be counted, and planners and directors will be held responsible the same as those that directly committed the crimes. Based on this rule, all crimes committed under the auspices of various organizations and government bodies will eventually be traced to the individuals responsible.

The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong will carefully investigate all the work units and individuals responsible and further check the facts of the crimes. We welcome anyone to collect and store evidence relating to these crimes, including written documents, photos, audio-visual recordings, etc., as well as documentation of their corruption, illegal properties, overseas properties (transferred by any method). Please pass this information on to the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong through safe channels.

The WOIPFG was established on January 20, 2003. Its mission is to help the entities that administer international justice and legal punishment to thoroughly investigate all crimes related to the persecution of Falun Gong, including the governments, organizations, and individuals involved. No matter how far away or how long it takes, we will investigate this until it is resolved, help bring the killers to justice, and awaken the world's people.

March 12, 2008

World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong
Telephone: 347-448-5790; fax: 347-402-1444
E-mail address: P.O.Box 84, NewYork, NY 10116, USA
Website: http://upholdjustice.org/, http://zhuichaguoji.org

DAVID KILGOUR, DAVID MATAS AND ANNIE YANG ADDRESS THE CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY AT A DEBATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA IN THE RUN-UP TO THE BEIJING OLYMPICS

(below) Annie Yang, David Matas & David Kilgour speaking at the Cambridge Union Society in England on March 11th on the topic: “Human Rights in China and the 2008 Olympics”

The debate on March 11th was very well attended by Falun Gong practitioners, students and local people alike, with a total of about 150 people gaining admittance to hear very impassioned speeches by Kilgour and Matas, and a harrowing account of her time in captivity in China by Annie Yang.

A full transcript of their speeches are available at http://www.david-kilgour.com

Canada: A Special Report in "Medical Post": Doctor Likens Live Organ Harvesting to the Holocaust

A special report on live organ harvesting was published in the headlines of "Medical Post," the most influential magazine in the medical industry in Canada, on March 11, 2008

Dr. Gerry Koffman: Falun Gong Practitioners' Suffering Reminds Me of the Holocaust

The report said that the quiet, unassuming Dr. Gerry Koffman is a powerful force behind Doctor Against Organ Harvesting (DAFOH). He "is doing all he can to raise awareness of the alleged practice in China of selling to foreigners organs harvested from executed political prisoners, including practitioners of Falun Gong. As the Canadian representative of DAFOH, Dr. Koffman is educating doctors and patients on the issue and lobbying the Canadian government to help stop the practice.

"Doctor's awareness of this is surprisingly poor," Dr. Koffman told the Medical Post. "We think it's increasing. I hope we're wrong but we're not."

Why has Dr. Koffman taken this on? He believes the situation echoes that of the Holocaust. Dr. Koffman was born in 1943 during the Second World War. His parents were Russian Jews, and as such he had many extended family members who didn't survive the Nazi gas chambers. When the war was over, his father often rhetorically asked, "Why didn't someone help?"

"It tortured my father. I've lived with Holocaust stories my entire life," said Dr. Koffman. "The Falun Gong situation echoes that. Why isn't anyone listening?"

Lobbying the Canadian government to take action to stop the live organ harvesting

The report in Medical Post continued, "He established a petition urging the Canadian government to issue travel advisories warning people that organ transplants in China include the use of organs harvested from non-consenting donors such as Falun Gong practitioners. He got the petition signed by 140 Canadian physicians from coast to coast. It was presented to the House of Commons in December 2007.

"Canada is at the forefront of raising awareness of this issue. Winnipeg human rights lawyer David Matas and Canada's former secretary of state David Kilgour investigated the allegations of organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Their report, "Bloody Harvest" (Which was revised in January 2007), found strong evidence this is truly occurring."

Human Rights Lawyer: Live Organ Harvesting Is A Crime Against Humanity

The report said, "One incriminating piece of evidence is the discrepancy between the number of organ transplanted and the number of organs for which a source was known. It added up to 41,500 unsourced organs in five years. "Everywhere in the world transplant candidates wait years, except China where they wait days," Matas told the Medical Post.

