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Human Rights Newsletter Reaches People Around the World with a Call for Conscience

August 16, 2008 |   by members of the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group

(Clearwisdom.net) The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has persecuted Falun Gong for over nine years. During the persecution, the CCP has attempted to destroy people's will before taking their lives. What it deprives people of is the most fundamental right of human beings, which constitutes the most fundamental element of living beings--conscience.

Therefore, the "Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group" recently released a series of newsletters, widely distributing them to government agencies of different countries, the mainstream society and people from all walks of life. It aims to expose the CCP's atrocities and call for justice and conscience.

Solemn condemnation and calling for justice

In Human Rights Newsletter-Issue 31, it cited the declaration of the "Conscience Foundation," it was written,

"In the U.S. Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson proclaimed that all men are endowed with 'certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.' Those unalienable rights, unfortunately, have too often been taken away from human beings. There is one thing that no external force can take away from a human being. That is one's conscience. No on can force us to change our beliefs; we have to agree to it ourselves. It is the only thing that a human being truly owns and controls. Conscience, therefore, defines humanity, and the right to conscience is a human being's most fundamental right."

"The moral bankruptcy in China is the result of over fifty years of crimes against conscience by the Chinese communist regime. In recent years, the Chinese regime has taken its crimes against conscience to other parts of the world, plunging people in Darfur, Burma, Zimbabwe, North Korea and other regions into worse human rights suffering, and enticing Western corporations such as Microsoft, Yahoo and Cisco to cooperate with its human rights violations."

"...In standing up to the CCP, Falun Gong practitioners not only are standing up for their own right to conscience, but also taking a stand for all of humanity."

"How can we afford not to stand with them? How can we not devote ourselves to stopping the Chinese communist regime's crimes against conscience?"

"If right and wrong can be compromised, why have right and wrong? ...Conscience, thus, defines human nature,...No crime, therefore, is worse than the crime against conscience."

"Starting from this issue, we will bring you the booklet, Falun Gong, Humanity's Last Stand, published in parts, to systematically recall the history of the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong and elaborate in detail all related information."

In Human Rights Newsletter Issue 32, it was written,

" We call upon people and organizations around the world to stand up and defend justice, and to help maintain dignity and the right to freedom of belief! We help them, not just for their sake, but for our own, as that simple act of compassion defines not just who we are; it defends the world we choose to live in. How many of us will help?"

In this issue of the booklet, Falun Gong, Humanity's Last Stand, there is a word of advice to those indifferent governments or individuals in the world:

"'Why didn't we know about it?' That question was asked when Falun Gong practitioners around the world publicized how 18 female practitioners had been stripped naked and thrown into the cells of male criminals. That question was asked when Falun Gong practitioners around the world publicized horrifying pictures showing how seven hours of electric shocks had disfigured Ms. Gao Rongrong's face. That question was asked when Falun Gong practitioners around the world publicized the systematic extraction of vital organs from living Falun Gong practitioners."

"The epic struggle of peace vs. violence, truth vs. lies, and conscience vs. evil is still ongoing, and history is still being written. Those who are living the history now still have the opportunity to learn about the epic struggle and choose for themselves which side of history they want to be on."

No longer being silent, sending out messages of support for justice

Being moved by calls for conscience, being shocked by cases of persecution exposed, and being shaken by real pictures, the newsletter's readers around the world are no longer silent; many people signed on the website linked to the newsletter and wrote messages of support. The following are some examples of recent messages left on the website:

Lauren Crum from the USA:
"It is time for the world to stop turning a blind eye to the hideous abuse and murder that has been and continues to be perpetrated by the CCP. We (as a global community) have ignored this problem for far too long, and it only grows larger and larger, a threat and a menace to every free person on Earth. We must send a united message to the government of China that our collective conscience cannot be bribed, bought or intimidated into submission! I am proud to add my name to this list and hope that by doing so I can in some small way help end the oppression."

