(Clearwisdom.net) On Monday, March 15, 2004, the first day of the 60th annual United Nations Human Rights Commission meeting, more than five hundred Falun Gong practitioners arrived from more than 20 countries around the world, including Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria, the UK, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Slovakia, Russia, Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Taiwan, the US, Australia, and Israel. They held a parade in downtown Geneva, held a press conference on the Places des Nations in front of the UN building, Geneva, and performed the Falun Gong exercises. They wanted to appeal to the United Nations, governments and non-governmental organizations to help bring an end to the persecution of Falun Gong in China. At the press conference at 12:00 p.m., two members of the Swiss Parliament, Ms. Maria Roth-Bernasconi and Mr. Ueli Leuenberger and the Co-Chairman of the European Falun Dafa Association, Mr. Peter Jauhal gave speeches respectively. Below is the speech given by Ms. Maria Roth-Bernasconi.

"Torture is unacceptable and total prohibition against all inhuman treatment that undermines the dignity of the individual must be promoted in the most forceful manner possible. Torture is one of the most shameful attacks against human rights.

The opening of the Commission on Human Rights at Geneva provides the opportunity to break the silence surrounding the practice of torture and to give once again a voice to the victims who have been attacked both physically and in their dignity. Torture is no longer practised to make people talk, but above all to reduce them to silence.

"The aim of torture is to make us all silent; not only those who are tortured but all of us who fear torture to the extent of making ourselves passive." (Dr Inge Genefke, honorary member of the International Centre for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture).

Silence is torture's best ally. Hidden passageways, clandestine villas, secret detention centres, the existence of which is denied by States.

Let us now break this silence and condemn torture wherever it is practised and against whomsoever it is practised. No religion, sport, act of freedom of opinion, but also no crime or offence justifies torture. [...]

In this context I support the campaign of the Falun Gong members who are fighting against the inhuman practices carried out against the members of this movement."

Maria Roth-Bernasconi

National Socialist Councillor, Geneva