FGHRWG Appeals to UN Regarding Sujiatun Concentration Camp; UN Launches Investigation

On March 15th, the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group (FGHRWG) filed appeals to a number of human rights institution of the United Nations regarding the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) atrocities in the killing Falun Gong practitioners and harvest of their organs in the Sujiatun Concentration Camp. Many UN officials said that they were shocked by the atrocities and would take action to investigate. While the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong is well known, this inhumane practice of harvesting organs for sale is being exposed to the international community for the first time. Meanwhile, FGHRWG also filed an appeal to the European Parliament.

Professor Manfred Nowak, the UN Special Rapporteur, said that an appeal alleged that at least 6,000 Falun Gong practitioners had been killed in Sujiatun and their organs have been sold for transplants. He said such a practice severely violates all international human rights covenants: It is not just torture, it deprives people of their right to live.

In an interview with Reuters, Professor Nowak said, "I am presently in the process of investigating as far as I can these allegations ... If I come to the conclusion that it is a serious and well-founded allegation, then I will officially submit it to attention of the Chinese government."

Professor Nowak conducted a two-week torture investigation in China last December. He is the first UN Special Rapporteur who has ever been to China to investigate torture claims. The investigation report was published last week in Geneva. The report not only points out that torture is widespread in China but also stressed that there is a culture of fear and that the persecution of Falun Gong is very severe. The report also enumerates many of the torture methods used by the CCP. Among the torture cases collected in the report, 66% were Falun Gong cases.

Professor Nowak pointed out in the report that China has the largest prison facility in the world, and he called on the Chinese Communist government to rescind the Laogai (labour reeducation) system and release all detainees.

In its appeal, FGHRWG also listed several cases in which practitioners were killed by the CCP and had organs stolen. They are Ren Pengwu of Harbin, Sun Ruijian of Ningde, Fujian Province, Hao Runjuan of Guangzhou, and Zuo Zhigang of Shijiazhuang.

Since the persecution of Falun Gong started in 1999, under a policy of genocide instigated by the CCP, a large number of practitioners have disappeared. FGHRWG has provided background information on several missing practitioners, including relatives of overseas practitioners, Hong Xiong, brother of Huang Wanqing, and Hu Zhiming, brother of Hu Zhihua.

Falun Gong practitioners continue to receive support from people around the world. The following are comments from visitors to the FGHRWG website:

UK: N. M.-R.
Spreading your news. The Truth always comes out in the end. Will keep you in our healing prayers. There is a higher law than man's, and no-one escapes it. What you give out, sometime in your existence you will receive. The torturer will eventually at some stage become the victim.

U.S.A.: K. T.
My heart and respect go out to all the Falun Gong practitioners suffering. I will do my best to keep their situation in the forefront of my mind so it may guide my daily decisions and practices here. We must all work to protect every human beings basic rights. My prayers are with you.

CANADA: V. J. L.
I am a human rights activist in the C.A.W. and will gladly distribute your material to our Humans Rights Director, if approved by our council, it will be sourced to all our locals across Canada. The C.A.W. has very strong objections to any form of this outrage.

CANADA: B. F.
Inhumane, appalling, a major slight to peoples basic human rights. I think the Chinese government should be taken to task on these actions. I would have to say that type of treatment of people is on the same levels as genocide.

Australia: D. H.
I strongly disagree with china's irrespect of human rights.

USA: L. W.
Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press and freedom to redress grievances are crucial to every human.

Hungary: K. K.
I do not know what should I do to change these poors faith [fate], but I won't buy any products produced by slaves of tyranny.

United Kingdom: J. F.
Yahoo, and now Google have a great deal to answer for and I will be boycotting them from now on, as well as products made in China.

USA: J. P.
I don't knowingly buy goods produced by slave labor and I am sorry that anyone is treated so terribly. Please never give up trying to make the world a better place.

USA: J. W.
I will do my best to insure that I will never knowingly purchase any product produced by the [China]. It is a poverty that the rich, include most Americans, must profit from the poorer countries. Most of these people have no moral compunction about buying tainted goods from these corrupt regimes. I am teaching my children and others around me awareness of the slave labour problem. If I have a choice, I will do without, rather than support such immoral and criminal acts of economic terrorism. Please don't lose heart. There are still caring and wonderful people in this world. Falun Gong is different. Anything different and encourages you to think, is feared by all regimes. Eventually justice will see the light of day. Keep on working for Justice!

Ireland: J. L.
Until the Chinese government provides proper accountability for the treatment of prisoners, we must take them to task for their human rights record.

England: J. B.
I will take care not to purchase any items from the [China].

U.S.A.: S. F.
Shame on the government of China for abusing the human rights of its people. Leave Falun Gong alone. It does not threaten China.

SOUTH AFRICA: L. M.
We need to respect all creation of GOD.

DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WANT THEM TO DO UNTO YOU. Whatever these criminals are doing will backfire one day or another in this life or in another one. This is disgusting. I still can't believe in this 21st century people are still treating other human beings that way. It's a pity and at the same time shame on them.