(Minghui.org) On July 10, 2012, United States Congressman Sam Farr from California issued the following statement in the House of Representatives to recognize the Washington DC Falun Dafa cultivation experience sharing Conference.
Congressional Record
Proceedings and Debates of the 112th Congress, Second Session
In Recognition of the 2012 Washington DC Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference, July 10, 2012
House of Representatives
The Honorable Sam Farr
of California
Mr. Speaker, I rise to welcome participants of the 2012 Washington DC Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference and Rally.
I share Falun Gong’s commitment to freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration. As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, every person has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and we must do all that we can to ensure that citizens here in America and around the world have access to these fundamental rights.
Since Falun Gong’s inception in 1992, it is estimated that millions of individuals have been drawn to its guiding principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. These principles are enduring cornerstones of a democratic society. Yet, as we mark over 60 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is a travesty that those who hold Falun Gong beliefs have been persecuted and tortured. I look forward to the day when Falun Gong practitioners can freely express their beliefs without fear of reprisal.
Mr. Speaker, peace and justice are not only values, but calls to action that we must live out every day. I will continue to act here in Congress to promote peace for all persecuted communities and work for a more just world.