(Clearwisdom.net) On the morning of December 9, 2007, many residents of Chiayi City, Taiwan signed a petition at the Chiayi City Train Station to support the upcoming arrival of the Human Rights Torch Relay in Taiwan in June 2008. Legislator Sandy Yen, Chiayi City Councilor Tsai Wensyu and Professor Ai Chang-Rui from National Chung Cheng University gave speeches. Legislator Yen announced that she was joining the CIPFG (Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong in China), and received warm applause from supporters of the Human Rights Torch Relay.

Legislator Sandy Yen urges people to clearly see the evil nature of the CCP

CIPFG member and Chiayi City Councilor Tsai Wensyu encourage people to join the Human Rights Torch Relay. The torch relay will come to Taiwan in 2008.

People stop at a booth to get information about the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong

The people of Chiayi welcomed the opening activity of the Human Rights Torch Relay

Signing to support the Human Rights Torch Relay

A large number of people stopped to sign their names to support the Human Rights Torch Relay

The CIPFG has more than 300 members, which include politicians, attorneys, doctors and human rights advocates. The CIPFG promotes human rights and is calling for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to immediately stop the persecution of Falun Gong. It has four chapters in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. In order to stop the CCP from persecuting Falun Gong and violating human rights, the CIPFG initiated the "Global Human Rights Torch Relay." Since the human rights torch was first lit at the opening ceremony in Athens, Greece on August 9, 2007, it has been carried through more than 20 countries, and will arrive in Taiwan in June 2008.

During the event in Chiayi, CIPFG members held signs reading: "Protect human rights, support the Human Rights Torch Relay on June 9, 2008." Legislator Sandy Yen urged people to see clearly the evil nature of the CCP. She said, "Democracy in China has made no progress. The people are just slave laborers of the country. There is no protection for human rights, and the CCP even harvests organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. Such inhuman acts to kind and innocent Falun Gong practitioners is a great shame for the Chinese."

Chiayi City Councilor Tsai Wensyu, also a CIPFG member, stated, "Falun Gong practitioners in China who are tortured by the CCP and have lost their freedom number not just several hundred, or several thousand, but several hundred thousand people. I stand for protecting human rights, insisting that people should be free of fear and persecution. I must bravely stand up to tell the CCP that you can't persecute people; as a representative of public opinion, I have much gratitude and admiration for the spirit of Falun Gong practitioners who persist in resisting the persecution and protecting human rights." He urged people to come out in June next year to support the Human Rights Torch Relay, and run with the Torch. Professor Ai Chang-Rui from National Chung Cheng University also said: "People of justice should stand together stop the CCP from violating human rights."

Nearly one thousand Chiayi City residents and visitors signed the petition to support and welcome the Human Rights Torch Relay. One of the organizers said that he was moved by the enthusiasm and sense of justice displayed by the residents of Chiayi. At the event, Legislator Sandy Yen, Councilor Tsai Wensyu and Chiayi residents shouted together: "Protect human rights, oppose persecution!"

CIPFG members from Chiayi have held activities welcoming the Human Rights Torch. They have collected petitions and sold T-shirts at Yuren Pier, Dongshi Village, Chiayi County. The Human Rights Torch Relay has received a warm response from Chiayi County.