EU FDI: Lift the Ban on Falun Gong Travellers to Iceland; Protect the Right for Peaceful, Free Expression

LONDON, June 13, 2002 (European Falun Dafa Information Centre) -- Under tremendous pressure from Jiang Zemin's totalitarian regime, Iceland's leaders have been faced with the task of determinedly upholding their nation's freedom and democracy. Iceland's Prime Minister took a steady first step in this direction by releasing the Falun Gong practitioners who were wrongfully detained upon entering Iceland and allowing them to participate in orderly, peaceful activities in Iceland during the Chinese leader's visit.

We call upon the leaders of Iceland to complete this initiative by nullifying any prohibition barring Falun Gong practitioners from lawfully entering Iceland and participating in peaceful appeals, and by ensuring that peaceful, free expression remains an unalienable right to all those who enter your borders.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin is scheduled to visit Iceland over the next few days. According to the International Criminal Court classifications, Jiang has committed over ten varieties of crimes against humanity in his persecution of Falun Gong. Furthermore, he has violated nearly every article in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Iceland and free countries throughout the world hold dear. Jiang is directly responsible for the wrongful imprisonment, torture and/or death of tens of thousands of his own citizens.

Falun Gong practitioners, on the other hand, are law abiding and peaceful people. They have spent their own money and taken time off work in order to help give a voice to those suffering in China, yet it is these peaceful people that are denied access to their purchased airplane seats or hauled away to a makeshift detention centre.

The restrictions against Falun Gong practitioners travelling to Iceland have been unlawful. Articles 2, 9, 12, 18, 19 and 20 of the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights collectively guarantee Falun Gong practitioners the right to peaceful appeal, without discrimination based on their spiritual or other beliefs or opinions. Article 9 states specifically: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. Iceland holds the longest standing democracy in the world and a reputation as a genuine respecter and protector of human rights. It is our hope that the Icelandic government is not willing to forsake this long history in order to please a corrupt dictator.

Perhaps most disturbing of all is that Icelandic officials have a "black list" pushed upon them, no doubt, by the Chinese government. Iceland Air, under orders from the Icelandic government, has utilized this list to prevent Falun Gong practitioners from boarding planes headed for Iceland. Falun Gong is a spiritual practices taught free of charge by volunteers in over 50 countries and has no formal organisation. There is nothing to join, and therefore, no membership lists exist. Thus, the only way the Chinese government could have compiled these lists of practitioners is through illicit means. In fact, there are numerous cases documenting the Chinese government's acts of spying on overseas Falun Gong practitioners as they shamelessly break both local and international laws.

To utilize such a list, therefore, is to lend legitimacy to the means used to obtain it in the first place. To utilize such a list, is to adopt control tactics widely used by Communist Chinese authorities to limit freedoms and carry out repression. This is truly disturbing behaviour for a western democratic nation.

The people of Iceland have already expressed their outrage at their government's decision to keep Falun Gong practitioners from entering the country and holding peaceful activities. Given that it is now apparent that Falun Gong practitioners pose no threat to public order, it remains a question of whether Iceland's government can truly represent the will of its people, and stand up for freedom -- even in the face of extreme and deplorable pressure from the Chinese Communist dictator.

At this moment, Falun Gong practitioners are stranded at airports throughout Europe and the east coast of North America because they were not allowed to board their connecting flights to Iceland. In New York City, a man and his two young children were allowed to board their flight while the mother was forced to stay behind because her name was on the "black list." The children boarded the plane with tears in their eyes, not understanding why their mother could not come with them.

The decision to ban Falun Gong practitioners from Iceland during Jiang's visit is wrong. At this point, however, it is still reversible.

We hope that the leaders of Iceland will take this opportunity to right the wrong without delay.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.

With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999, fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it.

The Falun Dafa Information Centre has verified details of over 422 deaths since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600. Over 100,000 have been detained, with more than 20,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps without trial.