Germany: Support for Falun Gong from the German Lower House of Parliament

Task force for Human Rights and Humanitarian Assistance.
Chairman: Hermann Gröhe MdB,
Speaker: Dr. Gudula Gutmann.

Berlin, November 8th 2005.

Dear…,

We thank you for your correspondence dated November the 4th 2005, which details your support for Falun Gong in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Dr. Merkel, Chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/ Christian Social Union (CSU) asked me as speaker for Human Rights and Humanitarian Assistance to kindly respond to you. We also wish to extend our thanks for the extensive material about the persecution of Falun Gong in China you included in the correspondence.

Please let me advise you from the outset that the German Lower House of Parliament’s CDU/CSU Taskforce for human rights and humanitarian assistance, of which I’m the Chairman, has since its beginning seen the subjects freedom of thought, belief and religion of the main importance. Within the scope of our commitment to these fundamental rights of freedom, we have denounced and discussed the suppression of the Falun Gong movement, including their loss of freedom not only in the German Lower House of Parliament resolutions, but also during writing and discussion with high-ranking Chinese officials in the PRC, and in Germany. We are also under constant discussions with those representing the interest of Falun Gong practitioners in Germany.

We also have used the upcoming State Visit by the Chinese President as an opportunity to point to the perilous human rights situation in the PRC. We are deeply concerned about the high numbers of death sentences and persecutions in China, about the administrative detention system, the state sanctioned harassment of Christian communities that are not registered with the Chinese regime, about the situation in Tibet and the long sentences and detentions of Falun Gong adherents in slave labour camps.

We will continue to use all that is in our power that finally fundamental rights of freedom will be recognised and granted in the PRC.

Best Regards
[Signature}
Hermann Gröhe MdB

Originally published in German at: http://www.clearharmony.de/articles/200601/28828.html