On August 7th 2007, experts on China's human rights issues from around the world gathered at Hotel King George II in Athens, Greece, to attend an international forum entitled, "The Olympic Games vs. Crimes Against Humanity in China." The forum was held by the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG), the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR), and the Association for Asia Research.
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| "The Olympic Games vs. Crimes Against Humanity in China" international forum held at Hotel King George II in Athens on August 7, 2007 | Guest speakers at the forum |
Over one hundred participants were shocked by the current human rights situation in China, which was disclosed by speakers at the forum. Some said they did not expect human rights violations in China to be as bad as they are, and felt that as a result, Beijing should not be hosting the Olympics in 2008.
Organ Removal from Living Falun Gong Practitioners Betrays Olympic Spirit
Mr. David Kilgour, Canada's longest serving Member of Parliament and Canada's Secretary of State for the Asia Pacific region (now retired), co-authored the independent Bloody Harvest - a Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China.
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| David Kilgour points out that organ harvesting atrocities run counter to the spirit of the Olympics |
Mr. Kilgour spoke of the great mass of evidence indicating that authorities in China are harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners for profit. Kilgour pointed out that such atrocities are totally against the Olympic spirit.
He warned the participants that back in 1936, all nations were supposed to boycott the Berlin Olympics but they did not because most countries did not know what Hitler had in mind. They regretted it afterwards. Now we clearly know about the CCP's brutality against Falun Gong and its intention to eliminate Falun Gong. This is a big difference between Berlin 1936 and Beijing 2008.
"Do Not Shame the Olympics"
Mr. Man-Yan Ng from ISHR in Germany said that to bid for the Olympics in 2008, Beijing spent tens of millions of Yuan. The CCP even hired top consultants in public relations to train its people as professional liars. These people learned how to deceive IOC officials from different countries and made up stories to win their votes. They even promised to improve human rights in China by 2001. Unfortunately human rights in China did not improve and the violations have become more brutal and well-hidden.
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| German International Human Rights Association Director Mr. Ng asks that the Olympic Games not be held in a city where crimes against humanity continue on a daily basis |
The CCP now removes organs from Falun Gong practitioners behind closed doors of their 'transplant centres' instead of using tanks and guns to slaughter students as they did in 1989. He urged the world to safeguard the Olympic spirit and stop the Games from taking place in a city where human rights are violated on a large scale every day.
Don't Ignore the Crimes Against Humanity in China
Mr. Ignatious Tagoulis, a human rights lawyer in Athens and host of the forum, said that he has been attentive to the human rights situation in China. In 2004 when the Olympics took place in Athens, Mr. Tagoulis filed a lawsuit against Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, and Li Lanqing, on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners. He does not support having the next Olympics in Beijing and considers failing to oppose the Beijing Olympics as tantamount to giving silent support for the crimes against humanity in China.
After speeches from Mr. Kilgour and Ms. Dai Zhizhen, Mr. Aideris Augyaria, chair of the People's Party in Greece, was shocked and said that he did not know much about human rights in China. What he heard today shocked him. He believes that even if what he heard was only one percent true, we can't ignore it. He said that when Mr. Kilgour talked about the bloody organ removal he uneasy hearing about it. Falun Gong practitioners become victims of organ removal because of their beliefs. He knows practitioners in Greece to be very peaceful. He ultimately expressed that the Olympics should not be held in a nation that commits such crimes against humanity.
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| Mr. Micheal Ghiolman explained how he is opposed to the human rights violations in China, not the Chinese people or China itself. |
Mr. Micheal Ghiolman, a businessman who owns one of the oldest travel companies in Greece, said that he does not oppose China, and in fact has great respect for Chinese civilization. However, he opposes anything that is against human rights. He felt that the forum was a great success and that all the speakers helped those in attendance to understand what is happening in China.
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| Media expert Karahalios Goerge expressed great disappointment with China's human rights conditions |
Mr. Karahalios Goerge, a media specialist in Greece, said that in 2001, he supported Beijing holding Olympics because he thought Beijing would definitely improve its human rights when everyone in the world was watching. He is one hundred percent disappointed because the human rights situation in China has not improved. He therefore now opposes having the Olympics in Beijing.
Human Rights Torch Was Lit
When the Olympic Torch itself returned to Athens yesterday, a Human Rights Torch was lit there as well. The Human Rights Torch will find its way to over a hundred cities in dozens of countries on five continents. Participating organizations hope the Torch Relay will help stop the Chinese Communist Party's organ harvesting atrocities and other human rights violations.
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