Letter: ”The Swedish Government can never accept that people are persecuted

Government Offices.
13th of June 2005

Stadsrådsberedningen

Brevenheten
Political expert
Lisa Hedin

Dear [...],

Thank you for your letter to the Prime Minister Mr. Göran Persson. The Prime Minister has given me permission to respond to your letter and first I want to apologies for my late reply.

You write about the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in China. The Government is aware of the maltreatment of Falun Gong practitioners which in many cases seriously tramples on human rights. It is important for the international community to show its dissatisfaction and to listen to various arguments. The goal is of course a democratic China that participates in full in the global economic and political cooperation/collaboration.

The Swedish Government has repeatedly indicated its repudiation of the maltreatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China. It has been done in both direct deliberations with the Chinese government and through calls and addresses in the EU circuit. You can be sure that the Government also will continue to monitor the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China in the future.

People who are persecuted because of their faith or political views, is something that the Swedish Government can never accept. We all have the responsibility to dare to stand up in the struggle for freedom of religion and human rights.

Thanks for the time you took yourself to write to the Prime Minister.

Kind regards,

Lisa Hedin,

Originally published in Swedish at http://se.clearharmony.net/articles/200506/14771.html