The following is a translation of a speech given by the Honorable Wilhelm Gerhardy, Lord Mayor of the City of Goettingen, Germany, at the welcoming ceremony and press conference for Zhang Cuiying in the Reception Room of the Old City Hall.

Dear Mrs. Zhang, dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

In my capacity as mayor of the City of Goettingen, I heartily bid you welcome in the old reception hall, the "Dorntze" in Goettingen's Old City Hall. This is the fifth time that the City of Goettingen has partnered with Amnesty International as host for and defender of international human rights affairs.

Since 1995, the following have been guests of our city:

- the sister of Chinese human rights activist Wei Jingsheng, Ms. Wei Shanshan

- the Israeli lawyer Ms. Felicia Langer who intervened against human rights abuses

toward Palestinians

- the Iranian intellectual Faraj Sarkouhi who had been condemned to death

for making remarks for independence.

By way of introduction, I would like to say that the well-known Zhang Cuiying is an artist, an Australian citizen of Chinese descent, and a member of the internationally recognized meditation group, Falun Gong.

Ms. Nicole Fontaine, President of the European Parliament, reiterated the European Union's stance against the persecution of Falun Gong:

Recently, Ms. Fontaine wrote to the French Falun Dafa Association and repeated the viewpoint taken by the European Parliament against the suppression of Falun Gong in China. The letter reads as follows:

[...] The European parliament has considered this matter very carefully. When the European Parliament ratified its resolution regarding human rights on April 5, 2002, we reminded all nations of our appeal to abstain from suppression of peaceful religious communities or ideological minorities, especially, that China must end her persecution of Falun Gong. [...]

I must admit that prior to this I had little knowledge of Falun Gong and the brutal persecution in China.

It seems inconceivable that the leadership among the Chinese authorities could act in such a manner, to hunt, hurt and kill people, simply because they wish to conduct their daily lives and cultivate their bodies according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, based on an ancient Buddhist cultivation system. Statistics show that 50,000 followers of the meditation system have been incarcerated; 10,000 are slaving away in Forced Labor Camps and 400 have already been tortured to death. And that is happening in China, whose president, Jiang Zemin, is expected as guest of honor at a banquet in the historic Emperor's Palace in Goslar, Germany.

What is it that frightens the Chinese leadership to such an extent that they had to forge ahead with this unprecedented mass persecution since 1999?

Reports about human rights abuses are not given the necessary attention and recognition they demand. Many media reports about wars, violence and calamities abound. What these media reports ignore, though, is the fact that many of the acts of terror and brute force arise out of transgressions against human rights. Perhaps by our efforts we can make it possible today to clearly point out this interrelationship and therefore contribute to people's understanding.

We are very fortunate indeed that since 1949, Article 4 of the [German] constitution has guaranteed that we are free to practice our religious beliefs, that we have freedom of conscience and freedom to express a worldview. We have become accustomed to this [freedom], although prior to 1945 we had gotten to know a different era. That's why now I think we not only have a specific reason to be appreciative and grateful, but that it must also be our duty to point out and make people aware of human rights transgressions.

Human rights privileges and a democratic order are not a given, are not to be taken for granted, but are still the exception. That makes it vital to include dialogue about human values and virtue as a guide for our society. These values are truly the basic laws that direct our democratic order. Human dignity, freedom of religion, tolerance and equality before the law are included in this. But in addition we must also include the values represented by Falun Gong, Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.

I wish you success in your undertaking and wish for open ears and open hearts!

April 4, 2002

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(Original text in German)