Exposing the Chinese Communist Party's Persecution of Falun Gong During the United Nations Human Rights Council

The tenth regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council is being held from March 2 through March 27, 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group invited Falun Gong practitioners who had suffered from the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution to expose the brutal persecution to government officials and human rights organizations during the session. Many delegates shed tears upon hearing the practitioners' personal persecution experiences, and witnessing the injury and harm that the CCP has caused to Falun Gong practitioners, and all gained a deeper understanding of the brutality of the suppression.

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Liu Hongchang recounts his personal experience to the United Nations Human Rights Council, to expose the CCP's persecution

The year 2009 marks the tenth year of the CCP's brutal campaign of persecution against Falun Gong. The facts about the persecution are shocking and horrifying. However, the CCP uses economic benefits as bait to the international community, while constantly denying and fabricating lies. They refuse to admit the severe human rights abuses. Because of this, some people do not have a thorough understanding of the scale and seriousness of the persecution. Falun Gong practitioners who have suffered from brutal persecution in China are exposing the CCP's lies by revealing their permanent scars, and exposing the evil nature of the CCP's persecution through relating their personal experiences. They are calling for worldwide attention to Falun Gong practitioners who are still subjected to the persecution.

Falun Gong practitioner Liu Hongchang was illegally detained seven times. On February 9, 2001, the police arrested him in Beijing. During his detention, he sustained fractured ribs from the police beatings. When he was sent back to his hometown and detained in a local detention center, he found a chance to escape from the detention center. He was subsequently wanted by the local police. He led a homeless life for ninety-seven days, and was once again arrested when he posted a flyer bearing the words "Falun Dafa is good" in Dalian in June 2001. He was sentenced to five years in prison and during the term, he was beaten many times, resulting in internal injuries.

During the five years of Mr. Liu's imprisonment, the local police often harassed and intimidated his family members. Four of his family members, including his father, elder brother and two uncles, became too depressed to endure. They fell ill and passed away. The entire family suffered severe injury. Liu Hongchang witnessed the torture deaths of five Falun Gong practitioners who were detained in the same prison with him.

Human rights organization officials, delegates from various countries and representatives of human rights groups within the United Nations were shocked by Mr. Liu's personal experience, as well as by his account of the persecution he witnessed of other practitioners. Mr. Liu appealed to these groups on behalf of his fellow practitioners still suffering in China, asking them to help Falun Gong practitioners in China and stop the CCP's brutal persecution of Falun Gong.

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Wang Yu from New Zealand made a special trip to Geneva to appeal for her mother, practitioner Zhu Lijin from Tianjin. Ms. Zhu started practicing Falun Gong in 2005. The local police arrested her mother on the street on February 1, 2009, and ransacked her home, confiscating a printer and some truth-clarifying materials. Her family didn't know where she was detained until a week later. After being detained for two weeks, Ms. Zhu was sent to the Banqiao Women's Forced Labor Camp in Tianjin to be held for one year and three months. Her current situation is unknown.

A representative from the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group explained to the delegates that nearly a thousand Falun Gong practitioners, like Mr. Liu Hongchang, who have been subjected to the CCP's brutal persecution, fled China after having gone through great hardships. They are scattered in different countries around the world. Each and every one of them witnessed the torture deaths of other Falun Gong practitioners. It is clear that the persecution taking place in China is on a very large scale and the situation is extremely urgent. Likewise, there are also a large number of overseas Falun Gong practitioners, like Ms. Wang Yu, whose family members are subjected to the persecution. This situation reflects the scale and severity of the persecution from another angle. The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group appealed to the international community, stating that Falun Gong practitioners are courageous defenders of conscience, and called for worldwide support for Falun Gong practitioners.