"He and Kilgour found a website that showed a Chinese transplantation network was charging between US $98,000 and $130,000 for a liver, $62,000 for a kidney, and between 130,000 and $160,000 for a heart. "In China, you are paying people to kill other people for their organs," said Matas. Canadians are among the recipients of these organs. "We have indications, through transplant doctors in Canada we have interviewed, that at least 100 Canadians have gone to China for transplants," said Matas.

"Currently, the practice is not illegal. "If you were to buy in Canada, you are committing an offence, but if you buy abroad, you are not", said Matas. He believes buying organs in another country is a crime against humanity heinous enough to be prosecuted here. "That's the problem with the law, it basically allows a reprehensible trade to flourish. People don't face legal sanctions if you buy in China."

The report continued, "Under international pressure and with the Olympics coming up, China strengthened its organ transplant laws last year, banning the harvesting of organs from non-consenting donors and requiring hospitals to register all transplants with Beijing. But as Matas and Kilgour note in their report, China is not ruled by law; it is ruled by the Communist Party.

"Dr. Koffman insisted the practice is continuing, calling it another Holocaust. "Facing such atrocities, conscience forbids me from remaining silent", he said.

London, UK: Practitioners Protest CCP's Intensified Persecution of Falun Gong in the Name of the Olympics

On Saturday March 22, 2008, Falun Gong practitioners in the UK, along with supporters, held a press conference at the Chinese Embassy in London to strongly protest the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) recent intensifying of the persecution of Falun Gong in the name of the Olympics. Practitioners called upon the British government to see through the evil nature of the CCP and support justice. They also called upon the international community to stop the CCP's trampling of human rights and the persecution of Falun Gong.

UK Falun Gong practitioners protest the CCP persecution in front of the Chinese Embassy

At the Embassy, practitioners held eye-catching banners in Chinese and English, "Strongly Protesting the CCP's Mass Arrests of Falun Gong Practitioners in the Run-up to the Olympics," "Falun Gong Practitioners are Being Tortured to Death in China," and "The World Needs Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." The hour-long press conference drew attention from the local public as well as the media. During the conference, someone within the Embassy took photos and recorded the gathered crowd for long periods of time through an Embassy window, an action typical of the despicable tactics employed by the CCP.

Escalation of the Falun Gong Persecution Shows the Evil Nature of the CCP

The CCP, however, not only did not improve its appalling human rights record, but also intensified the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and their families in the run up to the Olympics, targeting to eliminate Falun Gong before August 2008. According to data published by the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPF) in March 2008, the CCP's mass arrests of Falun Gong practitioners in the name of the Olympics is nationwide and systematic, amounting to a new round of escalated persecution. From January 1, 2008 to March 11, 2008, 1,878 Falun Gong practitioners were arrested across 29 provinces, cities and autonomous regions in mainland China. As such, we urgently call upon the international community to stop the persecution together."

Ms. Chen, who recently came from China, commented that the CCP intensified the persecution of Falun Gong, which it started almost nine years ago, in the run up to the Olympics. She said that many practitioners' lives are in danger. Recently when she called China, she was told that many practitioners in China are followed by the authorities and are in dire situations. In order to maintain a so-called "stable" society under its totalitarian rule, the CCP wantonly persecutes religious followers, including Falun Gong practitioners. "We protest here and call for a stop to the CCP regime's persecution of Falun Gong. It's hard for practitioners in China to speak up in the face of life-threatening danger under the CCP's evil pressure. We overseas practitioners have opportunities to clarify the truth and expose the persecution in a peaceful environment. We need to let the whole world know about the bloody persecution of innocent Chinese citizens behind the CCP's Olympics halo. We hope that the international community will not be deceived by the halo and together will stop the persecution."

Non-governmental Organization Calls Upon the British Government to Cancel the Olympic Torch Relay that will Arrive in London

John Dee, vice-chair of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, said in a speech, "We are less than five months away from the Beijing Olympics in August 2008. In mainland China the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is intensifying. The number of practitioners arrested or tortured is on the rise on a daily basis, which makes it worse for hundreds of thousands of practitioners in China and their families. The CCP attempts to stamp out any perceived 'threat,' and wantonly arrests practitioners in the name of guaranteeing a successful Olympics."

