Ireland: Falun Gong Practitioners Hold Peaceful Appeal Outside the Conference Hall for the European Union-China Human Rights Dialogue

On February the 26th and 27th 2004, the European Union Human Rights Dialogue with China was held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, Ireland. 2004 sees Ireland's turn as President country of the European Union. The Irish government is representing the European Union to host and participate in various international conferences, including the human rights dialogue with China and the Asia-Europe Summit to be held in Dublin.

Officer for Amnesty International Ireland Ms. Anne Marlborough, human rights attorney from Belgium Ms. Zidelmal Karin and Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhao Ming urge the Chinese government to improve the human rights situation	Ms. Anne Marlborough, officer for Amnesty International Ireland

The European Union Human Rights Dialogue with China drew attention from every major human rights organisation. At last Monday's press conference, Ms. Anne Marlborough called on the Irish government to put forward human rights issues in China, such as Internet control and the persecution of Falun Gong. Of particular importance was requesting China to allow two students, Falun Gong practitioners Liu Feng and Yang Fang, to return to Ireland to resume their studies.

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Human Rights in China (HRIC) jointly issued an open letter to the European Union and a 26-page report on the European Union Human Rights Dialogue with China. In the letter, the two human rights organisations requested that the human rights dialogue could become more transparent and effective, which could lead to an improvement in China's human rights.

Falun Gong practitioners in Ireland held a peaceful appeal outside the conference hall in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.