Italian MEP Holds Press Conference Highlighting Persecution Against Falun Gong

On November 22nd 2006, an Italian news agency reported that Mr. Benedetto Della Vedova, member of the Liberal Reformers and Radical Member of European Parliament, held a press conference to expose the lack of basic human rights in China.

Former Canadian Secretary of State for Asia and Pacific David Kilgour was invited to the press conference. Recently, Mr. Kilgour has been devoted to raising awareness about the Chinese Communist Party’s forced removal of Falun Gong practitioners’ internal organs. When introducing the independent investigation into the allegations of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners that he produced with human rights lawyer David Matas, Mr. Kilgour pointed out that some indirect evidence has showed that the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has been happening for at least five years. He added: “As a matter of fact, after Falun Gong practitioners are put in jail, their organs might be removed. In the meantime, with the killing, many practitioners were unable to survive the persecution.”

This former Canadian MP continued: “Such an abhorrent atrocity began around 2000 or 2001. Falun Gong practitioners had especially been targeted since their principles have helped them to live a healthy life. Their organs are especially healthy; therefore, they were targeted. About ten years ago, this cultivation practice was not prohibited, and many ranking officials were also its members.

“I have travelled to twenty-five countries to expose such a despicable atrocity. It is my objective to stop the atrocity by the time the 2008 Beijing Olympics get underway.”