Mr. Dee called upon the British government and international society to act righteously and immediately. "China's human rights violations in recent months have already attracted attention from the international community. The Olympic torch will arrive in London early next month. We ask the Brown government to cancel any planned ceremony so as to send a clear signal to the Chinese government: The CCP must stop its persecution of dissidents and followers of different faiths. We also call upon other countries to cancel their plans to welcome the Beijing Olympic torch. Together let's apply pressure to urge the CCP authorities to give Chinese citizens the rights they deserve."

Falun Gong Practitioners Call for an Immediate Stop to the Persecution

Having learned about the intensified persecution in China, practitioners in the UK have worried a great deal about the safety of fellow practitioners in mainland China. Those who were subjected to the evil party's persecution themselves took it even closer to heart.

Ms. Jiang, who was persecuted for nearly two years in a forced labor camp, spoke at the press conference. She said, "The CCP intensified the persecution of Falun Gong in the run up to the Olympics through mass arrests. There were also instances where arrested practitioners were tortured to death within a few days, which is horrific indeed." She called for an immediate stop to the persecution.

After the press conference, Ms. Annie Young, who was also persecuted in a labor camp for two years, was interviewed. She said that a large number of arrests and abductions are happening all across China in the run up to the Olympics. It seems as if the persecutor is going mad. Annie spoke with a practitioner in Beijing last week, who told her anxiously that every practitioner around her was arrested recently.

Recalling the persecution she suffered in a Chinese forced labor camp, Annie said sadly, "The torture was done mentally and physically. It is very difficult to recover from mental torture." She is very worried about the safety of practitioners inside China.

The CCP Will Not Succeed in its Evil Aim of Persecuting Falun Gong

An older British practitioner, Robert Gibson, also experienced the CCP's persecution first hand. For his unwavering participation in the silent vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy in London, Robert was placed on the CCP's blacklist. In late 2002, he traveled to Beijing to clarify the truth of Falun Gong to the Chinese government and citizens. Soon after he arrived in Beijing, however, he was taken away from his hotel, illegally detained for twenty hours, and illegally interrogated for eight hours.

Knowing very well how evil the CCP persecution could be, Mr. Gibson was very concerned about the arrests. He felt, however, that the escalation of persecution is done out of fear. He said, "The CCP is afraid of Falun Gong because it is afraid of the truth, afraid that Falun Gong dares to speak the truth. Communism has been defeated. The CCP regime has lost its legitimacy. It must silence any different voice for fear of losing control. Meanwhile practitioners who believe in Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance will not give in to its brutal suppression, which makes it extremely fearful." Robert also believed that Falun Gong's belief in Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance follows the god-revering traditional Chinese culture while the evil Communism propagates atheism. This is another important reason why the CCP persecutes Falun Gong.

Robert firmly believes that evil will not win over goodness, and the CCP will not succeed in its evil aim of persecuting Falun Gong.

More and More British People are Learning the Truth

This past weekend was the Easter long weekend. Passersby that day received clear information conveyed by Falun Gong practitioners. Many of those who learned the truth signed a petition calling for an end to the persecution.

Inspired by the atmosphere of the press conference, a British woman named Jenny took out her camera to record the moving moment. When asked whether she knew about Falun Gong, she replied emotionally that she knew about the persecution. She said that she had just returned from China. The situation there was shocking. She discovered that people still live in fear. Wherever she went, she saw a lot of soldiers in Tibet, in Beijing and on Tiananmen Square. Jenny said, "The situation was horrible, really horrible. Everyone in the world should know about this." She said that in her opinion, "peaceful protests are effective. I believe many British have already learned the truth."

Mesut Turkan, a German citizen who is studying in London, stopped at the press conference to learn the truth. He felt very sad about the Falun Gong practitioners' suffering. He said, "I think everyone should learn the truth. Everyone has the right to uphold his or her own belief. A government should guarantee the freedom of belief of its citizens."

Germany: Divine Performing Arts Debuts in Berlin to Rave Reviews from Audience

On March 14, the Divine Performing Arts performed its first show at the theatre of the International Convention Centre in Berlin. At the end of the performance, the audience offered a long, standing ovation. The performers answered three curtain calls and the audience responded with overwhelming applause.

Among those in attendance were Christoph Meyer, federal Parliament member, vice president of the Free Democratic Party and spokesman for interior policy and culture; Senator Josef Winkler, several district deputy directors in Berlin, many ambassadors, dignitaries, artists and musicians, businessmen and people from all walks of life.

