Ireland: Falun Gong Practitioners hold a Peaceful Appeal during a Meeting of Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers in Dublin

The sixth Asia-Europe summit was held at the K Club hotel in County Kildare, Ireland on the 17th and18th of April. The foreign ministers of the member states of the European Union and ten Asian nations attended the summit (Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam). As part of the current Presidency of the EU, Irish foreign minister Brian Cowen chaired the meeting.

The main topics of discussion at this Asia-Europe meeting included the prevention of the spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction, the problem of North Korea’s nuclear programme, immigration and anti-terrorism. Both Asia and Europe actively seek to strengthen mutual dialogue and cooperation through regular Asia-Europe meetings. But on the issue of allowing Burma to attend the ASEM, the two sides did not reach an agreement.

In the press conference on the 18th, reporters showed great interest in whether the EU is going to lift its arms embargo to China. Below are some questions and answers:

Reporter: “About EU’s weapons trade with China, have foreign ministers noted the fact that the head of the Chinese army Jiang Zemin is branded by the Amnesty International as an abuser of human rights and is sued in Europe for Genocide?”

Irish Foreign Minister: The ”EU has established a working group to study this issue (of the arms embargo). This issue can not be concluded until the working group provides the results.”

Reporter: ”Do you think the Chinese foreign minister would agree to the return of Liu Feng and Yang Fang to Ireland to resume their studies?” (the two were students in Ireland who were detained in China because of their belief in Falun Gong)

Irish foreign minister: "In relation to individuals who wish to return to Ireland to study here, I recall when I was on a visit to China a few years ago, I brought up these sorts of matters and we had some success in relation to a student, who did return. There will always be an exchange of views in relation to issues like this and we hope for progress in this dialogue at all times and I look forward to the meeting with Minister Li as Commissioner Chris Patten has said.

During the two-day meeting, Falun Gong practitioners held peaceful appeals and exercised in front of the K Club hotel for the whole duration, despite the heavy rain on the first day and very low temperatures. The spokesman for the Irish Falun Dafa Association said, ”China has widely used forced labour from the labour camps and prisons to produce goods for export. European businessmen may violate the EU laws by selling goods produced through slave labour. Europe has practically assisted the abuse of human rights in China by ignoring the human rights issue and the increase of trade with China. The income from the trade does not benefit Chinese people, and is actually used by the Chinese regime to support its persecution of Falun Gong. Trade itself does not naturally bring progress to China’s human rights.”