Austria: Almost Eight Years Have Passed Since the Beginning of the Systematic and Brutal Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners in China

June 23rd provided two reasons for another demonstration in downtown Graz.

In 1948, the Olympic Committee* declared June 23rd as “Olympic Day.” In 2008, the Olympic Games will be held in Beijing, China. The Olympic Games are built on the premise “Fairness and Justice”, precisely the opposite of today’s human rights situation in China. Many hold the high hope of a betterment of the human rights situation in China with the promise of the Olympic Games. Alas, even before the Games are held in China, one can already see that this was a false hope. A black list has been distributed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), on which forty-three different categories of undesirable people that should not be allowed to come to China for the Olympics are listed, among them Falun Gong practitioners. See further information at:

1. Radio Free China: http://radiofreechina.wordpress.com/2007/05/31/new-blacklist-for-those-entering-china-during-olympics-reported/

2. Falun Gong Information Centre: http://www.faluninfo.net/displayAnArticle.asp?ID=9490

Almost eight years have passed since July the 20th 1999, the day when Falun Gong practitioners began to suffer under a systematic and brutal persecution by the CCP regime. Imprisoned practitioners do not only produce “Cheap Merchandise” in many of China’s forced labour camps, but also does the Chinese regime use these people as living organ donors against their will. The former Canadian Secretary of State (Asia Pacific) David Kilgour and well known international human rights lawyer David Matas conducted an independent investigation into the allegations and verified the aforementioned information. Their conclusions were published in their investigative report “Bloody Harvest,” which can be found at http://www.organharvestinvestigation.net/.
That day the streets were busy as the city had also organised a large activity. Many people stopped at our information booth and showed visible shock at the anti-torture exhibition depicting organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners in China. The practitioners explained the acts which cold-blooded CCP perpetrates on its citizens. Many of the towns people signed practitioners' petition calling for an end to the organ theft and the persecution.

One man couldn’t understand why Falun Gong, such a good practice that instructed people to be good, was persecuted by China’s Communist regime. He understood after a practitioner explained the background behind the persecution. The practitioner explained that the CCP and Jiang Zemin, the then head of State, were afraid to lose power. They were afraid of people who lived by the principles Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance that could see through the lies and corrupt behavior of the regime. They were afraid of the people who could chose between good and bad. He felt regret about the situation in China, thanked the practitioners from deep within his heart and wished them great success in their hope of ending the persecution.

*In January 1948 at the 42nd IOC Session in St Moritz, Switzerland, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the idea of Olympic Day. This celebration would be used to commemorate the creation of the IOC on June 23rd, 1894 in Paris. Please see:

http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/commissions/sportforall/race_uk.asp for further information.

Originally published in German at: http://clearharmony.de/articles/200706/38342.html