News and Events from around the World -- October 24, 2006

Issued by Clearwisdom Net

Content

  • Australia: Parliament Members Give Speeches at Rally to Support Falun Gong and Condemn CCP Organ Harvesing

  • Korea: All Circles Deeply Concerned about the Chinese Communist Party Organ Stealing Organs from Living People

  • Sweden: Promoting Falun Gong and Clarifying the Facts at a Health Expo



  • Australia: Parliament Members Give Speeches at Rally to Support Falun Gong and Condemn CCP Organ Harvesing

    On October 17, 2006, Falun Gong practitioners from Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane held a rally and anti-torture exhibition in front of Parliament House in Canberra. They called on the Australian government to pay attention to the CCP's atrocities of organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners and take to measures to stop this crime against humanity.

    Quite a few political and community leaders attended the rally and gave speeches to call for an end of the persecution of Falun Gong and an investigation into the CCP's crime of live organ removal. They also made requests for more effective means to pressure the CCP into stopping the persecution, and urged the international community to pay attention to the issue and make sure human rights won't be overshadowed by trade and sports.

    Reenactment to expose the CCP's atrocity of live organ removal


    Calling for an end of the CCP's atrocity of live organ removal in front of Australia's Parliament House

    Dr. Carmen Lawrence gives a speech

    Senator Andrew Barlett

    Senator Kerry Nettle

    MP Chris Bowen accepts 14,000 signatures

    Sister Jane Keogh from Refugee Action Committee, a human rights organization

    Political and community leaders speak out in support of Falun Gong

    Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Carmen Lawrence, MP Chris Bowen, Senator Andrew Barlett, Senator Kerry Nettle, Sister Jane Keogh of Refugee Action Committee, Vietnam community leader Bich Pha, and the director of a Vietnamese radio station attended the rally and gave speeches. Senator Trish Crossin and her legislative assistant attended the rally and signed in support. One member of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong also wrote to express his support and called for an immediate end to CCP's brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

    In her speech at the rally, MP Dr. Carmen Lawrence called on people to pay attention to the persecution of Falun Gong in China. She reminded everyone to read the details and analysis in the Canadian independent investigation report on the CCP's live organ removal. She thought that human rights observers and all others should expose China's poor human rights record before the Olympic Games. All the CCP's crimes of live organ removal from living Falun Gong practitioners and selling for profit must be stopped and condemned.

    Dr. Lawrence said to the practitioners at the rally, "I join with you in protesting strongly the mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners in wanting to draw the attention of the global community to what is happening in China and to ensure that trade and sport don't overshadow human rights. The protection of human rights in China must be the foremost consideration of all the members of the Parliament seated here today."

    Senator Andrew Barlett said, "A significant number of people in Parliament have a deep and strong concern about the extremely serious human rights abuses and allegations that are occurring. They are looking at ways to further pressure the Chinese government to change its ways and looking at opportunities to draw more attention to the reality of what is happening. This is something that affects Australia and Australians. It is not something that we just can forget about it and pretend that it is happening in another part of the world."

    Senator Kerry Nettle said, "Just today the leader of the Greens, Bob Brown, was calling on the Australian government to do what it can to stop Australians from going to China for organ transplants until this issue of whether they are Falun Gong practitioners or others being executed for their organs is resolved. Until that issue is dealt with, the Australian government needs to show that Australians are not being caught up in this horrendous trade that is leading to the death of so many people."

    Senator signs the practitioners' petition letter and MP accepts the signatures

    After his speech, MP Chris Bowen accepted the petition with 14,000 Australian signatures from the practitioners. The petition called on the Australian government to immediately investigate the CCP's atrocities of live organ removal and stop the persecution. He said he would convey the Australian voices to the Parliament.

    Senator Trish Crossin and her legislative assistant also came to the rally and signed a petition letter in support.

    In August, Mr. Kilgour, former Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) for Canada, and Mr. McMillan-Scott, the Vice-President of the European Parliament, held various hearings in the Australian Parliament and local assemblies on their "Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China." Their hearings not only caught the attention of Australian mainstream media, which carried special reports, but also won active response from Australian political parties. The Australian government and its opposition reached an agreement to support an investigation into the CCP's organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners.

    The rally concluded at 3 p.m.

    Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/10/19/140563.html


    Korea: All Circles Deeply Concerned about the Chinese Communist Party Organ Stealing Organs from Living People

    On October 17 to 19, 2006, under invitation from the Korean Human Rights Organization, former MP David Kilgour and international human rights attorney David Matas of Canada visited Korea and held a press conference. They introduced their report on the CCP's organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners and drew a tremendous reaction.

    Mr. David Kilgour discusses the "Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China" at the Korean National Assembly (Gukhoe)

    Member of the National Assembly, Shin Hok-yong of Uri, delivered a speech

    Korean National Assembly (Gukhoe)

    Ms. Quan Qingzi, mother of a Korean-Chinese practitioner Jin Xuezhe, who was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment, gives a speech

    Press conference held at the International Press Club

    The conference started with the MP Shin Hok-yong of Uri's opening speech. He pointed out that the organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners happening in China must be immediately stopped, and he hoped to help the Korean people understand the severity of the human rights violations in China. MP Shin said after hearing Mr. Kilgour and Mr. Matas' speeches: "This is a very good opportunity to understand the human rights violations that Falun Gong practitioners in China are suffering."

