Letter from the Irish Falun Dafa Association to the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs

11 May 2003

Dear Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen T. D.:

May 13th is World Falun Dafa day and a day of celebration for Falun Dafa practitioners throughout the world. Falun Dafa has spread to over 60 countries throughout the world and the main text [of Falun Gong, Zhuan Falun] is currently translated into many different languages. Many different people from many different backgrounds, are striving to make themselves better people through following the guiding principles of Truth, Compassion and Tolerance, and in the process are gaining better health. Yet the practice is still persecuted in China, and European countries are reluctant to publicly speak out.

The support we have received from the Irish government is very encouraging. Each letter we receive from Foreign Affairs outlining how Irish officials are raising these issues with their Chinese counterparts is encouraging. The successful rescue campaign of Trinity Student Zhao Ming and the part that the Foreign Affairs Minister and the Taoiseach played, give us great confidence in our efforts to rescue Dun Laoghaire students Liu Feng and Yang Fang.

There are some serious issues that concern us. Falun Dafa has been in Ireland for many years and many people have gained great benefit from the practice. Through the Irish governments meetings with practitioners, I am confident that the government is aware that the Chinese government is lying about its persecution of Falun Dafa in China. Yet, is the current approach of the Irish government, of working hard behind the scenes through dialogue gaining any results? It is a fact, that during the Chinese government’s annual conference in March, during a meeting of their Security Council, top officials said publicly that they would redouble their efforts to crush Falun Dafa, and during the following three weeks we recorded the highest number of documented death cases since the persecution began.

I think we can do more to openly pressure the Chinese Communist Government to end its human rights abuses. I am aware from my correspondence with you that you are pursuing many avenues to improve the situation, but as is illustrated they are not working. The recent SARS epidemic highlighted many interesting phenomena regarding the Chinese Communist government. When the SARS epidemic broke out the Chinese officials where reluctant to work with any foreign organisation to combat the disease. Only when the free press outside of China continually highlighted the epidemic and the unwillingness of the Chinese officials to cooperate, did public opinion outside of China turn against China and then they eventually agreed to cooperate. Their cooperation, however, was immersed in lies and deceit.

It appears that since the Tianamen Square massacre in 1989, the Chinese Government has arranged a deal with the European officials: we will engage in dialogue with you on human rights only if you do not criticize us publicly. If the communist government was filled with honest officials who had a sincere wish to improve a bad human rights record what criticism could they be afraid of? Instead it appears that the acts of dialogue are merely used by the Chinese officials to silence their critics. Inviting officials over to investigate human rights abuses is an absurd game. When they invited the WHO officials to China, they let them have access to any hospital (besides military hospitals where there where numerous cases of SARS). When the WHO selected a hospital the Chinese officials ordered the sick patients to be driven around in ambulances until they left, others where temporarily moved to hotels. Only under the scrutiny of foreign media and international pressure was the truth revealed. When faced with this the Chinese officials fired high-ranking politicians, but even today the WHO do not trust their figures.

The Irish government and other European countries are correct in their approach of peaceful dialogue but it is them who are committing the crimes and this point must be made clear. The results of these talks must be published and when the Chinese regime commits more unspeakable crimes they must be publicly condemned in front of the Irish people. Currently two Dublin students are detained in China although they have committed no crime. They are not Irish citizens, but we must speak freely and publicly and condemn the fact that they are not allowed to return to continue their studies, otherwise what pressure will win their release? Zhao Ming was released because the Taoiseach spoke publicly about his case to the Irish people and Chinese leaders.

I urge the Irish government to break its silence regarding the terrible human rights violations occurring against Falun Dafa practitioners in China. Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs meet with the Irish Falun Dafa Association and disclose to us the progress of the dialogues that have taken place? [...] If you still have any questions about the nature of Falun Dafa practitioners, please contact us to discuss them.

You are doing a lot of work to end the human rights violations in China but it has met with little reward. Could a more open approach gain better results?

Thank you sincerely for your concern outlined in your correspondences with me.

Sincerely,
[name omitted]