Erik Lau Christensen from Denmark:
"Selfishness and fear can only cause evil and violence. Violence can not stop the human from searching for truth and wisdom, but may cause death of human beings. Truth and wisdom will survive. Life will continue, but individuals will suffer. Someday mankind will become mature and stop suppressing, torturing and killing and become loving and caring for each other - and become wise."

Kimberly A. Peguero from the USA:
"If words could fix the problem or at least bring hope to the all the people suffering at this moment, I would write a novel. However, since that is impossible I just want to say that I plan to do anything and everything that is within my reach to get the message across. If anyone has any information, or any ideas of ways in which I can be of help please email me."

Russell Wyllie from the United Kingdom:

"I produce short reports on human rights abuses in China, Burma, Iraq and even in America. European and U.S. countries encourage business growth and development in countries like China, knowing that these countries are fascist dictatorships who are opposed to democracy, who use violence against civilians, and do not support fair wages or the right to legal representation. Politicians are busy shaking hands over resources and money, while they ignore shocking systematic human rights abuses. It is up to civilians to take a stand against oppression, fascism and slavery, because politicians consider profits and taxes from industry more important than combating the evil regimes. Human lives are more important, not politics and economics."

Flavia Gullett from the USA:
"[To the Chinese leaders] I would love to see your country, but I will not spend money in a place where people are tortured. Stop the torture of your people and watch the changes that will happen. You will have even more money, if that is what you want."

Vilis Lietuvietis from Estonia:
"Will human progress ever end barbarism? Freedom of conscience, especially in religion, is the essence of humanity. To believe and practice belief which does no physical or basic moral harm is no crime, but its persecution is. Free people must act to protect human freedom and dignity."

Sam Sherwood from Cumbria, United Kingdom:

"If Falun Gong has unwavering spirit on their side, their conscience will triumph over that of a brutal government."

Mary Nguyen from the USA:

"[Chinese leaders] please listen. God is watching everything you do."

Vassiliki Marketaki from Greece:

"The Chinese government dishonors the human race."

Mimi Cortese from the USA:

"This persecution has been going on for 9 years too long. Justice WILL prevail!"

Dilip Rajeev from India:

"Such rotten evil cannot run rampant for long. It is just a matter of time before the CCP falls and the evildoers pay in full for all their crimes."

Alexandru Hahui from Romania:
"The [Chinese Communist Party] of today disgusts me more than ever. Nothing short of eternal pain and suffering is suitable as punishment for these vile, pathetic excuses for human beings. And the worst part is that, in the end, regardless of how beastly this communist filth is (I am only referring to the ruling body), no one will do anything about it. Wake up, people of the world. China does not deserve to host the Olympics, nor has it any right whatsoever to ban Falun Gong, or commit an ethnic genocide in Tibet. Protest, assemble, get your point across. Together, we can change the world."

This newsletter has been translated into over ten languages, and entered the mailboxes of the mainstream people and people from all walks of life in different countries. It has raised extensive awareness, simply looking at officials' replies: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the United Kingdom has replied to the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group every time it received the newsletter, requesting them to continue sending them updated versions, so that they will use the materials about the persecution in its human rights dialogues with the Chinese government. The US Ministry of Foreign Affairs and US Embassy in China have also replied to the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group many times, expressing their intentions to spread the information.

The newsletter also reaches smaller countries. For example, a Falun Gong practitioner in a European country saw on the website that the content of the newsletter was suitable for truth-clarification to government officials, and then downloaded the newsletter and delivered it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in his country. The officials of the Foreign Affairs Ministry read it and said, smiling, "We have received this already, the Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group sent it to us!" Other people such as celebrated TV hosts, lawyers, active human rights activists, religious people, teachers and social workers and so on, voluntarily read and spread the newsletter. At the same time, many people have reprinted the newsletter in their media and individual websites, helping more people learn about what is going on in China.