Statement by US Congressman Sherrod Brown at Falun Gong Rally in Washington DC

July 23, 2002

Dear Friends:

I would like to congratulate all of the participants of today's rally. Your efforts to shed light on China's persecution of Falun Gong are extremely important.

As the government of China lectures us on our policy towards Taiwan, it continues its assault on the 100 million practitioners of Falun Gong. Since 1999, members of Falun Gong have repeatedly organized to protest the Chinese government and its abuses of freedom of religion, speech, and assembly. Yet China continues to ignore the rights and opinions of its own citizens.

The past year has seen China's communist leaders outlaw and violently suppress the Falun Gong movement. But followers of Falun Gong have been persistent in their campaign of civil disobedience. Over 50,000 Falun Gong practitioners have been illegally jailed and at least 10,000 have been sent to labor camps without trial. Over 100 Falun Gong members have died from abuse in police custody. But not a single member of the Chinese police authority has been injured during Falun Gong protests. The treatment of Falun Gong practitioners should outrage all Americans who believe in religious freedom. Unfortunately, we have known about Chinese human rights abuses like those against the Falun Gong for quite some time.

The 2000 State Department Human Rights Report documented the People's Republic of China's persistent assault on religious leaders. Catholics, Muslims, and Falun Gong practitioners have all been targets of China's religious persecution.

Each year, China's human rights record gets worse. The State Department's recent human rights report cites crackdowns by China on freedom of speech, belief, and association. Over the last decade, China's tolerance for individual freedoms has deteriorated severely. Yet our response has been to reward China by importing more goods and extending permanent normal trade relations to that country. We must do more than call upon the People's Republic of China to end its human rights abuses, we must demand it of them.

Congratulations on today's rally. I wish you the best of luck in the future.

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown

Member of Congress