    Three-term Peace Ambassador of the International United NGO and former MP Kim Huw-yee said: "People who defile corpses are punished. Organ harvesting from living people is a much worse crime, which angers the heavens and human beings alike." He promised to try his best to stop the CCP's atrocity.

    Ms. Quan Qingzi, the mother of a Korean-Chinese practitioner Mr. Kim Shue-jue, who was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment only for his practicing Falun Gong, attended the conference and gave a speech. As Mr. Kim underwent a blood test in prison, Ms. Quan worried that he would face the danger of organ harvesting. She called on everyone to help rescue her son.

    Practitioner Ms. Ko Sung-nyo, who was arrested in 2003 in China, was tortured and interrogated in forced labor camp. She was later rescued to Korea. She attended the conference and gave an account of her personal suffering to the audience.

    The Canadian human rights activists visited the Chair of the Legal and Legislation Committee of the Korean National Assembly MP An Xyong-xue after the conference, and they urged him to pay close attention to the organ transplant issue in China. MP An indicated that he would do so and ask the Health and Welfare Ministry to investigate cases of people going to China for organ transplants. Based on the results, he would ask the Legal Affairs Ministry to proceed with an official investigation. If there is sufficient evidence, he would promote the legislation on this issue.

    In the same afternoon, a press conference was held at the International Press Club, which many reporters attended. Mr. Kilgour and Mr. Matas expressed their concerns about the issue of people going to China to receive organ transplants. They called for legislation on the issue and re-iterated their findings. All of the major Korean mainstream media were present at the event.

    On the morning of the 19th, Mr. Matas and Mr. Kilgour visited the Chair of the Human Rights Forum in the parliament and the General Secretary of the Grand National Party MP Hyung Ywo-loo. They wanted to remind him about the organ harvesting from living people happening in China. MP Hyung stated that all the MP's in the Human Rights Forum will actively participate in the investigation and asked for ten more copies of the report.

    Former cabinet member MP Lee Yeong-ji ran into Mr. Kilgour and his group on the way to the International Affairs meeting. Even though it was a chance meeting, MP Lee led them to the meeting room in a library nearby and had an extensive conversation with them. After listening to the introduction by Mr. Kilgour, MP Lee said that he visited the art exhibition on the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners last year in Parliament, but he didn't expect that the organ stealing situation to be so severe. He promised to do everything he could to stop the human rights violations and expressed his respect for their efforts.

    After a brief talk with MP Loo Hyong-lyi and Hyu Gya-yuen, Mr. Kilgour and Mr. Matas went to the National Organ Transplant Center, where they exchanged ideas with four officials on the long term issues of illegal organ transplants in China and Koreans going to China to receive organ transplants. The Korean officials expressed their deep concerns on the organ harvesting issue in China, promised to notify the Korean people once they verified the facts, and expressed a desire to find out more from future investigations.

    Mr. Kilgour's group also met with the chair of the National Human Rights Committee Mr. Kuok Loo-hyun and exchanged views on the issue of organ harvesting from living people. Chairman Kuok listened to their introduction attentively and said that he's met with the practitioners in their organ harvesting re-enactment on the street and signed the petition calling for an end of the persecution. He said that the photos had a big impact on him. He said that he would continue to pay attention to this issue and he would post relevant documents on the website of the National Human Rights Committee.

    Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/10/22/140783.html


    Sweden: Promoting Falun Gong and Clarifying the Facts at a Health Expo

    The autumn weather in Sweden is very comfortable and cool, with a clear autumn sky. On October 14 and 15, 2006, Falun Gong practitioners were invited to take part in "The Day of Nice Feeling" health expo held by the Hallunda Community in the capital city of Stockholm. At the Falun Gong booth were banners saying, "Falun Gong;" books; CDs; videotapes; exquisite paper lotus flowers; a wide variety of informational leaflets; paintings from the "Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance Art Exhibition;" as well as truth-clarification materials and copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party in the Chinese language.

    People sign their names to call for an end to the persecution

    Visitors are moved by the melodious exercise music and gentle exercises

    During the two days of the event, the local people had a good opportunity to understand Falun Gong and the persecution against Falun Gong in China by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). They were moved by the melodious exercise music and gentle exercises. Some of them inquired about local practice sites, and many asked why the CCP is persecuting Falun Gong. In particular, they were shocked by the cruelty of the CCP in its organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners.

    So many people visited the booth that several practitioners demonstrating the exercises moved outside the hall to introduce Falun Gong to more people. The person in charge of the exposition was very appreciative of the practitioners' activity: "Wonderful! You are a great advertisement for our exposition."

    A woman from China chatted with a practitioner. She is studying towards a doctoral degree at the Royal Institute of Technology (Kungliga Tekniska Hogskolan). She admired the practitioners for having such a booth at an expo in Sweden. Practitioners explained the facts of the staged self-immolation incident on Tiananmen Square and introduced the Nine Commentaries to her. They also advised her to make a statement on the Internet to renounce the CCP.

    On the afternoon of October 14, the host of this exposition offered a place for Falun Gong practitioners to demonstrate the exercises to people who were interested. The practitioners introduced Falun Gong and taught the exercises. Many people at the site felt the strong energy field. One woman said, "I am very lucky to meet Falun Gong practitioners today. Several years ago I visited Spain. One morning I took a walk and saw ten people practicing Falun Gong. That scene was very beautiful, absolutely transcending the secular world. It was regrettable that I had to leave. Please give me your contact information. I want to learn it. Thank you very much."

    Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/10/17/140425.html