Greater London Assembly Member’s Speech at Falun Gong Press Conference in the UK

Brian Coleman, Speech to Falun Gong Press Conference,
Monday, 10th December 2001

My name is Brian Coleman. I am the Greater London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden.

London is a hugely diverse and rich community where people of all origins can have freedom of thought, expression and religion. As a member of the Greater London Assembly and a representative of these communities, I am delighted to have been invited to speak at this conference today.

In my work on the London Assembly, I have had several dealings with the Chinese Ambassador – who I might add is a constituent of mine – and I shall in fact be seeing him tomorrow at a reception at the Chinese Embassy. I, and some of my fellow Members on the Assembly, intend to use that opportunity to highlight to the Ambassador a number of individual cases of Human Rights abuses, committed upon practitioners of Falun Gong. Bu the Ambassador’s government is not only responsible for violence against the Falun Gong, but also against Tibet, and against a number of different minorities and communities within China.

At the moment our European nations are conducting a war over in Afghanistan against terrorism. Following the tragic events of September 11th, a great many nations have vowed to seek out and eradicate the sources of all terrorism wherever they find them. In China however, we continue to find the government conducting acts of state-sponsored terrorism against the citizens of their own country!

I look forward to a day when this repressive Communist government will give way and be replaced, and to a time when the same rights that London’s communities take for granted, can be practically enjoyed and reflected in China.

It has been my pleasure to address you this morning and I wish you all success for your endeavours in the future.