MEP: “Extending the persecution to France is not acceptable."

Member of the European Parliament Roger Helmer wrote a letter on January 23rd to the Ambassador of the French Embassy in England regarding the incident in which Falun Gong practitioners were stopped from joining the Chinese New Year celebration parade in Paris. It was said that the French Falun Dafa Association’s application to participate in the parade on January 24th was stopped by the Chinese Government. The Chinese Embassy openly infringed Falun Gong practitioners’ legal rights in France, the original upholders of human rights. At the same time, both the French police and the Paris City Authorities were placed under pressure by the Chinese Embassy.

Mr Helmer said in his letter, “I have received the enclosed letter from my constituent, Dr Li Shao and I'm very concerned by the contents of it. I have met Mr Shao and other Falun Gong Practitioners throughout the course of my parliamentary term and know in detail of the persecution practised by the Chinese regime against them. However, the possible exporting of these practices to EU Member States is completely unacceptable and I would be grateful of a reply to Mr Shao's accusations."

He pointed out that the attempt to extend such a persecution to member countries of the European Union is completely unacceptable. “Although most of us will never practise Falun Gong ourselves, the very democratic principles of the French Republic are there to protect peaceful minority lifestyle choices."