Switzerland: The Government and Members of the National Assembly Pay Attention To the CCP's Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners in China

In the convention of the Swiss National Assembly held this June, Mr Luc Recordon , a member of the National Assembly, interrogated the administration about the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of Falun Gong and the sentencing and arrest of Falun Gong practitioner Chu Minghua, whose daughter Wang Shaoyang is studying in Switzerland. The Swiss Federal Government made an official response to this. Below are the official announcements posted on the website of the Switzerland National Assembly.

Contents of the Interpellation

The questions below are to be answered by the federal government:

1. Does the federal government know that the Chinese government continuously acts shamefully to Falun Gong practitioners, even cruel punishments?
2. Does the federal government understand the conditions of Chu Minghua’s family, of whom a daughter is currently studying in the University of St. Gallen?
3. What action will the federal government take to stop such a shameful situation?

Details

Not to bear any prejudicial view or favour toward Falun Gong, it is of necessity to point out that such activity has no intention to take by force or to disturb the social order. On the contrary, it merely promotes moral standards of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. We do not find such activity cheating their members or others. So in the principle of respect to belief and freedom of speech, it is not endurable for such a persecution of that group. What is more surprising is that members of the group would even be arrested at will, abused at will, and frequently tortured with cruel punishment. Even if members of such a group violate the laws in China, it ought not be dealt with in this way.

Falun Gong practitioners around the world all are good citizens observing discipline and obeying the law. In China, Falun Gong practitioners have peacefully asked for the past six years to stop the persecution and to return Falun Gong back to the original, to end the cruel, inhuman, dramatic persecution both physically and spiritually. On the contrary, it is the Chinese Communist Party that violates the constitution and laws in China as it violates people’s right of belief and the freedom of speech. It is proved that more than 2,700 Chinese Falun Gong practitioners were tortured to death in the persecution.]

About the special case of Mrs. Chu Minghua, her daughter Wang Shaoyang, studying in the University of St. Gallen for six years, has appealed to the Swiss government to rescue her mother. As she is also a Falun Gong practitioner, she is not allowed to return home given the current conditions in China. We know that Falun Gong is suffering in China, so our country should pay more attention to this student. Though she is away from China, she’s still under persecution. She certainly will face even greater danger if she goes back to China.

Federal Government’s responses on August 24th, 2005

1. The federal government understands the situation of Falun Gong in China. Switzerland does not declare her stands toward the belief of this activity. In 1999 this activity was prohibited in China, a great number of practitioners were arrested during the crack down. Many of them are locked up in labour camps. The federal government knows very well about the charges of cruel torture against China. The Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the federal government expressed her concerns about this matter.

2. Wang Shaoyang, the daughter of Mrs. Chu Minghua, wrote a letter to notify the members of the federal government. She personally met with the representative from the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs and handed in signatures collected. The federal government already knew the case of her mother, and seriously paid attention to the progress of this case. During the Ministers visit to China, the members of the federal committees The Swiss government officials met with Soochow City government officials to express their concerns about Mrs. Chu. It is our understanding that Mrs. Chu Minghua is locked up in Soochow.

3. Ever since 1999, the Swiss government has started a human rights dialogue with China, in which the contents involves the execution of punishment, the prevention of cruel punishment, belief and freedom of speech etc. The 8th dialogue was held on May 23rd to 27th in 2005 in China. One of the major topics is about the abolition of imprisonment, which is the prerequisite of China’s approval of the international convention about citizens and political rights. Switzerland encourages China to improve such conventions and expresses its willingness to provide technical support. Switzerland hopes to stop the persecution of members of religions or spiritual activities, including Falun Gong