(Clearwisdom.net) On November 28 2006, the Epoch Times and several human rights NGOs held a seminar at the headquarters of the European Parliament in Brussels to discuss the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) suppression of religions. A representative of the European Falun Gong Association was invited to give a speech, in which she exposed the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China since 1999 and called on the European Union to condemn the CCP's human rights abuses openly.
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| The seminar at the headquarters of the European Parliament in Brussels | European Falun Gong Association representative Ms. Waltraud Ng |
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| Irish European Parliament member and spokesman for the European parliament’s largest party Mr. Simon Coveney |
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| Mr. David Kilgour | Mr. Edward McMillan-Scott |
The seminar was co-hosted by the vice-president of the European Parliament, Edward McMillan-Scott, and MEP Mr. Simon Coveney. China expert, Dr. Thomas Weyrauch from Germany, Mr. Erping Zhang, a scholar from Stockholm University Asia Research Center, and David Kilgour, former Canadian Asia-Pacific Secretary of State were invited to attend this seminar. Several religious and belief groups also joined the discussion.
At the beginning of the seminar, MEP Coveney introduced the investigation report authored by David Kilgour and David Matas concerning the CCP’s atrocities of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. The report has received a great deal of attention from the European Parliament and many other governments.
European Parliament vice-president McMillan-Scott then took discussed his trip to China earlier this year: He met Falun Gong practitioner Cao Dong in Beijing last May who is a witness of the organ harvesting atrocities. Mr. Cao was arrested by the communist regime after the meeting. Mr. McMillan-Scott stressed that the genocide of harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners to make profits must be stopped immediately and that under such a circumstance the 2008 Olympic Games should not be held in China.
Dr. Thomas Weyrauch, the Chinese issue expert from Germany, is the author of an award winning book "The Huge Suffering Dragon." The book was published in September 2005 and contained an in-depth discussion on the human rights situation in China. In his speech, he emphasized that the Chinese Constitution and the International Human Rights Covenants signed by the communist regime all declare that Chinese citizens have the right to practice their beliefs freely. However, up to now, free religious activities still cannot be ensured. Believers must register in religious groups which are controlled by the atheistic government. The communist party defines whether a religion is legal or not. If it is not approved, such a religious group will be relentlessly persecuted by the regime. Dr. Weyrauch used the ‘‘610 Office" as an example: The Office was set up by the communist regime to oversee the persecution of peaceful Falun Gong practitioners.
Mr. Erping Zhang, a Scholar of Stockholm University Asia Research Center, and Asia Research Association Director, pointed out that all traditional belief systems in China, including Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism and Falun Gong are deeply rooted in the traditional Chinese culture and have a fundamental difference from the doctrines of the CCP's Marxism. Mr. Zhang also gave an update on the ongoing persecution of different religious and belief groups in China.
Mr. David Kilgour, former Canadian Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific), stressed that the CCP only criticized his report on organ harvesting allegations for two name errors. This reaction thus has confirmed the validity of the findings of the report. Mr. Kilgour also talked about his trip to other countries to raise awareness of the atrocities. Last August, Mr. McMillan-Scott and he visited Australia and New Zealand. Most recently, he was told that a group of Australians which was planning to go to China for organ transplants had dropped the plan.
Ms. Waltraud Ng, a representative from the European Falun Gong Association, spoke about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China since July 1999, especially the atrocity of organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners exposed this year. Waltraud Ng also talked about the situation of human rights lawyer Zhisheng Gao who sent letters to the CCP leaders three times to defend Falun Gong practitioners’ rights and is now being persecuted in China. She called for an end to the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong, urged the CCP regime to release of all the detained Falun Gong practitioners, and called for an international tribunal to bring the prime perpetrators of the persecution to justice.
European Parliament members, parliament members’ staff members, representatives of non-government organizations and reporters attended the seminar.
Category: April 25 Events