 German Senator Josef Winkler praised, " I can tell the performers have been well trained. I like Chinese traditional dances very much. The performance perfectly integrated traditional culture, spiritual meaning and political aspiration. The dance that depicted the current situation in China ("The Power of Awareness") was highly artistic."

Diplomat: "Applause reflects how performance was recognized and welcomed"

Chen Youshun, Bureau Chief of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Berlin

Chen Youshun of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Berlin said, "I watched the performance of the Divine Performing Arts for the first time and it's really wonderful and enjoyable. The performance was enjoyable from the perspective of stage effect, rhythm, music, costume design, professional proficiency, and techniques. ... I was deeply impressed by the drum dance. The Tang Dynasty drums were played to represent the grand Chinese majesty and might. It's very good. After the first half of the performance I really did not want to leave!"

Chen continued, "I grew up in Taiwan and have seen a lot of Chinese dances. However, the performance of the Divine Performing Arts was carefully designed and planned to integrate with modern life, and it's very joyful. I can not think of better words to describe my feelings."

The response from the attentive German audience really impressed Chen Youshun, "As to the effect of the performance, even for people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds, there is no obstacle for them to enjoy wonderful art. You can judge if a performance is welcomed from the applause of the audience and the applause reflects the popularity of the performance. I believe that westerners can understand the performance, since manifestation of arts and culture does not depend on language. I believe they certainly understand. The performance will play a positive role in spreading Chinese culture."

Germany: Chinese Consulate Officials in Munich Threaten 'Chinese Spectacular' Concert Promoter

"This is outrageous," declared Helmut Pauli, Managing Director of the Tonicale Concert Agency in Munich, Germany. Since he agreed to book the Chinese Spectacular at Munich's famed Prinzregenten Theater, he says, scarcely a day has gone by without him getting a phone call from the Chinese consul in Munich or her staff. "They are threatening me and my company!"

Mr. Pauli is a famous activist in the German music community. He has founded several associations and organizes two or three concerts in Munich every week.

Chinese Consulate officials have called the music agency many times. Later, the Chinese vice consul Wang Yanmin and a co-worker went to the office of Tonicale on March 11. Wang asked Mr. Pauli to cancel the Chinese Spectacular, which will be held in April. The reason was that the show is sponsored by the Falun Dafa Association in Germany.

Among the messages the Chinese diplomatic mission delivered to Mr. Pauli are that should the show go on, Pauli might never set foot on Chinese soil again. Also, he was told that he would be blacklisted from doing business with Chinese partners, he says.

"I've seen the show in Frankfurt, and there is nothing offensive in it in my point of view," says a Tonicale employee who made arrangements for the show in Munich.

"It is to the show's credit that the President and the Vice-President of the European Parliament, as well as several German political representatives, sent congratulatory messages that are included in the program handout," she added.

The Chinese Spectacular by Divine Performing Arts has been held in the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K., France, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Slovakia. The company is set to visit 60 cities around the world and hold more than 200 shows by the end of May. From March 14 to 17, it is to perform in Berlin and Hamburg, and in April, it will come back to Munich.

According to employees at Tonicale, Chinese vice consul Wang Yanmin threatened that if the show were to go on, the Chinese consulate will ask all the Chinese people living in Munich not to go to any activities held by Tonicale. The vice consul said that the show would hurt the relationship between China and Germany. In spite of this, the Tonicale Music Agency refused to cancel the show.

Chinese officials have attempted to interfere with Divine Performing Arts' productions at many of its stops, including most recently in the Czech Republic, where three shows were put on at the Prague Congress Centre. In Prague, the Chinese Embassy published a front-page advertisement in the local Chinese language press, warning people not to attend the show. Czech TV, the country's largest television station, reported in prime time that they too received a letter from the Chinese Embassy, this one warning them not to cover the performance.

Dr. Qian Yuejun, a legal scholar living in Germany, said that this is a typical tactic that the Chinese Communist Party uses to control overseas Chinese. Dr. Qian said, "In Europe, people can freely express their opinions. This is a free society, and their rights are protected by the law." He reminded the Chinese officials, "This is Europe, not Beijing. We are not under the Chinese Communist Party's jurisdiction."