This speech was delivered at Orlando, Florida's World Falun Dafa Day Celebration on May 13 by Cheryl Ellefson, a local Amnesty International representative.

Good afternoon.

My name is Cheryl Ellefson and I am the Co-Coordinator of the local group of Amnesty International here in Orlando. Amnesty International's mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination within the context of its work to promote all human rights. What that means is Amnesty shines the spotlight on the human rights abuses being committed around the world in order to bring public pressure to bear on the perpetrators of human rights violations to stop those abuses. And so, we shine the spotlight on China today with respect to their treatment of the Falun Gong and will continue to do so as long as China continues to violate their rights.

Since the Chinese government banned the Falun Gong on July 22, 1999 because they considered this spiritual movement a "threat to social and political stability," tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been arbitrarily detained by police. Some of them have been charged with crimes and sentenced after unfair trials (trials that have been closed to the public and held in secret) while others have just been sent to labor camps without trials. There have been accounts of torture and ill treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in detention and over 350 Falun Gong practitioners have reportedly died in custody since the organization was banned. These accounts have not been investigated properly by the Chinese authorities according to International standards. All of this has been documented in a number of reports published by Amnesty International. Currently, Amnesty International USA has an Urgent Action Appeal concerning the detention of Falun Gong practitioners during a police operation in Changchun. Amnesty International has called on the Chinese government to stop all violence against the Falun Gong practitioners and provide convincing evidence that all allegations of torture are being investigated.

Amnesty International's vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. China's actions go against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We ask China to not just talk the talk by signing into law these standards but to walk the walk by putting those standards into practice.

We ask China to practice Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that says "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public and private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

We ask China to commit to Article 10: Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

We ask China to exercise Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

We shine the light on China today as Falun Gong practitioners celebrate their tenth anniversary. Stop the violence against Falun Gong practitioners.

Thank you.