Sweden: Human Rights Torch Arrives in Capital City Stockholm

On 14th October 2007, the Olympic Human Rights Torch arrived in the Swedish capital Stockholm at 1.30pm central European time. Since the starting of the Human Rights Torch Relay initiated by CIPFG (Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong) on 9th August, Stockholm is the 22nd city of the relay. On 7th October, the Torch arrived in its first stop in Sweden Malmö, on the 8th Gothenburg, and on 13th the Torch was passed to Oslo Norway. At 1.30pm on the 14th, the Torch arrived at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium where the 1912 Summer Olympics were held, which is also the home of the Swedish Olympic Committee.

Swedish relay runner Per-Arne Brjesson took the lead in carrying the torch through Stockholm. The relay group ran a mile through the busiest part of the city centre and arrived at the Royal Garden at 2pm. The ceremony of the torch relay was held in Royal Garden. Sixty artists came to support the event and they gave a wonderful performance for over two hours.

The well-known rock band named after a Chinese myth ‘Pangu’ sang two songs - ‘Human Rights Torch’ and ‘Revenge for the People’ - helping the event to its climax.

When the torch relay group entered the rally venue, the audience applauded warmly to welcome them. Dancers performed an elegant dance making people feel the dignity of the torch in the Greek Olympia Mountain.

Support from all sides

The Swedish People’s Party Foreign Affairs Spokeswoman Birgitta Ohlson, Christian Democrats MP Lennart Sacredeus, politicians from the People’s Party and the Green Party gave speeches at the rally. President of SHRIC (Support Human Rights in China) Petra Lindberg also made a speech. They criticised the dictatorship and tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and suggested that the CCP aim to host the Olympics was the same as 1936 Berlin Olympics under Nazi Germany. They praised the peaceful Human Rights Torch relay and its values.

Ski athlete Torgny Mogren (88 Olympic Golden medalist, 87, 89, 91, 93 World Champion) and cycling athlete Michel Lafis (88 Seoul Olympics Bronze medalist) gave speeches to show their strong support for the global torch relay and their concern over the human rights situation in China. They hoped to contribute to improve human rights conditions in China by taking part in the relay.

Mr. Jianhui Li from Norway revealed the CCP’s ruthless persecution and forced brainwashing of Falun Gong practitioners with his own experiences. He was imprisoned in a forced labour camp for four years because of practising Falun Gong and during that time, he had to work seventeen hours every day. He urged people from all over the world to learn about this persecution against humanity and to stop this persecution altogether.

Mr. David Kilgour from Canada, a member of the CIPFG and former secretary of state of the Canadian government, said: “I am glad to be with you, our human rights torch has had a huge effect: under pressure, the medical officials from China agreed on 5th October that organs will not be harvested from prisoners or other detainees unless for their relatives. This agreement was made in World Medical Association Annual General Assembly held in Copenhagen.

“After the Berlin Wall between East and West Germany was torn down, what was said on the monument set up there was: just the general idea, when Nazis killed the Communists, I did not say no because I am not a Communist; when Nazis killed the Christians, I did not say no because I am not Christian; when Nazis killed the Jews, I did not oppose it, because I am not a Jew; when the killing knife is aimed at me, no one would oppose it because they have already been killed. These words moved me, and this is the situation in China.

“I have been to over forty countries in the world and this is my second time in Sweden. I would speak for Falun Gong practitioners: like most of you, I am not a practitioner, but I feel so proud that I could do my best to help them.”

At 4pm, the presenter announced that, “The Torch Relay in Sweden has finished and the Torch has illuminated our faces and brightened our hearts. It also brings hope for the Chinese people. Chinese people are awakening - in the last three years twenty seven million have denounced the CCP.” The Torch will be passed on to light up all the corners of the world as the Ambassador Per-Arne Brjesson passed the torch to Anne, the Ambassador for the next stop of Helsinki in Finland.