Belgium: Representatives of Falun Gong Condemn the Persecution at a Freedom of Religion Seminar

On November 28th, 2006, the Epoch Times and several human rights NGOs held a seminar in the headquarters of the European parliament in Brussels regarding the Chinese Communist Party's suppression of religions. A representative of the European Falun Gong Association was invited to give a speech, to expose the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China since 1999, and to request the European Union to condemn the CCP human rights abuse openly.

The seminar was held in the headquarters of the European Parliament in Brussels	European Falun Gong Association representative Ms. Waltraud Ng

Irish European Parliament member and the European parliament’s biggest party spokesman Mr. Simon Coveney

Mr. David Kilgour	Mr. Edward McMillan-Scott

The seminar was taken charge of by vice-president Edward McMillan-Scott and MEP Mr. Simon Coveney; China expert, Dr Thomas Weyrauch from Germany, Mr. Erping Zhang, a scholar from Stockholm University Asia Research Centre, and David Kilgour, the former Canadian Asia-Pacific Secretary of State were invited to attend this seminar. Several different religions and belief groups were invited to join.

First of all, Mr. Coveney mentioned a thing about Tibetan nuns who were shot in China’s border, especially the investigation report made by David Kilgour and David Matas concerning the organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners, which has aroused strong attention from the European Parliament and many other countries’ governments.

As a European Parliament human rights spokesman, Mr. Coveney definitely pointed out that, his duty is to ensure human rights issues, it is must be appropriate to have such seminar in the time of development on cooperation of the economy and trades between the European Union and China, in order for the European Union to point out penetrating issues to the CCP, to carry through an open and sincere discussion.

When European Parliament vice-president McMillan-Scott took charge of the seminar, he talked about the proposal made in 1992 about the European Union democracy and human rights, which was used to turn over the ex-Soviet Union Communist Party Camp. Now, the CCP is a very brutal, absurd, abnormal and illiberal regime. He met Falun Gong practitioner Caodong in Beijing in May this year, where after he has being arrested up to now, Caodong has even witnessed the dead bodies of Falun Gong practitioners after their organs were harvested. Mr. McMillan-Scott thinks that the genocide of harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners to make profits must be stopped immediately; he cannot believe that under such a circumstance the 2008 Olympic Games will be held in China.

Doc. Thomas Weyrauch, the Chinese issue expert from Germany, has published a monograph called "The Huge Suffering Dragon" in September last year, in which, he introduced the China’s human rights status that are suffering from a severe persecution in the later years of CCP control of China, it was awarded a human rights news special award by the German ‘‘International Human Rights Association’’. In his speech, he made a point of China’s constitution and the signed international human rights announcement etc. all of them are to ensure citizens’ rights to be allowed to practice their beliefs, but up to now, religious activities still cannot be ensured. In order to have the freedom of belief, believers must register in religious groups which are controlled by an atheistic government. It is so funny and even self-contradictory that, in China, religious activities are set by the atheistic government under the control of the CCP. This party can define the type of legal religion and all of the other religious and belief groups that are foreclosed will be regarded as a ‘‘CULT’ to be suppressed by the government. The persecution against religious believers normally goes with sexual violence, for example female Christians, Tibetan nuns and Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong cultivation groups were hailed and promoted by the government in the beginning and later has being suppressed. Doctor Weyrauch especially listed the ‘‘610’’ offices, they are special offices which are set up to persecute peaceful Falun Gong practitioners and led directly by the CCP. Now in China, there is no freedom of belief at all.

Mr. Erping Zhang, the Scholar of Stockholm University Asia Research Centre, Asia Research Association director, gave a profound analysis of China’s different religions and beliefs, especially Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism and Falun Gong cultivation, they all originate from traditional Chinese culture, and have a fundamental difference from the doctrines of the CCP Marxism. Mr. Erping Zhang made a special speech about the persecution of different religious and belief groups in China, especially the Falun Gong cultivation group.

The former Canadian Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific), Mr. David Kilgour came especially for this seminar, he pointed out that the CCP only found an error on the names in two areas; this has verified the authenticity of the report. This report has been translated into sixteen languages. Mr. Kilgour also talked about the journey in August this year, Mr. McMillan-Scott and he have visited Australia and New Zealand, which has driven the investigation process of the CCP organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners. Not long ago, he was told that, a group of Australians was planning to go to China for organ transplantation, as the result of their effort in Australia, the plan was given up.

The representative of the European Falun Gong Association Ms.Waltraud Ng spoke about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China since July 1999, especially the atrocity of organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners exposed this year. Waltraud Ng also talked about the situation of human rights lawyer Zhisheng Gao who has sent letters to the CCP leader to speak for Falun Gong three times and is now being persecuted in China. She was calling for an end to the CCP persecution of Falun Gong and to release all the arrested Falun Gong practitioners, to try in the courts of human rights the prime criminals of this persecution. She also requested that the European Union condemn the CCP’s human rights abuse openly.

Other European Parliament members, parliament members’ assistants, representatives of non-government organisations, experts and media and so on joined the seminar. The two officials from the CCP stayed in the European Union, the CCP's Xinhua News Agency and a reporter from the Economy Daily also came to listen.