An Italian Businessman appeals for an End to the Human Rights Abuses in China

My name is Alfredo Fava and I am an Italian businessman. In 1995, I established a joint business venture in China. In October 2001, I was intercepted by Chinese police at Guangzhou Airport and was immediately deported back to Europe on the next plane. At the end of October, I again went to China and stayed there for three weeks. I was, however, strictly monitored and followed by a police car on my way to the office.

The Chinese consulate in Milan then refused to provide me with a visa on three separate occassions. The “serious mistake” I committed was to practise Falun Gong. Falun Gong has been banned and brutally persecuted by Jiang Zemin since July 20th 1999. Kao Shupao, the Chinese Consul in Milan said that because I participated in Falun Gong activities in China he regards me as a dangerous person. His excuse was that I contributed articles about my experiences in China to both Clearharmony and Clearwisdom [both are Falun Gong websites]. But this had in fact occurred before the persecution of Falun Gong began in July 1999.

Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, is a traditional Chinese cultivation method. It consists of five sets of exercises and is based on the principles of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”

As far as I am concerned, Falun Gong is the best thing that I have ever encountered in my life and I refuse to deny that I practise Falun Gong. No matter what happens, I was determined to leave a country full of violence, where my fellow practitioners and I have been persecuted. If I continued to run my business in China because of personal interest during this persecution, I would be betraying my conscience.

Today I would like to tell you my story. Because the volume of business in my company continually dropped, I was forced to sell the company at a comparatively low price. There were two reasons for closing down the company. Firstly, I had been unable to personally run my business for sixteen months. The infamous "610 Office" [An agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.] began to terrorise my customers.

I am not worried about my loss. I just do not want to recognise the persecution of Falun Gong. I am also not willing to accept this forced loss, because I regard it as a form of persecution.

China has already signed the UN convention on basic rights of citizens. China has already joined the WTO and will host the Olympic Games in 2008. However, China is brutally persecuting peaceful citizens simply because they want to safeguard “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance”, which belongs to all humans. Can we call this persecution “China’s domestic affairs”?

When have we asked China to respect the conventions that she has formally signed, but failed to obey? When a businessman has to give up his freedom of thought, his viewpoints and culture in order to run a business in China, is this reasonable?

It is dangerous for a businessmen to hope to profit from a Chinese market where grand promises are made, but human rights violations are overlooked. China attempts to justify her human rights violations under the excuse that we should not interfere with her domestic affairs. If we tolerate any of China’s violent behaviour, we are legalising this behaviour.

Human rights violations in China should end. It has now been over four years since this persecution began on July 20th 1999. Please think about this: A popular democratic movement in China that was supported by millions of people was completely destroyed four days after the Tiananmen Massacre on June 4th 1989. However, even though Falun Gong has been brutally persecuted for four years, practitioners continue to peacefully stand up for justice.

Jiang Zemin, his hands covered with blood, has committed crimes of murder, torture and persecution of China's citizens. Women have been raped, children have been cruelly injured and a seven-month-pregnant woman has even been forced to undergo abortion. Jiang has set up the “610 Office", an illegal organisation and a criminal gang to persecute Falun Gong. Jiang has taken advantage of his accomplices in overseas consulates to extend the persecution to foreign countries.

Falun Gong practitioners worldwide are working together in an effort to bring Jiang Zemin and his accomplices to justice through legal means. No matter where the criminals are in the world, they will be brought to justice.

I am calling on all political leaders, businessmen and kind-hearted people to take action to force China to respect human rights. If there is no justice, there is no peace. Without peace and justice, the human race cannot survive.

I sincerely wish you good fortune,

Alfredo Fava.

Translated from Chinese at http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200310/25208.html