After having met with various diplomats, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals including Falun Gong practitioners, who are ruthlessly persecuted by the CCP regime, McMillan-Scott concluded that, despite economic advancements, there hasn't been any improvement for human rights and freedom in China.

Program to encourage Democracy and Human Rights

McMillan-Scott announced the introduction by the European Commission of a program to encourage and assist the process of democracy and human rights in countries including China, through cooperation with local groups.

"One of the elements of my visit to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan is to try to establish whether there are ways that have not yet been tried of finding people within China, in particular, who have the capacity to act.

"We have an opportunity in the next couple of years to keep pushing. My presence here, I hope, will begin to give my thoughts and insights into what really goes on and sensitively to work out ways in which people in China can begin to have some hope that things will change," he said.

Europe's Call for Freedom for the Chinese

Since the publication of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party by the Chinese version of The Epoch Times over a year ago, more than 10 million Chinese publicly resigned from the CCP and its affiliations. This unprecedented event marks clearly how China chose to have a future without the CCP. As the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China has kept on escalating ever since it was launched in 1999 by Jiang Zemin, more and more people have seen through the viciousness and the lies of the CCP regime, and stand against the persecution of innocent fellow Chinese.

It is remarkable and admirable that Europe, despite tremendous economic and political pressure from the CCP, extends its help to the Chinese people through this democracy program. The European Falun Gong Information Centre calls out to the Chinese people, on the Mainland and abroad, to grasp this signal of support, and completely break free from the CCP's brutal oppression.

Beijing meeting interpreter arrested, others still missing

The interpreter for a meeting with individuals in Beijing, a Western citizen, was arrested by CCP agents right after the meeting with McMillan-Scott and aggressively interrogated for 24 hours before being sent back to his country. The whereabouts of several other people involved in the meeting, including Niu Jinping and his daughter, both severely persecuted Falun Gong practitioners, remain unknown.

"We have enough reason to believe all of these people are in hands of the Chinese regime right now and face life danger" said EFGIC spokesperson Nicolas Schols. "We call upon the international community to investigate these arrests and help rescue our friends in Beijing, and demand the Chinese regime to proceed with their immediate release."

At the beginning of May 2006, Falun Gong practitioners held the "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" International Art Exhibition in Vytautas University, in the city of Kaunas in Lithuania. Several important Lithuanian politicians attended the art exhibition and condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

Mr. Vytautas Landsbergis, the first Lithuanian President and a current member of  European Parliament

After viewing the exhibited works, Mr. Vytautas Landsbergis, the first Lithuanian President and a current member of the European Parliament, stated: "The communist system, in essence, is against human ideology and is an evil to devastate human nature, the foundation on which humans live. This kind of system brings tyranny and causes millions of innocent people to be slaughtered. Humans should bestow kindness to others, but communism was never the soil to breed kindness."

Mr. Pouweilous Yacunix, a member of Lithuanian Parliament

Mr. Pouweilous Yacunix, a member of the Lithuanian Parliament, said, "The artistic works on display are very touching. Particularly those who have undergone similar experiences are moved to tears."

Mr. Andrius Kubilius, Lithuanian Opposition Party Parliament chair, expressed that Lithuanian people had personally experienced communist tyranny. After its independence, Lithuania started its new life and became a member of the peaceful international community and of the EU.

"A resolution passed by the European Commission condemning communist totalitarianism has equated the crimes committed by the communist system with fascist atrocities. We think that the international community should bring the communist system to justice, just as the Nuremberg Court did to the Nazis," he stated.

Enjoying the Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance International Art Exhibition

The "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" International Art Exhibition held in Vytautas University coincided with the 13th conference of the Lithuanian Union of Former Political Prisoners and Deportees held in the same university. Invited by the Lithuanian Union, a representative of New Tang Dynasty TV in Latvia delivered a speech at the meeting. In his speech, he introduced the book, the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, which has triggered over ten million people in China to quit the CCP. The representative also discussed the CCP's recently exposed atrocities against Falun Gong practitioners, whose organs were harvested when they are still alive. His statements caused extensive concern among the audience.

On that day, over 600 people present at the meeting also attended the "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" International Art Exhibition. Falun Gong practitioners' perseverance and unyielding determination depicted in the artistic works earned positive feedback and appreciation among the viewers.