Friends of Falun Gong Europe Appeals to the United Nations on Behalf of Falun Gong

The following speech was delivered by the Friends of Falun Gong Europe on the occasion of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland

20TH MARCH 2002

Today there are gathered here thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in an appeal to the United Nations to help bring to an end the appalling, severe persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China by the Chinese government. It is clear from the numbers of practitioners here how strong their convictions are, and why Jiang Zemin’s policy of persecution over the last three years must be ended as soon as possible.

It is only three short years since Jiang Zemin was bestowing awards on Mr Li Hongzhi and Falun Gong in general for their immense contribution to Chinese society as a whole. Now, all that is a distant memory, as practitioners are arbitrarily rounded up, imprisoned and tortured for doing nothing more than to exercise their constitutional right to freedom of belief. So far 385 practitioners have been tortured to death while in police custody.

The latest cruel twist in the saga is the recent declaration by Jiang Zemin of a ‘Kill Without Mercy’ policy, by which he has empowered the Chinese police to shoot dead anyone found practising Falun Gong. We have heard that this policy has already claimed its first victims. He has also ordered the summary execution of Falun Gong practitioners across China.

These acts of treachery towards his own citizens must be condemned worldwide. This latest edict contravenes not only the United Nations Convention on Human Rights, which China has signed, though not ratified, but even China’s own constitution.

We therefore call upon the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to condemn in the strongest possible terms China’s persecution of Falun Gong, and to issue a proclamation urging China to end its policy of state terrorism and to release unconditionally all practitioners currently held in Chinese jails immediately.

The world must not sit back and allow China to continue to persecute its own citizens. President Jiang must be made to realise that this behaviour is totally unacceptable to all governments throughout the world. We urge the United Nations to unite, and to show Jiang Zemin that we will not rest until the persecution is brought to an end and all Falun Gong practitioners are released and allowed to practise freely how and where they like.

Friends of Falun Gong Europe

20th March 2002.