Issued by Clearwisdom Net

Falun Gong practitioners participated in a recent march and rally to Prague Castle in protest against organ harvesting atrocities in China. At the press conference for the event, David Kilgour gave the following speech. Mr. Kilgour is a former Canadian Secretary of State (Asia Pacific) and MP, who co-authored an investigation report which concluded that allegations of organ harvesting atrocities taking place in China are true.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I want to thank Human Rights Without Borders for putting on this event today and I want to thank the people who have come from as far away as Brussels and Russia. We have three people here from Russia who have come all the way to be here with us today. We also have people from Bern and I'd like to thank them for coming today too.

Very briefly I'd like to say to you that David Matas and I studied this terrible problem of organ harvesting and we've concluded that thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in China have been killed and their organs have been sold for large amounts of money.

Nobody standing in this square should be surprised when you have a totalitarian government in China operating with this economic system, that the government of China would be killing their so called opponents and selling their organs in the process.

If all of you or some of you get on your internets and send emails and put pressure on the Chinese government or the officials here in Prague--I think the Chinese government is very close to the point where it is going to stop this crime that the world has never seen and probably will never see again.

If it doesn't stop this terrible thing that it is doing how can anyone go to Beijing in 2008 to watch the Olympic Games? What kind of an Olympic spirit is put on by a government that kills its own people and sells their organs to the highest bidder?

Finally I am very happy to say that there is a Canadian press story today, which says that the government of Canada sent a Chinese diplomat out of the country because of spying on Falun Gong. (Applause)

So please join with us in this protest march that we are going to make and if you can't join with us please get on your internet machines and send an email and I am sure you and many people can help us to put as much pressure as we can on the government of China to stop this practice. Thank you very much. (Applause)

On January 25, 2007, Korean Falun Gong practitioners held a press conference outside the Singapore Embassy to Korea to protest the Singapore authorities' unfair trial against innocent Falun Gong practitioners.

The practitioners displayed a giant banner condemning the Singapore Government for its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in order to please the Chinese Communist regime. As soon as the banner was unfurled, two security personnel from the Embassy building came out to interfere. Nevertheless, the practitioners were determined to display the banner and the press conference moved along smoothly as scheduled. After the press conference, the practitioners delivered an open letter to the Embassy.

In the letter, Korean practitioners strongly requested the Singapore Government to drop charges against the innocent practitioners and stop its underhanded deals with the Chinese Communist regime. The letter also called on the Singapore Government to resist the Chinese Communist regime's propaganda and violence and uphold human rights and freedom.

Reportedly, six Falun Gong practitioners in Singapore were put on trial on January 22, 2007, in the Singapore Subordinate Court for an event that occurred over two years ago. On November 23, 2005, the practitioners involved had been distributing flyers telling about the persecution of Falun Gong in China and supporting the Chinese people who had withdrawn from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations, along Orchard Road in Singapore. They were charged by the Singapore police with "assembling without a permit."

Many practitioners and supporters from different countries and regions came to the court, hoping to observe the trial proceedings. However, despite the defendant practitioners’ repeated requests for a bigger courtroom, the trial in this case was still conducted in the smallest courtroom in the Subordinate Court, allowing for only eight chairs. The presiding judge refused to bring additional chairs into the court, as had been done in a previous hearing, and refused to move the trial to another courtroom. As a result, no family members, media, or supporters were allowed access to the courtroom, leading to the practitioners' protest. The judge found the practitioners guilty of contempt of court and sentenced them to two days in prison without possibility of bail or visitation. Due to extensive protest from people all over the world, the practitioners were released 14 hours later and the trial will be held in a larger courtroom.

On January 26, a grand parade was held in downtown Melbourne to celebrate Australia Day. More than 60 groups, of different ethnic backgrounds, participated in this grand occasion. The Falun Gong group presented a marching band (the Sydney Divine Land Marching Band) and a Dragon and Lion Dance troupe. Some practitioners also demonstrated the peaceful Falun Gong exercises. The practitioners' performance was well-received.

Falun Gong practitioners' performance during the Australia Day parade in Melbourne

A flag-raising ceremony was held before the parade. David de Kretser, governor of Victoria, gave a speech at the ceremony. The governor and other VIPs then watched the parade. More than 60 groups with nearly 1,000 members in their colorful ethnic costumes marched through Melbourne's downtown. The Falun Gong practitioners' group was the largest one among all the participating groups.

Led by the Sydney Divine Land Marching Band, Falun Gong practitioners presented Tang Dynasty dances, the Festival Fan dance, a Falun Gong exercise demonstration, the Colored Silk dance and a waist drum performance. In addition, practitioners' Dragon and Lion Dance Troupe made their first-ever public performance. The practitioners' joyful performances were cheered and highly acclaimed by the spectators. Many from the audience gave the practitioners the thumbs-up sign in appreciation.