CIPFG Submits Over One Million Signatures Condemning the Persecution of Falun Gong to the European Union

On August 6th 2008, at the European Union Commission headquarters in Brussels, a representative of CIPFG (Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China) formally submitted over one million signatures collected globally to the European Union Commission, requesting its help to stop the Chinese Communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong.

Mr Vincent Guerend, deputy head of Cabinet for European Union commissioners of external relations Ms Ferrer Waldner, officially accepted the signatures on behalf of the EU commission and met with the representative of CIPFG. The deputy head of the EU external relations bureau’s China section Mr, Michalis R Kas also joined the meeting.

Representative of CIPFG Ms Nele Regiest at the EU Headquarters with the signatures

Representative of the CIPFG Ms Nele Regiest said: "CIPFG’s initiation of collecting millions signature against the persecution started in January 2008. It is for the purpose of condemning the Chinese Communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong and appealing for the complete end to the persecution before the Olympics. She stresses that Falun Gong practitioners have suffered brutal persecution by the Chinese Communist regime for nine years. It is very difficult to imagine what life has been like for practitioners under the Chinese Communist regime. This persecution must be stopped immediately. Especially just before the Olympics, the Chinese Communist regime had illegally detained many Falun Gong practitioners and the persecution of various kinds has been intensified".

She submitted to the two representatives of the EU the result of this “Millions signatures against the persecution” campaign: 1,356,232 signatures were collected from over 133 nations and regions, with 75,300 signatures from Europe, including signatures of major political figures and well known celebrities in some nations. Submitted to the EU also included the copies of over seven thousand signatures from Belgium and photos of signature collection around the world.

After accepting the materials, Mr Vincent Guerend and Mr Michalis R Kas expressed that it is very touching that the signatures are from so many countries. Mr Vincent Guerend said that the EU has for many years devoted large efforts to the human rights problems in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, as whole and individual cases. He especially mentioned that EU demanded China to abolish its system of education through labour. Many Falun Gong practitioners suffered maltreatments in this system. Mr Michalis R Kas said that Falun Gong has always been the topic in the human rights dialogue between the EU and China. We hope the CIPFG provide more materials and information about the persecution to the EU so that we can take action.

At the same day, the CIPFG organised a series of activities in thirteen countries and regions, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Australia, appealing to the world leaders and human rights organisations to take action to stop the Chinese Communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong.

Up to now, the petition against the persecution signed by over one million people has been submitted to the United States government, the Australian government, the International Olympic Committee and others. The final result will be submitted to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council.