(Minghui.org) Editor's note: Below is Dan Fefferman's speech, delivered in person on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on July 17, 2014, at a rally marking 15 years of the persecution of Falun Gong.

Mr. Fefferman is the president of the International Coalition for Religious Freedom.

The treatment of the Falun Gong spiritual movement by the government of China constitutes one of the most serious violations of human rights in the world today. The most heinous example of this treatment is the practice of harvesting the vital organs of Falun Gong practitioners who have died in re-education camps and prisons. This is absolutely disgusting!

Unfortunately, this practice grows directly out of the Chinese Communist ideology, in which human rights are completely subordinate to the interests of the State. But why is the State so threatened by Falun Gong? 

The answer is simple - the leaders of the Communist Party are afraid of Falun Gong because, deep in their hearts, the Communists know the truth. Human beings are not just "matter in motion." They are spiritual beings with creativity, freedom, and will. 

Creativity, freedom, and will do not came from matter. They come from the spirit. And so, when people who adhere to a materialist ideology cling to power, they naturally fear a movement that exposes that ideology as evil and false. I congratulate Falun Gong for its courage in standing up to this persecution!

The Communist Party of China has engaged in a systematic effort to destroy Falun Gong. Those who openly practice Falun Dafa lose their jobs. They are sent to re-education camps and prisons. Sometimes they are inhumanly tortured. Even their families are often afraid to associate with them. This is what the Chinese government calls "encouragement" to become productive members of the society.

But this is not "encouragement." It is repression. It is persecution. And in some cases, it is murder. People have a right to hold any religion or belief. And they also have a right to practice their religion or belief both in private and in public communities. I absolutely condemn the Chinese government for its inhuman treatment of Falun Gong.

I call on the U.S. government to confront the Chinese government more forcefully on this issue. We Americans should not be afraid to impose serious sanctions against China for its violation of human rights. It is time to put principle above politics and above short term economic interests. Free Falun Gong. Down with the evil ideology of the Chinese Communists! Free Falun Gong!